Testament (1983 film)

Testament
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lynne Littman
Screenplay by	John Sacret Young
Based on	"The Last Testament" by Carol Amen
Produced by	Jonathan Bernstein
Starring	Jane Alexander William Devane
Cinematography	Steven Poster
Edited by	Suzanne Pettit
Music by	James Horner
Production companies	Entertainment Events American Playhouse
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	November 4, 1983 (1983-11-04)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$2,044,892[1]

Testament is a 1983 drama film directed by Lynne Littman and written by John Sacret Young, based on a three-page story titled "The Last Testament" by Carol Amen (1933–1987),^[2]. The film tells the story of how one small suburban town near the San Francisco Bay Area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization. It was one of the films, along with The Day After and Threads that portrayed life after a nuclear war, mostly in response to an increase in hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Originally produced for the PBS series American Playhouse, it was given a theatrical release instead by Paramount Pictures (although PBS did subsequently air it a year later). The cast includes Jane Alexander, William Devane, Leon Ames, Ross Harris, Lukas Haas, Roxana Zal and, in small roles shortly before their rise to stardom, Kevin Costner and Rebecca De Mornay. Alexander was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.^[3]