Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America (2006)

The long-feared avian flu has mutated into a strain that can be spread from human to human - and its spreading fast. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 03/25/2008 Starring: Joely Richardson Stacy Keach Run time: 84 minutes Product Description

Bird Flu in America

A good movie that shows how pandemic diseases spread expotentially. As the movie progressed it became rather unrealistic and inconsistent in certain areas. November 25, 2007

Not your usual Hollywood hype

I have been researching the avian H5N1 flu for quite a while now, and was impressed with this film's accuracy. I expected this film to be the usual Hollywood treatment where the pretty doctor comes up with the Magic Vaccine at the last minute. I was pleased to be wrong. The statistics were right on, and it gave an accurate view of how the government in its arrogance will be slow to react when the flu finally mutates so that it will be passed easily from human to human.

Scenes were well-crafted in regards to bare grocery shelves, the panic buying that ensues when deliveries ARE made, and how the garbage will pile up when the trash collectors are not available.

I was impressed with the emphasis on the need for neighbors to pull together to make it through the crisis, and how one individual can make the difference.

I do take issue where the film implies that virtually everyone who catches the flu will die. Other than the one boy (I've forgotten his name) EVERYBODY shown who contacts the flu dies.

One last thing that stood out for me was that this movie did not put a "happy face" on the situation, but ends with the grim reality that nature does not fit in a tidy little box where things are resolved in 2 hours minus commercials.

As they emphasised in the movie, it's not a matter of "if," but "when." I hope people take this film to heart and make preparations NOW, while there is still timwe to prepare. I would recommend that a good starting point would be The Bird Flu Preparedness Planner by Grattan Woodson. I have already given this book a 5-star review, and recommend it without qualification. Naturally, it is available through Amazon. August 29, 2007

I thought that this movie was better than average

It is true that it showed almost like a documentary; and I liked that about this movie. Many disaster movies focus on several troubled relationship and the main theme of the disaster is only a back drop; not so with this film. After watching this movie, I actually felt that I knew more about avion flu and how various government agencies MIGHT deal with the problems that develop. July 4, 2007

DOESN'T QUITE FLY

This made for TV flick certainly makes an impact on just how devastating a pandemic of the dreaded bird flu could impact the world. That's the film's main problem--it is so heavy handed and somber that it doesn't really flesh out the storylines to make us care for the people. It's almost like a documentary; nothing really "happens."
Joely Richardson is lovely but her performance is lifeless; Scott Cohen fares a little better as the obsessed governor of Virginia; and Stacy Keach is appropriately bureaucratic. Ann Cusack takes acting honors, however, as the widow of the businessman responsible for bringing the virus into America. She evokes a lot of sympathy as a wife and mother who takes charge when things get really bad.
A dark, disturbing if ultimately uneventful movie, though. November 11, 2006

AN OKAY TV MOVIE, BUT MUCH TOO SHORT

it wasn't much more than that. i saw this in my high school health class and liked it. it is a movie about what would happen if the bird flue disease spread to America. it is basically what you would think, mass histaria. it almost plays out like a vombie, but no running or chasing scenes. it's okay, it has a lot of subplots, but by far the best one is the one with the nurse working at the hospital. it cuts off at 90 minets though, i felt it could have been a lot longer. it ends basically ends at the first night of a two part mini-series. it could go into a lot more detail and got into the characters a bit more. it seems like they were tring to fit it into a 2 hour time slot and cut a lot out at the last minute. but ll in all it's pretty good. the dvd dosen't seem to have any extras or deleated senes which have been nice. but you take what you get, i'll ask for it for my birthday. can't wait to see it again. November 9, 2006

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