← Apex Mountain

The China Syndrome

1979 · directed by James Bridges · 122 min
24,651 feet · Prominence
604th of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw62

Lifetime worldwide gross $52m, re-releases included; about $235m in 2026 money.

Rank1,486 of 11,051In 197915 of 64

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise91

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics85 baseAwards84 signal → +7 lift

Oscars4 nominated Actress, Actor, Original Screenplay, Production Design
Golden Globes3 nominated Best Picture, Lead acting, Screenplay
BAFTAs2 won Actor, Lead acting2 nominated Best Picture, Screenplay
How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy52

Judged directly: Three Mile Island timing, phrase entered language.

Verdict52 of 100IMDb7.4 from 34kWikipedia17k views a monthAge47 years

Scored beside it · 909 of 4,039 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 62 praise 91 legacy 52averages 68, placing it at24,651 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

Whose apex this is

▲ Jane Fonda

In these careers — elevation for this film

Jack Lemmon20,283 ftJane Fonda20,283 ftMichael Douglas19,080 ftWilford Brimley18,245 ftScott Brady17,764 ft