Marianne!
Marianne, come on!
- We got to go right now! - We can't leave!
- Honey, we got to go right this second. - We can't leave! Not yet.
- Look at these readings! Let's stick around. - Forget the readings!
Juan, Chico, get what you can quickly!
- Where are the seismic records? - Now! We cannot wait.
Come on, Marianne! Come quick! Come on!
l'll see you at the fort!
Chico, stay close behind us, okay?
- Come on, get in! Get in! - l hope they'll be okay.
l can't even see the road, sweetheart.
Are you okay?
lf we make it through this...
We're going to have some stories to tell.
Oh, shit, honey.
Shit!
We're going to get out. Don't worry.
Marianne?
Oh, no!
Four years later
Harry Dalton here. No one's home. Leave a message.
Harry? Harry, are you there? Come on, pick up.
Come on, I know you're there.
We're picking up something in the Northern Cascades.
I need your opinion on it.
Listen, get down here as soon as you get this message.
You better pack for a couple of days. Harry, are you sure you're not there?
United States Geological Survey
Cascades Volcano Observatory Vancouver, Washington
Take a big step. Come on.
What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on vacation.
Paul called. There's something going on in the Northern Cascades.
You can't leave work alone, can you?
Harry, going on vacation isn't going to kill you.
- l appreciate that. Thanks. - No problem.
Good morning.
What's going on in the Cascades?
l am sorry l had to drag you in like this...
...but we are picking up some activity around Dante's Peak.
This is a joke, right? Dante's Peak?
What do you think the odds are against an eruption there?
1,000-to-1?
More like 10,000-to-1. What's the depth?
10 to 20 kilometres.
You're number seven. lt's on the corner there.
Good man.
Any idea where l might find Mayor Wando?
She should be right around the corner, accepting some award.
Dante's Peak was just named the best...
...second-best place to live in the United States.
Population under 20,000.
Good for you. What was number one?
l don't know. Some piece of crap town out in Montana. Who cares?
- l'll be seeing you. - Okay.
l'd like to thank Karen...
...from Money Magazine for this wonderful award.
What is it?
Lauren, is it Karen or Kathy?
lt's Karen, Mom. For the tenth time: Karen.
You're going to be late.
- Have you seen my good jacket? - You don't have a good jacket.
- The blue one? - Oh, that one.
lt's on the back of the chair in the kitchen.
Graham, it's time to go.
- Where is your brother? - He's going to meet us there.
- There's your jacket. - Okay.
Let's go, Mom! You'll be late!
l got to say something.
Folks, we're real sorry for the delay. We're going to get started in one moment.
Any moment now.
- Go find a place in the front, okay? - Okay.
- Hey, Bill. - Hey, Rachel.
Thank God.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce the mayor of Dante's Peak, Rachel Wando.
lt's about time.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a very special day in Dante's Peak.
To kick off the festivities...
...I would like to introduce Karen Narlington of Money Magazine.
Thank you. Thank you very much, Les.
Mayor Wando, it gives me great pleasure to present to you a Money Magazine award.
Dante's Peak, the second most desirable place to live in the United States...
...population under 20,000.
Congratulations.
- Thank you. - Karen!
Thank you, Karen.
Thank you, Lauren.
This award means a lot to us.
We've been proud of our town for a long time.
It's beautiful, it's safe, it's a wonderful place in which to raise a family.
Tell 'em, Mayor!
Now, with the prospect of a major investment in our economic future...
...by Mr. Elliot Blair of Blair Industries...
Will you stand up, Elliot?
Next year we're going to be number one.
You'll love this.
Come on in. lt's great.
- ls it really warm? - lt's beautiful.
Yeah.
lt's really hot.
l think that's why they call it Twonset Hot Springs.
So, is this great or what?
- Sure beats the hell out of L. A. - Yes, it does.
Maybe we should move here.
l don't think so. l'd go nuts in a week.
lt's nothing. Some animal must have scared them.
- Jerry? - What the hell was that?
Oh, my God!
So, everybody get out there, have a great time, and enjoy this beautiful day.
Good job, Mom.
- Where is your brother? - l don't know.
l know where.
Mayor Wando?
Harry Dalton with the U. S. Geological Survey.
A wonderful speech, Rachel.
- Excuse me, Mayor Wando, gentlemen- - l'm sorry, you are?
Harry Dalton.
From Portland.
Yes, your boss called and said you were coming.
- Elliot, can l call you later? - Sure.
l should show you around. Right?
ls this a good time?
Yeah.
- Just have to make a quick stop. - Sure, that's okay.
- What are we doing here? - This'll only take a second.
So, you have any kids?
No, l don't.
You're lucky. Right, Mom?
No, honey. Sometimes having kids is just wonderful.
And sometimes...
Graham!
My brother, Graham, he's in a lot of trouble.
Yes, l think he is.
- You get in trouble? - No.
Of course not.
- Graham! - l'm coming.
Get in the car.
You boys, go home.
You should know better.
See you, guys.
- l don't know what's wrong with you. - Can we do this another time?
The mine is dangerous. lt's off-limits.
Whatever.
Hey, Rachel!
- Hey! - Hey, Jane.
- l heard Mrs. Mackey was sick. - You know, just a touch of the flu.
And how are you?
Dr. Fox, this is Harry Dalton of the United States Geological Survey.
- Oh, hey. - How do you do?
Nice meeting you.
- 'Bye Jane. - 'Bye.
Do you want to see it?
lt looks like black liquorice.
Can l see it?
You know what this is?
This is a smoky quartz crystal.
l had one just like it when l was your age.
Very lucky.
Do you know about this stuff?
Just a little bit.
Dr. Dalton's a geologist.
Volcanologist, actually.
You mean like Dr. Spock?
Mr. Spock.
Kind of, but without the ears, you know?
- Mom, drop me off at Grandma's. - Yeah, me too.
You're not tagging along.
Stop fighting. No! No one's going.
Dr. Dalton has been patient enough.
lt's okay to drop the kids off at your mother's. l don't mind.
She's not my mother. She's my mother-in-law.
Or my ex-mother-in-law.
My, my. This is beautiful.
- Grandma! - Grandma!
Well, look who's here.
- Hi, ace. How you doing? - Good.
- Keeping out of trouble? - Yeah.
Lauren, my ladybug.
Hello, Ruth.
Hi, Rachel.
Come on, Rough.
Are you Rachel's boyfriend?
No, Harry Dalton. United States Geological Survey.
Just up here to check on your mountain.
Bunch of you people came up here right after Mount Saint Helens went nuts.
There was nothing going on then. There's nothing going on now.
l need to take Dr. Dalton up to the high lake and wondered if the kids could stay here.
Sure. But why don't we all go? We can go swimming.
Mess around in the hot springs on the way back?
- Our swim stuff is in the truck. - l'll get mine.
Come on, Roughy, come on.
Come on, girl, come on.
Okay, Roughy, come on.
What are you doing there?
Checking the acidity in the water.
Like a pool man.
Yeah, exactly. Just like a pool man.
We'll take these pH readings...
...and check them against the ones that we did about 15 years ago.
Where? From here?
And on Mount Saint Helens.
Those trees over there. Any idea when they died?
No. Maybe from the winter storms.
Why? You think we've got a problem?
No. l don't think so.
l do about 25 to 30 of these a year.
Ninety-eight percent of the time they're just false alarms.
And the other two percent?
You wouldn't have to worry about moving up on that ''best places to live'' list.
Come on, girl.
You guys be careful.
Watch out for poison oak when you put your swimsuits on.
They'll be fine. Hey, wait up!
A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind.
Or nothing.
These old rocks here will give us some idea of when this area was last active.
- When was that? - About 7,000 years ago.
Give us a smile.
Beautiful.
Take it easy now, okay?
Don't touch it.
Roughy, no. Stop.
What?
What is it?
We found two dead squirrels, Mom.
That's what this fuss was all about?
Don't touch them.
lt must be some sort of squirrel epidemic.
They're dropping like that all over the mountain.
Come on, let's go.
lt stinks. l don't know if l want to go in.
lt smells like your room. You go in there.
Hey, Grandma. Somebody left their clothes here.
Sometimes couples sneak up here for a hot dip...
...and some hot nookie.
Ruth, for God's sake.
Lauren, move. Lauren, get out of the way.
Watch me, Mom.
Graham, no, no! No!
No. Stop.
Don't look, pal.
Paul, l think we should monitor the entire area.
Get the whole shooting match in here.
l don't know.
The acidity in the lake is high enough to bother me.
There's enough carbon dioxide coming out of the soil to start killing trees and wildlife-
You sent me up here to check. l'm doing that.
l think attention should be paid.
All right. l'll call you.
You guys okay?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- 'Bye, Mom. - l love you.
l love you, Mom.
l don't think l'll be too late, Ruth.
- 'Bye. - 'Bye.
You okay?
Yeah.
Any idea who they were?
No, never seen them before. Backpackers, maybe.
- What's going on here, Harry? - l don't know.
- How big a problem do you think we have? - lt's too early to tell yet.
But l think you should call a city council meeting.
- Ready to roll? - Yeah.
l thought this was supposed to be an extinct volcano.
Not extinct, just dormant...
...as in sleeping.
And your volcano might just be waking up.
Mr. Dalton, you're talking about the evacuation of 7,400 people.
You don't think that's a little extreme?
l'm just saying to consider alerting the town to the possibility of an evacuation.
What Mr. Dalton here doesn't realise...
...is that if Elliot Blair gets the idea that there's a problem here...
...he'll take his $18 million, his 800 jobs, and he's going to evacuate.
- Les, two people are dead and we- - This is the first opportunity in 40 years-
Look, it's been a very long day. Let's try to treat each other nicely.
Norman, why don't you pull out the town's emergency evacuation plans?
- We should at least have a look at them. - lf l can find them.
Look at this nice little town...
...nestled all snug and cosy right against the mountain.
Yeah, just like Pompeii.
Come on, let's unpack her.
The conference room should be big enough to set up shop in.
Great, thanks.
Do you know where l can find Harry Dalton?
He's over at the city council chambers. He and the mayor called a meeting.
So, when is this mountain likely to blow up?
l wish that predicting volcanic eruptions were an exact science.
- Unfortunately, we- - Perfect.
So, we put the town on notice, and then nothing happens.
People, we're not the only town in this state.
All right, so are we ready to put it to vote?
l don't know if we have enough information.
Paul.
Everybody, this is my boss, Dr. Paul Dreyfus. Mayor Wando.
- Hi. Rachel. - lt's a pleasure indeed.
What's going on here?
l've recommended to the council members that they put this town on alert.
They were just about to vote on it.
- Harry, can l have a word with you outside? - Sure.
Excuse us.
Who the hell is this?
l sent you up here to have a look around, not to scare the city council.
l know, but two people are dead.
Recommending an alert was the only responsible thing to do.
There are dozens of reasons that would account for what happened.
Anything from a mild earthquake to a slight seismic shift...
...and not one of those reasons...
...means that the mountain will blow up next week or next month...
...or the next 100 years.
They just think they can walk in here-
Ladies and gentlemen...
...Dr. Dalton was only doing what he thought was in the town's best interests.
However, l have learned through bitter experience that...
...these decisions are not to be made lightly.
Now, back in 1980, l would've bet $1 million...
...that Mammoth Mountain was about to go up.
We, at the U. S. G. S., began to talk about the possibility of putting that town on alert.
Thank God the mountain didn't go up, but the damage had already been done.
You see, the word leaked out that the U. S. G. S. had expressed concern...
...and so the tourists panicked and stayed away...
...the real estate values plummeted, and the town nearly went bankrupt.
Consequently, l'm now a lot more cautious...
...when it comes to even talking about putting a town on alert.
Now, folks, understand something.
We'll be camped here for as long as it takes with seismometers and tiltmeters...
...that will measure and monitor every hiccup the mountain makes.
We'll be bouncing laser beams off it to track any changes in size.
We'll be analysing gas emissions.
We've even got a robot to go up there and take its temperature.
Now, believe me, l'm not trying to make light of your concerns...
...but l want you to understand that if the time comes to call for an alert...
lf the time comes...
...it will be based upon scientific evidence...
...and not upon...
...anyone's opinion.
For God's sake, this thing should've been handled much more discreetly.
This meeting never should've been called.
l just hope Mr. Blair didn't get wind of this.
You're making a big mistake, Paul.
This is an unstable system, and this town should be on alert.
You need a vacation. l'll see you in two weeks.
Well, we got some serious damage control to do.
lf they get scared off, Rachel, you're the one who's responsible.
Any questions? l'll be happy to answer them.
- How about a nice adult beverage? - Excellent.
- Good. - Sounds good to me.
Give me just a minute here.
Thought you'd be off on your fishing vacation by now.
- l decided to stick around. - l can see that.
The question is, ''Why?''
Because this town's in trouble.
l'm the best man you've got.
Whiskey.
You are the best man l've got.
Until you can understand that there are delicate politics involved...
...not to mention economics...
...you're only going to do these people more harm than good.
l understand.
- There you are. - Same again, please.
Tomorrow l'll hire a helicopter, fly around the mountain...
...take some COSPEC readings, see how much sulphur dioxide is there.
Okay.
From now on, everything comes from me.
Any more town meetings to be called, l'll be the one to call them. Okay?
Okay.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
- Coffee? - Yes, please.
Cappuccino, espresso, caffe latte?
Could l just have a regular coffee?
Sure.
l heard you left town last night.
Yes. Well, l've decided to stay. See what new trouble l can get myself into.
So, what's good here?
Everything's good here.
Oh, my God! l am so sorry.
lt's okay. lt's all right.
l suppose l had that coming for screwing up your re-election chances?
l didn't do it on purpose.
l've always been better at figuring out volcanoes than people and politics.
Anyway. l just...
...wanted to say l'm sorry if l caused you any trouble.
l just wanted to help.
You like eggplant Parmesan?
For breakfast?
For dinner.
l'm inviting you over for dinner...
...to say thank you.
Thanking me for what?
For saving Graham's life, and for caring.
lt's a date.
Let's go down lower and head for that rock formation over there.
lf l fly during my lunch break, l get overtime.
Just do it.
All right, let's just hover here.
Okay, what you got back there? How's it looking?
Minimal sulphur dioxide emissions. There's nothing to worry about.
We're green across the board.
Harry, there's nothing to indicate there's any kind of activity down here.
She's quiet.
Yeah...
...she's quiet.
Okay.
Which hand is the domino in?
- That one. - You've got it.
- Right here? - Yes.
- Looks like a squished heart. - More like an appendix to me.
- Neat. - Cool.
Can you do any other tricks?
Maybe Harry's tired.
Just one more. Here you go.
All right.
Look at that. No boogers. But right down in here we have...
...a little sewing needle.
You see it?
lt's magic.
And it needs a magic hair. This won't hurt.
Yummy.
Okay, hold this, please. Thank you.
Let me put my glasses on.
And we go...
...like this. Thread it through. Fine. You hold that.
Okay?
Look at that. And there.
Much better.
And we go like this.
All right. And go like that.
lt really works.
lt's magic.
l know it's just a little town, but l couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
l grew up here.
l went to school here.
Got married here?
Yeah.
Brian.
We were just kids.
l haven't heard from him in quite a while.
Quite a while. Try six years.
l don't think she'd admit it, but l don't even think Ruth knows where he is.
You seem to be doing okay.
Yeah.
lt was hard at first. Hard for the kids.
But we're okay.
How about you?
You ever been married?
No.
Never.
Why not?
For one thing, l move around a lot.
Colombia, Guatemala, the Philippines...
...Mexico, New Zealand, New Guinea.
Wherever there's a volcano with an attitude.
lt makes it hard to settle down.
You ever come close?
Yes. Once.
Touchy subject.
Her name was Marianne.
We worked together.
She loved volcanoes.
Fascinated by them.
Loved the life.
Four years ago, a volcano erupted in Colombia.
Marianne and l thought we had enough time to get out.
Unfortunately, we were wrong.
We got too close to the show.
Marianne was killed.
lf this thing blows...
...and if she does a Mount Saint Helens...
...the blast will get here within a minute.
l hope you're wrong about our volcano.
But if not, l'm glad you're here.
Hi, Harry.
Hello. Hello, Harry.
l've found five seismometers. Where's the other three?
They're in the back of the van.
Good morning. Hi. Hello.
Hi. Hello, how are you?
Everyone, this is Rachel Wando, the mayor of the town.
l thought you could use some coffee.
Not knowing what you like, l brought cappuccinos...
...except for regular for you. Right?
That's perfect. Thank you very much.
l am jonesing. l could really use a good fix.
- What kind of coffee machine do you use? - Gaggia.
- So? - So?
You probably keep your beans in the freezer.
No. Never keep your beans in the freezer.
Takes all the oils out.
You know what, Harry? This town just might be worth saving.
Good coffee. That's good.
Nice woman, that Rachel.
Best looking mayor l've ever seen.
She's got my vote.
Twice.
All right, guys, here you go. That ought to do it.
Okay, Harry.
Bingo.
lf this mountain's going to rock and roll, we're going to know about it.
So, how was dinner last night, Harry?
Terry, why don't you just give it a break and stop trying to fix me up?
l have great taste in women. When did l ever steer you wrong?
Yeah?
- What about Astrid? - What about her?
l thought you'd have a lot in common.
- She said she was into rocks. - Crystals, Terry.
Crystals!
Not rocks.
Crystals.
Okay. One, two, three, go. There you go.
Mind your foot.
Okay.
All right, good. l'll get my breakfast.
You getting the hang of this thing?
lt's still kind of goosey but, yeah, l think l'm getting it.
Yes! lt's coffee time.
Coffee! Coffee, coffee, coffee!
Cappuccino, java. Yes!
- How are you? - Coffee. Thank you.
- Decaf, non-fat, no sugar. - Yes.
- Macchiato. - Thank you.
- Double espresso. - Here.
Thank you, Rachel.
Thank you so much.
So, how's it looking?
We've been recording between 25 and 75 earthquakes per day.
You're kidding!
Don't worry, they're microquakes. They happen all the time.
Well, good.
And what's this?
This little puppy's called Spider Legs.
She goes in when it's too dangerous for us.
Boldly goes, l might add.
Actually, we'll take gas readings up front.
Then, we'll send video back here to home base.
Hopefully.
Good. Now try to keep the weight on that one.
See what l'm saying? Keep the weight on this one-
That's not me. lt's not in here.
The other one isn't moving?
- What's the problem now? - There's no problem.
lf this keeps screwing up, l don't want to take it up there.
Paul, the problem is E. L. F.
l'm going to fix this once and for all. Everybody, turn around.
Turn around.
Just be sure to put the thing back on before NASA finds out.
lt'll be our little secret.
What do you say, big guy? Ready to see the sights?
Big boy's definitely ready to see the sights.
Yes, you are. Yes, you are.
Come on, Terry.
- Time to take your medication. - Thank you.
You guys see this? You see this?
l expect apologies and six-packs from each one of you.
Are you looking for a medal because you got the thing to work?
Okay, Paul? Okay?
lt's working beautifully.
lt ought to be working better. lt lost 15 pounds of ugly fat.
- Zoom in to the left. - Zooming in.
We got some minor geothermal activity there on the edge of the crater.
Pan to the right a little bit.
l want to have a look at the lava dome.
Look at it.
Terry's masterpiece is a piece of junk. Show me the leg that isn't working.
Houston, we have a problem.
Yeah, we copy, you have a problem.
l'll just throw rocks at the goddamn thing.
l think l'll go down there and give it the personal touch.
- Here we go again. - Real easy, okay?
Always.
You got it?
- You got me? - l got you.
Here we go.
No heroics now, okay?
Terry's going down. Do you hear me?
You're coming in crystal clear.
Easy.
l don't think this is a smart idea.
- You all right? - Yeah.
Listen...
...Terry, why don't we just forget Spider Legs for now...
...and get your backside back up here, okay?
Not a chance. For the $450,000 we put into this beast...
...it ought to be able to stand on its head, split the atom...
...and fart The Star-Spangled Banner.
Almost there.
Hello, you son of a bitch!
That's Terry's answer to everything. Kick it if it doesn't work.
Get your ass back up. Now.
Not a chance. l'm going off rope.
No, Terry. That's not a great idea.
lt's okay, l can get around the other side and get this thing going.
But I tell you, I would swear this thing's purposefully trying to piss me off!
You know what, Harry?
It's working.
Paul, something's going on.
There's some seismic activity.
All right, here we go.
What do you think, Stan?
They're minor quakes, but they're right in the middle of it.
We should tell them to call it a day.
Harry, can you hear me?
Paul, l didn't get you. Say it again.
Oh, my God!
Terry! Talk to me!
Terry! Terry, can you hear us?
Terry!
l'm coming down!
Harry!
lt's okay.
Where are you?
lt's my leg.
Paul, come in.
- We can hear you. Go ahead. - Terry's down.
He's got a broken leg, by the looks of it here.
We need the chopper down here fast. Do you hear me?
We copy. Terry broke his leg. We're sending chopper right away.
Send in the chopper right now.
l can't believe the camera's still working after taking a hit like that.
Come on, answer the phone! Come on!
What?
All right, hang on a second, okay?
Paul, the son-of-a-bitch pilot wants to renegotiate his rate.
Give him whatever he wants.
All right, this is rescue chopper. We're coming up to the rim of the crater.
Do you have a visual on us?
We're just below you, about 600 feet down off the south face.
All right, l see you.
We'll go around again and try to drop you a cable...
...and then hoist you out of there. You got that?
You all right? We're very, very, very ready.
He looks in bad shape.
Bring her down. Come on.
Come on, get it, get it.
- Yes. - Way to go, Harry.
Hold on! We're going home.
Okay.
You on?
Okay! Let it go!
All right, go, go, go! Lift!
All right, move.
- You got him? - Yeah, l got him good.
Great job, Harry.
l don't want to talk out of turn, but you should put this town on alert.
There's a lot of activity up there.
l know it was intense.
l don't want to cause a panic over minor tectonic quakes.
- Minor? - The biggest one we measured was a 2.9-
l don't give a damn if it was-
Those quakes were shallow. Damn shallow. l was up there. l felt them.
They weren't tectonic. They were magmatic. This thing is going to blow.
l'm warning you. l'm not going to have my people scaring everyone...
...because of guesswork and hunches!
Another 48 hours will tell the tale, and you get a grip.
That son of a bitch.
l'm okay.
My doc says l can leave as soon as they make sure my head's okay.
Okay, see you in 10 years, then.
Spider Legs was just getting even with you for all the kicks in the butt you gave him.
We got a problem here, guys.
l'll need your help to convince Paul that this mountain means business.
l hate to agree with Paul...
...but there's no real evidence that anything weird is going on.
Just like Mount Baker in the '70s.
There was no eruption then.
My ninth-grade science teacher once told me...
...that if you put a frog in boiling water, it'll jump right out.
But if you put it in cold water and heat it up gradually...
...it'll just sit there and slowly boil to death.
What's that, Harry, your recipe for frog soup?
lt's my recipe for disaster.
lf we got here today, we'd know we were in hot water...
...and we'd put this town on alert.
Take a look. The seismic activity is nil.
Steady as a rock. And take a look over here.
A whole lot of nothing.
lt's been like that all week. There is nothing happening.
There's been no harmonic tremors.
The tiltmeters don't show any change in the mountain's shape.
l think we've seen all this big baby's going to do.
We got the mountain wired. We got all our equipment in place.
We can keep an eye on things from home from now on.
Our work here is finished.
We've seen lulls like this in activity before. lf we're wise, we'll give it a couple of days.
l promised you two days, l gave it a week.
First thing in the morning, we are out of here.
Rachel, we still have to have that dinner.
Keep the change.
Okay, Elliot.
lt's okay. All right. What've we got here, $10?
- That's $20. - $20.
$20.
Come again anytime.
Thanks, Harry.
Give us a beer there, Charlie.
So, you ever get to Portland?
No. l'm busy.
Busy? What do you do for fun?
Fun? What is that, fun?
l know.
Fun is what you have when you don't have two children...
...a business, and a town to run.
l got you.
Excuse me, Harry.
Before we took off...
...l just wanted to say thanks for all the hospitality.
lt was my pleasure.
That's awfully nice of you to say that, but l'm sure you're not sorry to see us go.
Our presence here is bad for business, right, Paul?
Okay, l'm going to go back. See you.
Well, it's late and l have to let my babysitter get home.
l'll walk you.
Let me get my jacket.
Hey, Harry, it's your break.
lt's your game, guys.
So, when do you go tomorrow?
6:00 a. m.
l wish you weren't leaving.
Well, don't worry, Dreyfus was right. l guess we don't really have to be here.
We can watch this mountain from Portland.
l still wish you weren't leaving.
Hey, you two.
Jane Fox.
That'll give her something to talk about for a couple of weeks.
- Hi. - Hi.
- Are they sleeping? - Yeah, they sure are.
- l'll walk you out. - Okay.
- Be right back. - Okay.
- Good night. - Good night.
- You free on Saturday? - Saturday's fine.
- Good. l'll call you. - Okay, 'bye.
Thanks.
Well, maybe l should make some coffee.
No, Rachel, no. l don't want any coffee.
Thanks.
l really think l should make us some coffee.
l don't know how to tell you this...
...but l've never really cared for your coffee.
l haven't been with anybody in a long time.
Same here.
But you know what they say.
lt's like riding a bicycle.
Once you've learned, you never forget.
Mommy? Mommy, is that you?
Yeah, Lauren, what is it?
l'm thirsty.
Okay, honey.
l think she'll go right back to sleep.
Please, dear God in heaven, let her go back to sleep.
What's wrong with the water?
What is it?
Must be a broken pipe?
Where's the town's water supply?
Why?
Graham.
- Wake up. - Go away.
lt's right up there.
What's that smell? lt smells like sulphur. There.
Yeah. Sulphur dioxide.
l saw the same thing in the Philippines on Mount Pinatubo before she blew.
This mountain is a ticking bomb. Come on, let's go.
l've got that scientific evidence you need.
Harry, what are you doing here?
l've just come from the town's water supply.
lt's the same.
Oh, my God.
The quakes are beginning to swarm. Got a 2.4.
Gas readings are going up, too. That's not good.
Look at this one.
Sir, is that the best you can do for us?
Yes, sir.
All right, thanks. l appreciate it.
The National Guard can't be here until tomorrow.
How much time do you think we've got?
Don't know. lt's too early to tell.
Call the mayor. Have her put the town on alert.
l'll call the F. A. A.
Okay.
Here we go.
ln response to the potential volcanic threat to Dante's Peak...
...l am requesting that all residents attend a public meeting at the high school at 6:00...
...to discuss the evacuation of our town.
A representative of the United States Geological Survey will be on hand...
...to explain the facts to you in detail.
When is the mountain going to blow? Tonight? Tomorrow?
Take it easy, now. There is no need to be alarmed yet.
- What's this meeting? - All they want to do is be prepared-
l just put up a new sign. l hope nothing happens.
Attention, all citizens.
There will be a meeting held at the high school gymnasium at 6:00 p. m...
...to discuss the evacuation of Dante's Peak.
To repeat: All citizens are urged to attend the meeting...
...that will be held at the high school gymnasium...
Ruth, just listen to me this one time.
Harry says the mountain could blow any minute and you've got to come down.
Let me try.
Ruth? Hi. Harry Dalton here.
This is a very serious situation we've got. You have to consider your family.
- I'm not leaving, and that's that. - l understand how you feel, but this-
Hung up.
Stupid, stupid woman.
Come on, Ruth, pick up.
We got to go.
- Pick up, Ruth. - She's not coming down, is she?
Look, if Grandma wants to stay up there, there's nothing we can do about it.
- But, Mom- - No buts, Graham. lt's her decision.
l need you guys to pack while we're gone.
One suitcase apiece, okay? Be responsible.
We'll be back soon.
Let's try her again.
Come on, Grandma, pick up.
- She's not answering. - Give it to me.
Hello?
Do we have to wait? l mean, if we want to leave now?
No, Susan, you don't have to wait. You can leave whenever you like.
Okay, listen, I know it's tough to think about leaving our homes.
But, clearly, it's the most responsible thing to do right now.
Quite likely nothing will happen. But it's better to be safe than sorry.
I want you to remember, no one should leave tonight...
...without a copy of the town's emergency evacuation plan.
They will be handed out at the door on your way out.
I'd like to turn the floor over now to Dr. Harry Dalton.
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, first of all...
lt's all over, Les. l'm out of here before it all hits the fan.
I'll try to be as brief as possible.
I would like to underline that these are just precautionary measures.
We don't want to start a panic.
Did anybody feel that?
Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. Please just-
l felt that.
Don't push. Please stay calm.
Do not rush. Do not rush.
Go toward the exits. Don't panic. Do not push.
Lauren! The mountain's blowing up!
Do not rush, ladies and gentlemen.
Please be calm! Don't push!
Please.
lt's okay. Please.
You okay? You all right?
- Harry, go this way! - All right.
Stan, look at this.
Why look at computers when you can see the real thing?
My sticks.
Looks like it's about to blow its top.
This is not good.
You okay?
- Oh, God. - Oh, my God.
Oh, no.
l've got to get to the kids.
Let's go. Go. Go.
Watch out.
Paul, come in.
Paul? Can anybody hear me? Paul?
- Paul, come in. Come in, Paul. - Look at that.
Paul? Can anybody hear me? Come in.
Harry, we hear you. Where are you?
l'm heading up to get Rachel's kids. Once l've done that...
...l'll come and help you pack out of there.
Harry, listen. For whatever it's worth, you were right and l was wrong.
l'm sorry.
lt's okay. l'll see you later.
She's blowing. She's going.
Look ahead.
- Where do we go? - lt's completely blocked. Go left.
- Go left, Harry. - l'm going.
Look out. Jesus.
Shit!
Make a right. Go down the alley.
Come on, come on.
Harry, my truck's not there.
Graham.
Lauren.
Put on your seat belt.
- You know how to do all the gears? - Yeah.
- Dear God, they went up the mountain. - Come on, let's go.
- Any other way across that bridge? - No.
You're out of your mind. Oh, you're out of your mind!
lt's okay.
- Harry. - Okay, hang on.
- lt's okay. - There's a lot of water coming in.
This rig can take it. The engine's got a snorkel.
Look at those cars.
They're crazy. They'll never make it.
- We're stuck? - l know.
Harry? See that car coming at us?
l see it.
- ls he going to hit us? - Now, hold on. lt's okay.
Jesus.
- l can't see through the ash. - Maybe you should turn the lights on.
They are on.
- Can you make the wipers go faster? - l don't know how.
lt's that thing there.
Don't touch things. You'll mess something up.
- Like what? - l don't know. Something.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
Wait! Wait for me!
Open it up!
Looks like our asshole pilot plans on flying people out of here.
lf he gets any of that ash sucked up into his engine, he's had it.
Let's get this thing off the ground.
He's getting $15,000, cold cash.
Wait!
Wait, wait!
No, no. Wait! Wait!
Stop! Stop!
Can't this thing go any faster?
Shit.
- What's that red light? - What? What is it?
What's the damn light?
What the hell?
Where are we?
Rachel, where are we?
Top of Exeter.
Greg? Stan?
Come in. We're at the top of Exeter Street.
There's a chopper down. Send the fire services.
Jesus! Okay, Harry.
There's nothing we can do. We got to go get your kids.
Okay.
Greg, come in. lt's Harry.
Rachel's kids have gone up the mountain. We're going to get them.
- He's crazy. There's not enough time. - You don't have enough time. Copy that?
We do not think you have enough time.
Grandma. Grandma.
What are you doing here?
- We came to get you out. - You what?
- Get in the truck, Grandma. Now! - You drove up here all by yourselves?
Grandma, we had to.
Your mama's going to kill you.
Roughy.
We'll get her, Grandma.
Roughy. Come on, Roughy. We got to go, Roughy.
Graham, get back here. Now!
God Almighty, what were they thinking?
How are they going to get through this?
Harry!
l got it.
l got it. lt's okay.
Oh, God. The road's gone.
lt's gone.
Lauren! Graham!
- We're over here. - We're here.
l'm sorry, Mom.
Roughy ran away. lt wasn't just Graham's fault.
lt was my idea, too.
l'm so mad at you.
Children, inside. Out of the ashes.
Ruth, it's okay.
Stop looking at me like it's my fault.
Just take the kids, get back in your truck and go home.
We would if we could, but a landslide has wiped out the entire road behind us!
What?
Here, let me grab that.
We've had plenty of minor eruptions. Maybe it's over the hump.
- Yeah, l hope. - Get real, Beavis.
She's just clearing her throat. She hasn't started to sing yet.
- Paul, it's Harry. Is anyone there? - We hear you. Where are you?
We're at Mirror Lake at the lodge. The road's down, but we're okay.
This is becoming really catastrophic.
I'll send a helicopter when the ash clouds clear.
Get out of there before it's too late, okay?
Don't wait for us.
Harry, you're breaking up. Say again.
Paul, don't wait...
Get out of there now, please.
Harry, are you there?
Maybe his battery's dead.
l've decided l'll stay as long as l can, but l want you guys to leave right now.
No way, we're not walking out on God's big show, right?
Not a chance.
This mountain will never hurt us, believe me.
You're such a fool, Ruth. Come on.
Oh, God.
This was taken the summer we built this place.
Brian was 6 months old.
There's no time for a trip down memory lane, Ruth.
Rachel, Ruth, come on. We've got to go.
Have you got everything? Okay, children, let's go.
Come on, come on!
- Mommy! - The boat!
- ln the water! - ln the boat!
Go, children! Go!
Get in the boat.
Oh, my God.
- Lauren. - Mommy?
Get in.
Roughy? We can't leave Roughy!
Roughy!
Mom, the fish... They're all dead.
Graham!
Don't touch the water.
Lauren, come sit over here, sweetie. That's it, sweetheart.
Everybody, put your feet up.
Ruth, put your feet up, please.
Volcanic activity has turned the lake into acid.
Acid eats metal.
- ls the boat going to sink? - No, sugar.
No, it's not going to sink.
Hey, if you're scared...
...you can have my crystal.
- l can have it? - Yeah.
Thank you.
''Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream
''Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream
''Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream
''Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream''
Oh, shit.
- We've lost the prop. - No.
We've lost the prop.
Okay, don't worry.
Go up there with Grandma. There's a good girl.
- Quickly as you can. - Careful, now.
- Keep your feet up. - Come on, darling, careful.
Keep your feet up.
We're very close.
Graham, move over there and keep the boat balanced.
- We're very close. - Look, we're almost there.
We're very close, everyone.
ls the boat sinking?
lt's okay.
Keep trying.
- Grandma, the boat's sinking! - lt won't sink.
No, it's not going to sink, sweet.
- We're very close. - Mom, we're sinking!
We're sinking!
The boat's sinking, Grandma.
Mom, we're not going to make it.
Grandma, we're sinking.
- Grandma, the boat's sinking. - No, it won't, darling.
- We're not going to make it. - Sit right there and hold on tight.
Children, stay put!
Ruth!
Ruth, get in!
- Come on, Ruth. - Get up! Come on, get up!
Ruth, get to shore!
Move! Get out!
You're okay.
Grandma?
- Grandma. - She's going to be okay.
Kids, just give us some room here.
Grandma.
Take your sister. There's a good boy.
There's a good boy.
- Oh, God. - Look at her legs.
We're going to get you down from here, okay?
- All right. - We'll get you down.
- l want to help Grandma. - lt's okay.
- Let me just talk to the children. - Please.
lt's okay.
- l don't want Grandma to die. - l know, l know.
- ls Grandma going to die? - lt's okay.
Oh, dear God.
Where's the lieutenant?
He's over here in this vehicle.
You're a sight for sore eyes.
Lieutenant, take your men and sweep every building in town, top to bottom.
Everybody out! Let's go!
Get everyone on the truck and get them out. This thing's going to blow.
Stop, please stop.
Please stop.
Here you go.
Hang on, Ruth. You're going to be okay.
Here, Grandma, have my crystal.
Ladybug, that's so nice...
...but keep it for your luck, okay?
Okay.
l'm so sorry for what l said to you up there. l really didn't mean it. l just...
You were right, what you said.
- l am a fool. - No, you're not.
My son's the biggest fool of all.
He never should have run off and hurt you all like that.
lf anybody's a fool, Ruth, it's me...
...because l don't think l ever really gave you a chance.
Hang on, Grandma. lt's just two miles to the ranger station.
l don't think l have another two miles left in me, ace.
Yes, Grandma, please.
lt's okay.
No, Grandma.
- l get to stay on my mountain. - No...
Grandma.
Ruth...
l got the van. You go with these fellows.
Harry, l don't know whether you can hear me. lt's Paul.
The bridge is about to go.
We got everybody out.
Take care, Harry.
Take great care.
Okay, there you go.
There's no keys.
There we go.
Dreyfus!
Paul!
Come on, come on.
Paul! Come on, get out!
Get out!
Jump! You got to jump!
- Paul! - Paul!
- Come on. - We're running out of time. Let's go.
Greg!
What the...
Great. Just great.
- Can we drive across there? - l don't know.
l don't know.
- Kids, why don't you get in the back? - Okay.
Come on. Go on, Lauren.
Go on, in the back. Here we go.
lt's okay.
Okay.
Here we go.
No, Mommy!
- Harry, we're on fire. - The truck's on fire!
Mommy?
Hold on.
We're stuck in the lava!
More lava is coming down the hill!
Mommy!
lt's okay.
Come on!
Yes, yes! Move, move!
- There's Roughy! - Where?
Right there! We have to help her!
- l've got to go get her. - Go get her.
We're only going to get one chance at this.
Come on, Roughy. Jump!
Yes!
She did it! Roughy!
Eight years it took us to get this town on its feet.
You wouldn't believe the struggle.
Look at it.
Our house is gone.
There's no other way out of town.
We're reporting live from Dante's Peak, where they're evacuating the entire town.
She's got to go soon...
Oh, my God.
Wait.
Okay, we're out of here.
- What do we need this for? - lt might just come in handy.
- Mom, what is that? - What is that?
That is a pyroclastic cloud.
- Mommy? - Yeah, baby.
Mom, it's coming!
Mom!
Oh, my God. Don't look back, kids.
Sweet Jesus!
My God. Get down, kids!
Hold on tight!
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God.
- So long, Harry. - Oh, no.
So long.
Watch your eyes, children.
Lauren!
Graham, talk to me. Are you all right? Easy.
Graham? Talk to me.
We've got to get out of here, all right? Can you do it?
- You can do it. - Here we go.
- Grab her, Harry! - l got her. Out we go, sweetheart.
Stand right there. Okay. All right.
- Come on. - Mom!
Come on, Roughy!
Graham, you lead the way, all right? Show us the way to your hideout.
Okay.
Come on.
Come on, Mom. Roughy!
- Oh, boy. - Here are flashlights.
l have some chips and crackers and drinks back here.
All right, let's check out the damage.
- My head hurts. - l know, baby, so does mine.
Oh, no, l forgot E. L. F. l left it in the truck.
- What do you need that for? - lt's a transmitter designed by NASA.
We were testing it for them.
l was hoping it would send a signal so people would realise we were down here.
l'm going to go get it. Stay here.
- l'll come with you. - No, stay here, it's safer.
What if you get lost?
Graham, just stay here, okay? Look after your sister and mother.
We're not going to get out, are we?
Yes, we are, baby.
Come here. Just sit down a second.
All right, listen.
Have you ever been deep-sea fishing?
No.
Good. Neither have l. So, when we get out of here...
...and we will get out of here...
...what do you say we go down to Florida, get ourselves a boat...
...we stock it with the nicest, yummiest things we can get our hands on...
...and we go out there and catch ourselves a big, old, fat fish?
Does that sound good?
lt sounds good, Harry.
Yeah, Harry, it sounds great.
Okay, stay here, l'll be back in a flash.
Chins up. Okay.
Graham, you think you could find some rope so we could tie up Roughy?
Yeah.
Let's fix you up, okay?
And maybe some water so we can clean these cuts up.
Harry!
Be careful!
Get back!
Rachel!
Shit!
Shit.
- Nancy, go ahead. - Thank you.
- Frank? - Yeah?
- How long has this light been blinking? - l don't know. A day or two.
Thank you, NASA.
Thank you, NASA! Thank you, NASA!
All right, you can get out now. You're all set. All right.
Just give me your hand.
Watch yourself.
Get the crutches!
l think they got him!
Harry!
We thought you were toast! Are we glad to see you alive!
- Rachel and the kids are still there. - Good to see you.
When that signal went off, l nearly fell off my chair.
He started screaming, ''Thank you, NASA!''
- The old tin box worked. - lt sure did.
Rachel and the children are still there. Where's Paul?
He didn't make it.
At least he got to see the show.
All the way back up. l need people with me. Let's go, move it!
Stand back. Coming through.
Keep clear. Look out!
We have survivors back here. Get out of the way!
Graham!
Mom, it's Harry! He's alive!
lt's good to see you.
Did you really mean what you said about taking us fishing?
Sure did.
That's great.
- You guys ready to go? - Let's go.