A State of Emergency

"A chain reaction. Only he can stop it. Tomorrow's dawn is in his hands."

1986 1h 37m EN

💀

3.5

SKIP

★3.5TMDB · 4

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

This story is about a crusading scientist out to stop nuclear testing who is motivated by scientific fact, conscience and faith. Dr. Alex Carmody (Martin Sheen) is a physicist who becomes convinced that if the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. continue to test nuclear weapons, eventually one of these tests will set off an atomic chain reaction that will obliterate the world. Carmody travels to Portugal where he tries talks to one of the women who in 1911 saw a vision of the Virgin Mary that spoke to her and her two companions about the future. Carmody is certain that the Virgin Mary predicted the very chain reaction he and his co-worker Dr. Kenneth Parrish (Peter Firth) envision. Failing in his attempt to talk to the woman, Carmody then travels to Paris and elsewhere, warning Soviet and American officials that the tests they are planning should be cancelled before they become their last.

“A chain reaction. Only he can stop it. Tomorrow's dawn is in his hands.”

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Cast

Martin Sheen
Alex Carmody
Peter Firth
Ken Parrish
Fionnula Flanagan
Diane Carmody
Ramon Estevez
Brian Carmody
William Hootkins
Earl Linton
Tim Pigott-Smith
Father Joe Ryan
Frances Tomelty
Jackie Hampton
François Guétary
Jean-Pierre Belair

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard C. Bennett
Writers: Tom Guggino, Ray Cunneff

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

40 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard C. Bennett, shot by Willy Kurant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Catherine Kelber shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Martin Sheen and Peter Firth and Fionnula Flanagan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A chain reaction. Only he can stop it. Tomorrow's dawn is in his hands.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0092010 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard C. Bennett directs. Willy Kurant behind the camera. Catherine Kelber cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
240 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Richard C. Bennett, shot by Willy Kurant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Catherine Kelber shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Martin Sheen and Peter Firth and Fionnula Flanagan carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A chain reaction. Only he can stop it. Tomorrow's dawn is in his hands.".
7IMDB entry: tt0092010 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.