10 Greatest Films About Journalism

Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas star in this eerily prescient film about nuclear meltdowns. When reporter Kimberley Wells (Fonda) stumbles across a significantly dangerous safety cover-up, she and her team pursue the story and bring it to the public's attention, much to the dismay of nuclear plant officials. Preceding the events of Chernobyl by almost seven years, what really makes The China Syndrome so prophetic is that only twelve days later, a high profile meltdown would occur much closer to home, in Pennsylvania.

The Three Mile Island accident largely substantiated the concerns regarding the safety of nuclear power in China Syndrome and silenced criticism from lobbyists who claimed that the film was pure fiction. As a result of the accident, some credit meltdown's timing with enhancing the film's marketing and ticket sales. Whether this is true, is still up for interpretation.

The China Syndrome was a great box office success, making $51 million commercially worldwide. As for the critics, the film would receive four Oscar nominations, with both Fonda and Lemmon being recognised for their great performances.