Deterrence

Deterrence is a 1999 political thriller drama film written and directed by Rod Lurie, depicting fictional events about nuclear brinkmanship. It marks the feature directorial debut of Lurie, who was previously a film critic for the New York Daily News, Premiere Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and Movieline, among others. Kevin Pollak, Timothy Hutton, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Sean Astin star. The film is an international co-production between France and the United States. It premiered at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in the United States on March 10, 2000, by Paramount Classics. Plot In Spring 2008, U.S. President Walter Emerson is visiting Colorado ahead of Super Tuesday in the primary elections for his party's nomination in the upcoming presidential election. Emerson, formerly an appointed Vice President who ascended to the Presidency four months earlier upon the death of his predecessor, is accompanied on his campaign tour by White House Chief of Staff Marshall Thompson, National Security Advisor Gayle Redford, his Secret Service protection detail and a television news crew documenting his campaign. A freak blizzard traps Emerson and his entourage at a diner in the remote town of Aztec, occupied by chef and owner Harvey, waitress Katie, local resident Ralph and married tourists Taylor and Lizzie Woods. President Emerson greets all the civilians in turn just before news arrives that Iraq has invaded Kuwait on the orders of Iraqi President Uday Hussein. Emerson and his team also learn that in the process of invasion, Iraqi troops killed a UN peacekeeping mission largely staffed by U.S. armed forces and medical personnel. In response, President Emerson makes a worldwide address from the diner, using the television crew following his campaign. During the speech, Emerson gives Hussein an ultimatum to cease his invasion of Kuwait and submit himself to the U.S. embassy in Iraq for arrest within 90 minutes, or else Emerson will authorize a nuclear strike on Baghdad. Emerson's ultimatum shocks both his staff and the civilians in the diner as he had not revealed his intentions before making the speech. When questioned by Redford, Emerson defends his decision by arguing that with the vast majority of U.S. military forces engaged in the "Second Korean War" and an undoubted act of aggression by Hussein against the U.S., a nuclear strike is the only appropriate option to reinforce U.S.