Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster

Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster
Genre	Drama
Written by	Michael Baker
Directed by	Paul Seed
Starring	Christopher Lloyd John Heard Rip Torn Bob Gunton Michael Murphy Mark Metcalf
Music by	David Ferguson
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Richard Broke Colin Callender Leslie Woodhead
Producers	John Smithson David M. Thompson
Production locations	Alaska Vancouver
Cinematography	Ian Punter
Editor	Dave King
Running time	90 minutes
Production companies	HBO Showcase BBC Films
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	December 12, 1992 (1992-12-12)

Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster is a 1992 movie depicting the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster off the coast of Alaska. Directed by Paul Seed, it stars Christopher Lloyd, John Heard, Rip Torn and Michael Murphy.

Most of the film was shot in Vancouver, Richmond and Steveston, British Columbia, but it also utilizes archival film clips of the actual disaster and cleanup efforts.

Synopsis

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker struck a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. It was the worst oil spill of its time, releasing over 11 million US gallons (260,000 bbl; 42,000 m³) of crude oil onto the Alaskan shoreline.

Much of the film centers on the conflict between local officials, the fishing industry, and the Exxon official sent out to oversee the clean-up and take the rap. The filmmakers point out that much of the aftermath could have been minimized had the officials in charge been better prepared and not spent so much time involved in useless red-tape and petty bureaucratic bickering.

Production and release

Dead Ahead is based on the Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred on March 24, 1989 where an oil tanker spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil off the coast of Alaska. The film was written by Michael Baker. Baker spent more than a year going through official reports and transcripts for research before writing the first draft.

Reception

Howard Rosenberg from the Los Angeles Times called the film a "compelling thriller about self-interest taking precedence over public interest", praising Paul Seed's directing and the performances by John Heard and Christopher Lloyd.

External links

• Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster at IMDb