The point of “The China Syndrome” was not inherently antinuclear for everyone, according to Rolling Stone, although it ended up coming across that way. The proximity to the events at Three Mile Island meant more attention was put on the risk of operating nuclear power plants, and according to NPR, the events in Pennsylvania put a halt to ordering more nuclear plant construction for decades. But for some of the people working on the film, it was supposed to come across as more of a human story that looked at how we can make mistakes.
“Individuals caught in a corporate or social structure that forces them to make a moral decision at the sacrifice of losing their lives. It’s an effort at what is basically Greek tragedy — classic drama situations,” actor and co-producer Michael Douglas told Rolling Stone.
If the film had been released at another time, maybe that would have been the focus. But as the conversation around nuclear power changed, “The China Syndrome” found itself benefiting from growing concerns about the risks — and the box office numbers indicate it was overall a good deal. The movie’s domestic ticket sales came to nearly $36 million (via The Numbers).
