This television movie chronicles the major earthquake in the Bay Area in 1989. The emphasis of the story is about the collapse of the double-decker interstate 880 where a lot of cars were trapped as the upper level collapsed on the cars that happened to be lower part of the highway. The movie has a documentary feeling to it.
Directed by Robert Iscove, the film has some good moments as it concentrates on two families affected by the earthquake, the Berunam and the Betts families. It also shows a brave man, Frank Stewart, who was instrumental in saving the two Berunam children. Unfortunately, Buck Betts, a diabetic, wasn't discovered until after four days after the quake.
The film has some good visual effects, which are mixed with actual television footage of the rescue efforts at the highway. Ruben Blades, Len Cariou, David Morse, Sandy Duncan, Scott Hylands, among the cast, contribute to give life to the people affected by the disaster.