- On the Beach (2000 film)
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On the Beach 
DVD coverGenre Science fiction Directed by Russell Mulcahy Written by John Paxton (1959 screenplay)
David Williamson and Bill Kerby (teleplay)Starring Armand Assante
Bryan Brown
Rachel Ward
Mark Pennell
Grant BowlerCinematography Martin McGrath Editing by Mark Perry Country United States
AustraliaLanguage English Release date 2000 Running time 195 minutes On the Beach is an apocalyptic television movie released in 2000, airing originally on Showtime. It is a remake of the 1959 film, and is based on the 1957 novel by Nevil Shute.[1][2] It starred Armand Assante, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Ward.[3] It was directed by Russell Mulcahy.[4]
Contents
Overview
On the Beach updates the setting of the story to the then-future year of 2006, starting with placing the crew on the fictional Los Angeles-class submarine USS Charleston (SSN-704)[5] (There has never been a submarine named USS Charleston, and SSN-704 is named Baltimore). The USS Charleston (SSN-704) in On the Beach is a 688i variant of the Los Angeles-class and is equipped with a caterpillar drive. The Morse code signal picked up by the submarine crew in the original novel and film was updated to an automated digital broadcast powered by a solar-powered laptop computer. The cause of the nuclear war was due to the standoff between United States of America and the People's Republic of China due to the latter blockading and invading Taiwan. China then attacked the United States, which struck back, each using nuclear weapons.[2]
This film's picture of human behavior is darker and more pessimistic than in the original 1959 adaptation, where social order and manners do not collapse. The ending also differs from both the novel and the first film version in that Commander Towers (Assante) chooses to die with Moira (Ward) instead of scuttling the submarine beyond Australian territorial waters (as in the original novel), or attempting to return with his crew to the United States (as in the earlier film).
Awards and honors
The film received two Golden Globe award nominations. The film itself was nominated as Best Miniseries or Television Film and Rachel Ward was nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television category for her role as Moira Davidson.[6]
References
- ^ "'On the Beach' Revival is Slow Going Until the End". Akron Beacon Journal: p. F1. May 28, 2000. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AK&s_site=ohio&p_multi=AK&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB6D5EB81121690&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM.
- ^ a b Kronke, David (May 28, 2000). "'Beach': It's the End of the World As We Know It". Los Angeles Daily News. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83407580.html.
- ^ Turegano, Preston (May 28, 2000). "Beach's passion doesn't run deep, as radioactive love boat founders". The San Diego Union-Tribune: p. TV3. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sandiego/access/54351083.html?dids=54351083:54351083&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+28%2C+2000&author=Preston+Turegano&pub=The+San+Diego+Union+-+Tribune&desc=`Beach's+passion+doesn't+run+deep%2C+as+radioactive+love+boat+founders&pqatl=google.
- ^ Moliltorisz, Sacha (April 19, 2007). "TV & Radio: On the Beach". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv-reviews/on-the-beach/2007/04/18/1176696897842.html.
- ^ King, Susan (May 26, 2000). "Together Again for Apocalypse 'On the Beach'; Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown team on screen for just the second time since marrying 17 years ago". Los Angeles Times: p. F1. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/54223319.html?dids=54223319:54223319&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT.
- ^ "Golden Globes announce TV, film award nominees". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Associated Press: p. 8B. December 22, 2000. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lL4aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_y8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4298,1291809&dq=golden-globes&hl=en. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
External links
- On the Beach at the Internet Movie Database
- On the Beach at AllRovi
Films directed by Russell Mulcahy 1970s Derek and Clive Get the Horn (1979)1980s Razorback (1984) · Arena (An Absurd Notion) (1985) · As the Lights Go Down (1985) · Highlander (1986)1990s Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) · Ricochet (1991) · Blue Ice (1992) · The Real McCoy (1993) · The Shadow (1994) · Silent Trigger (1996) · Tale of the Mummy (1998) · Resurrection (1999)2000s On the Beach (2000) · The Lost Battalion (2001) · 1st to Die (2003) · Swimming Upstream (2003) · 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) · Mysterious Island (2005) · The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (2006) · While the Children Sleep (2007) · Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) · The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008) · Prayers for Bobby (2009) · Give 'Em Hell, Malone (2009)Categories:- American films
- Australian films
- English-language films
- 2000 television films
- American television films
- Australian television films
- Film remakes
- Films about nuclear war and weapons
- Films directed by Russell Mulcahy
- Films set in 2006
- Post-apocalyptic films
- Submarine films
- World War III speculative fiction
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