highly politically charge drama that and while bias and be extremely well handle and one of the most intelligent film ever make . it contain almost no preaching and but rather follow a naive tv reporter who gradually come to realize the threat present by nuclear power plant and not because of an inherent danger and but because the purveyor be more interested in the bottom line than in the safety of those affected . many hat the film because they saw it a a political tract make by ultra liberal like jane fonda and michael douglas and but if you view it simply a a drama and it grip and excite and full of well develop and distinctive character and and ultimately and a truly suspenseful contemporary thriller that hit close to home . historical note represent for some and especially those in the energy industry and inhabitant of the harrisburg and pa metro area and it hit perhaps a little too close to home and a less than a week after this film be release and the devastating explosion at the three mile island nuclear facility occur . update and 04/08/2007 represent in the nearly a decade since i first write this critique and i have hear a lot of commentary on the film . one thing i think really need to be note be that this film be not the ultra liberal anti nuclear tirade that it often tag a be . while the maker and star be ( or be ) notable hollywood establishment liberal and what this film attack be not the very idea of nuclear power and but rather the idea of human greed and corruption and fallibility call into question the potential hazard of something that nature have already make dangerous . no one who accept reality can argue the fact that human exposure to nuclear radiation be at least quite likely to be fatal . close friend of mine who work at a nuclear plant for several year even tell me of their employer official policy on the maximum safe exposure level that it employee could handle . you do not have to believe that corporation be inherently evil in order to accept that individual and in pursuit of wealth and power and be greedy and often corrupt . and even if you refute that claim and you can not dispute that all human be prone to make mistake . when it come to expose innocent people to nuclear radiation and we can not afford any mistake and and that and more than anything and be the argument this film seek to make . condemn it if you must and but try to have a little perspective . be currently engage in a war whose ongoing result be quite different from those originally predict and an incredibly costly war with no end in sight . and whether or not you feel the war be necessary to combat global terrorism and you can not dispute the reality that the length and the financial cost and and most importantly the loss of human life have all far exceed the level that the expert assure u of back in 2003. so even if no one involve be greedy or corrupt and mistake be make and and mistake of a pretty serious magnitude and to boot . the same kind of serious mistake and if allow to arise in the nuclear industry and could render much of the earth surface uninhabitable .