Michael Douglas is Fonda's rabidly anti-nuke cameraman. Wilford Brimley plays Lemmon's nuke-knowledgeable co-worker.
How I felt about it. The China Syndrome had the remarkable timing to open up within two weeks of an actual nuclear accident, at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. This was years before Chernobyl was nearly wiped off the map. On the other hand, as far as I know, France has never had a serious nuclear accident, and apparently the country is dotted with such facilities.
Bottom line: accidents can happen at neglected nuke plants. They don't happen at well-run sites. So, the China Syndrome is possible if precautions are not taken. Which is what the movie is about.
Now, does an evil corporate conspiracy exist to 'permanently silent' errant employees? Silkwood and this film would have you believe so. But, hopefully, this is pure Hollywood. Power companies aren't run by the Mafia.
Jack Lemmon is perfect for his role as the nervous company man who loses his bearings when his support system (a belief in a conscientiously-run plant) is shattered. When he wasn't playing a prissy counterpart to sloppy Walter Matthau, Lemmon was best as the everyman who finds malice from authority he had previously respected. This was a theme of The Apartment, Missing, and undoubtedly others unseen or unremembered by myself.
Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, on the other hand, are simpler characters seeking affirmation of their set beliefs. Fonda has no strong feelings about nuclear energy. Her passion is to become a 'serious' television journalist. The nuke saga is the ticket to become the next Diane Sawyer.
Likewise, the plant breakdown only confirms what Douglas already 'knows.' The only good nuke is one that is offline and made into a Holocaust-themed museum. "And here is where the menacing nuclear rods were stored. As you can tell from my geiger counter, this place is still hot. I hope you are wearing suntan lotion." The tour group groans and titters, and gets cancer twenty years later.
How others will see it. The reaction of liberals and conservatives to this film should be obvious. Others may enjoy The China Syndrome simply because it has dramatic situations and a well-known cast. It also provides minor but interesting insights into television journalism. It's like making a movie where only one take is allowed, and the script is crafted on the day of shooting.