Click here to copy URL

Testament

6.2

300

Ratings

Add to lists

Links

Original title

Testament

Year

1983

Running time

90 min.

Country

United States

Director

Lynne Littman

Screenwriter

John Sacret Young

Cast

Music

James Horner

Cinematography

Steven Poster

Producer

Paramount Pictures

Genre

Drama | Family Relationships. Nuclear Holocaust

Synopsis

Nuclear war in the United States is portrayed in a realistic and believable manner. The story is told through the eyes of a woman who is struggling to take care of her family. The entire movie takes place in a small suburban town outside San Francisco. After the nuclear attack, contact with the outside world is pretty much cut off.

Awards: 1983: Nominated for Oscar: Best Actress (Jane Alexander)

1983: Golden Globes: Nominated for Best Actress Drama (Jane Alexander)

1983: Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Nominated for Best Actress (Alexander)

1983: National Board of Review (NBR): nominated to Top Ten Films.

1984: Avoriaz International Fantastic Film Festival: nominated to Grand Prix (Best Film).

Show all

Critics' reviews

"A gentle, loving, noble, angry and heartrending film."

Time Out
"Alexander's performance makes the film possible to watch without unbearable heartbreak, because she is brave and decent in the face of the horror (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times
"Lynne Littman's unforgettable, uncompromising and understated 'Testament' is quite simply the most powerful anti-nuclear dramatic film ever made"

Kevin Thomas: Los Angeles Times
"What makes Lynn Littman's film so devastating -- beyond, that is, the power of Jane Alexander's brilliant performance as the surviving mother -- is its icy control and its complete disavowal of sentimentality"

Stephen Hunter: Baltimore Sun
"A dreadfully earnest but fatally uninspired effort to compress the aftermath of an epic catastrophe, massive nuclear war, into a small-scale family memoir."

Gary Arnold: The Washington Post
"A haunting, emotionally devastating movie"

Kathleen Carroll: New York Daily News
"An exceptionally powerful film dealing with the survivors of a nuclear war. Debuting director Lynne Littman brings an original approach to the grim material."

Variety Staff: Variety
Show 3 more reviews

Movie Soulmates' ratings: Register so you can access movie recommendations tailored to your movie taste.
Friends' ratings: Register so you can check out ratings by your friends, family members, and like-minded members of the FA community.

Is the synopsis/plot summary missing? Do you want to report a spoiler, error or omission? Please send us a message.
If you are not a registered user please send us an email to [email protected]

All copyrighted material (movie posters, DVD covers, stills, trailers) and trademarks belong to their respective producers and/or distributors.

For US ratings information please visit: www.mpaa.org www.filmratings.com www.parentalguide.org

User history

Testament

1983

Lynne Littman

6.2

(300)