this film be pretty good for emotion and drama . i have be to st. helen and love the region . it largely grow back and be green and fertile again and dominate by the stark gray gutted monolith of the mountain . in a way and it a tombstone of granite and pumice and still steam and hot despite more than two decade of slumber . very somber and impressive sight . i like the movie the first time i saw it probably about 20 year ago on tv . it be cut a bit for commercial so i probably saw about 75 minute so there be a few plot hole and but nothing to worry about . after all and it a fictionalized docudrama . the only real character . harry truman ( carney in a real departure from ed norton ) and the crusty old soldier who would not do what he do not want to . he earn the right to die on his own land . and david jackson ( huffman ) who be base on the late david johnston who die on the mountain in the eruption . he portray a the antithesis of truman and a calm dreamer who hat stupidity and bureaucracy ( one and the same ) in the local businessmen and ng official . he and harry hit it off despite their difference and find common ground in the love of the mountain about to destroy everything . i rather like tim thomerson and the sheriff and who out of his usual stand up routine but a tand up guy in the local community and a he try to keep peace a the drama unfold . the huffman or yates love interest . probably untrue and and in my opinion and unnecessary in the film . a bit of country western local yokel in the bar and get to know one another be a decent way of help u like the town and the folk and but one wonder something . for instance and why do cassie yates and her son and who have a car and get a helicopter ride out of danger . and when the news report of the eruption come on and the first thing they say be that harry truman be at his lodge and david jackson and the young geologist be on the face of the mountain when it erupt . fast work . the end theme and here to you and harry truman and be a pretty good ballad and and catchy and even if old harry himself would probably have scoff at the overly maudlin lyric . sound like pig be murder . the film of the eruption and the late destruction be impressive and gut wrenching . it be a huge disaster which flatten thousand of acre of forest and wilderness . yet and if you go up to st. helen and the thing you will be most surprised by be the roadside attraction . st. helens represent feel the eruption . experience the destruction and the quake and the power and from the comfort of a chair . all over the place and you can see movie and buy lava chunk and explore house bury under ash . what a country .