Miracle Mile (1988)

Director:

Steve De Jarnatt

Writer:

Steve De Jarnatt (written by)

Release Date:

19 May 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

You just found out that you have 24 hours to live. What are YOU going to do?

Plot:

A young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.

Plot Keywords:

Nuclear War | Los Angeles California | Single Day | Real Time | Person On Fire

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Anthony Edwards	...	Harry Washello
Mare Winningham	...	Julie Peters
John Agar	...	Ivan Peters
Lou Hancock	...	Lucy Peters
Mykelti Williamson	...	Wilson (as Mykel T. Williamson)
Kelly Jo Minter	...	Charlotta (as Kelly Minter)
Kurt Fuller	...	Gerstead
Denise Crosby	...	Landa
Robert DoQui	...	Fred the Cook (as Robert Doqui)
O-Lan Jones	...	Waitress
Claude Earl Jones	...	Harlan
Alan Rosenberg	...	Mike
Danny De La Paz	...	Transvestite
Earl Boen	...	Drunk Man in Diner
Diane Delano	...	Stewardess

Runtime:

87 min | West Germany:81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | West Germany:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | France:U | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Johnie's Diner - 6101 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to a story told by casting director Billy DaMota in the documentary I Don't Know Jack (2002) , the role of Fred the Cook was originally offered to Eraserhead (1977) star Jack Nance , who refused the role because he wanted to focus on his day job as a security guard.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): On the phone in the booth when Chip told Harry the code to nuclear war, he said that the code was, "Thor Arthur 66ZZD." In the diner when Landa asked Harry to repeat the conversation, he said the code was, "Thor Arthur 66"DD"Z".

Quotes:

Charlotta: Is this your blood... or mine?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Offbeat, intriguing

I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic movies; for some reason, the thought of civilization as we know it grinding to a halt on a backdrop of nuclear bombs falling intrigues me to no end.

There are a host of movies that deal with Life After The Bomb, a whole lot more dealing with Life While Preventing The Bomb, but not very many that deal with Life Immediately Before The Bomb. This is one of the latter, and I think it pulls it off really well.

This offbeat movie chronicles a few hours in the life of a character who has just found out that the missiles are on the way.

This movie is rather offbeat; the acting is not bad, but just unlike normal hollywood acting, even despite a few familiar faces. The pacing is different, the sets are different, the colors are different. And in this case, the differences give it an edge that is quite intriguing.

The main character (tom cruise's ill-fated co-pilot in top gun) displays such an acute, personal anxiety that really grabbed my attention and really made the movie hit home.

While some of the other acting is less than stellar, in a movie like this it does not detract.

This movie really did make me think about what I would do in a similar situation. Very thought-provoking.

If you are as intriguied by nuclear war as I am, you should definitely watch this film.

8 / 10