The Great Los Angeles Earthquake

In The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, a string of minor quakes rattling Los Angeles, Dr. Clare Winslow, a seismologist, starts to see a pattern that could signal a long delayed disaster. She believes she can pinpoint both the moment and the place of a major quake that could redraw the city. As she fights to bring her warning to the public, she encounters bureaucratic resistance and political caution that threaten to delay crucial information. The drama follows her efforts to balance duty and family, hoping that her loved ones are out of danger as tremors escalation toward a feared turning point. Meanwhile, it turns the lens on ordinary people coping with tremors, from anxious neighbors to professionals under pressure.

Directed by Larry Elikann, this 1990 television movie was built from ideas by Paul Huson and William Bast. It stars Joanna Kerns as Dr. Clare Winslow and Dan Lauria as Steve Winslow, with Bonnie Bartlett and Lindsay Frost in supporting roles, delivering solid TV performances.

No major awards or nominations are documented for this television movie, though its cast and premise reflect the era's appetite for disaster drama on the small screen. It functioned primarily as entertainment that combined suspense with family stakes, rather than as awards bait. Its reception varied by market and viewer, but critics generally valued its earnest approach.

Within the disaster TV subgenre, the film reflects a late 20th century fascination with scientists shaping public policy. While not widely cited today, its emphasis on warning ethics and family resilience aligns with similar TV movie tropes that balanced science with civic responsibility. The Big One figure remains evocative of debates about how much warning a public deserves.

Critics noted a brisk pace and earnest performances from Kerns and Lauria, delivering a straightforward exploration of transparency versus control, risk communication, and the lengths people go to protect loved ones. The film leans on credible seismology talk to ground its drama, while never overreaching into melodrama, a balance that resonated with audiences seeking plausible disaster storytelling.