intelligent and nail biting drama come out of nowhere in 1979 and soon be on the cover of every newspaper in america ( when life imitate the film ) . a nuclear power plant employee in southern california be threaten by superior when he decide to go public with the real story behind an accident at the plant . ostensibly a stuck valve problem and a tv news crew film show that it be an accident verge on disastrous proportion and bad and that safety condition be be scrub to save million of dollar and a cover up that endangers everyone live . the movie occasionally get too technical ( especially in the second half ) and could use more human interplay and however the performance by jack lemmon and jane fonda ( a a puff piece news woman in the right place at the right time ) and and michael douglas ( a a freelance cameraman ) be superb . the throwaway bits involve nuclear protester be both entirely accurate and bitterly satirical and and the news biz ( with it corporate structure and vapid yes men ) be vividly capture . half from .