Deep Impact 1998

As the astronomy club’s Leo Biederman (Elijah Wood) and his girlfriend Sarah Hotchner (Leelee Sobieski) gaze up at the night sky, they stumble upon an enigmatic object that sparks curiosity among their peers. With Mr. Perry (Mike O’Malley), their teacher, suggesting a photograph and transmission to Dr. Wolf (Charles Martin Smith), a renowned astronomer, the students unwittingly set off a chain of events that will forever alter the course of human history.

Dr. Wolf’s findings reveal a catastrophic collision course with Earth, prompting him to frantically email his discovery before the server crashes, taking the data with it. As a last resort, he copies the information onto a floppy disk and christens the comet “Wolf-Biederman.” However, fate intervenes as Dr. Wolf meets a fiery demise en route to his headquarters.

Meanwhile, White House correspondent Beth Stanley (Laura Innes) is keeping her researcher, Jenny Lerner (Téa Leoni), at arm’s length, denying her opportunities to shine as a journalist or anchor. Instead, Jenny is tasked with investigating the sudden resignation of US Secretary of Treasury Alan Rittenhouse (James Cromwell).

As Jenny delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Alan’s departure, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and deception. Her mother, Robin Lerner (Vanessa Redgrave), is preoccupied with her ex-husband Jason’s (Maximilian Schell) hasty decision to marry Chloe (Rya Kihlstedt), a woman half his age, leaving behind twin children.

Jenny’s investigation leads her to Patricia Ruiz (Concetta Tomei), Alan’s secretary, who unwittingly reveals the Secretary’s clandestine conversations with the President himself. Jenny tracks down Alan and discovers him departing with his family on a vessel overflowing with supplies. The Secret Service then whisks her away to meet the President (Morgan Freeman), who entrusts her with a critical task: keeping E.L.E. under wraps for two days, allowing him to orchestrate a press conference that will change the course of human history.

As Jenny delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a shocking truth: E.L.E. stands for extinction-level event – an asteroid hurtling towards Earth with devastating consequences. She chooses to keep this revelation hidden from her boss, Beth. At the press conference, Jenny finds herself in the second row, while Beth is relegated to the back, as the President reveals the imminent threat posed by Comet Wolf-Biederman, which will strike our planet in mere months.

In a desperate bid to save humanity, a joint US-Russia mission is underway to intercept and detonate the comet aboard the vessel “Messiah.” The fate of humanity hangs precariously in the balance as the clock ticks down, and Jenny finds herself at the forefront of a global crisis that will forever reshape the world.

In a tense video conference, President Beck convenes with the Messiah mission crew, comprising Commander Oren Monash (), pilot Andrea Baker, medical officer Gus Partenza, navigator Mark Simon, Russian nuclear physicist Col. Mikhail Tulchinsky (Aleksandr Baluev), and veteran Captain Spurgeon ‘Tanner’ Tanner (). With the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Beck emphasizes that despite the catastrophic potential of the comet’s collision with Earth, life will endure, and he is resolute in ensuring human survival prevails. In a stunning turn of events, journalist Jenny (not specified) crashes the conference, pressing for information before finally taking her seat.

The gravity of the situation is underscored by President Beck’s hint that Biederman, previously thought to be deceased, has miraculously returned and gained widespread fame. Partenza outlines the daunting challenges facing the Messiah crew: the comet’s rotation means they have a mere seven-hour window to complete their mission before the sun illuminates the section they’ll be working on, accompanied by hazardous gas eruptions from within the comet. Speed is essential in avoiding this peril.

Two months into the mission, the Messiah crew boards the space shuttle Atlantis and docks at the orbital station where the spacecraft was constructed. A news team provides insight into the Messiah’s development, highlighting its reliance on a cutting-edge nuclear propulsion system, code-named Orion, originally designed by Russian engineers for nuclear warfare purposes. This innovative propulsion system enables the Messiah crew to reach the comet long before it threatens Earth.

Five months after the mission’s departure, Stuart Caley’s (Bruce Weitz) MSNBC news team gathers for another conference, discussing their ongoing coverage of the Messiah’s journey. As each contributor shares their role and latest contributions, Caley drops a bombshell: Jenny has been appointed as the lead anchor for the coverage program, her reputation as the breaker of the comet story having earned her national recognition.

As Baker and Tanner expertly maneuver the Messiah for landing, they must navigate a treacherous gauntlet of rocks careening through the comet’s tail like a celestial game of dodgeball. The ship sustains some minor damage from the barrage, but the skilled duo brings it safely down to the comet’s surface with mere hours to spare before the sun rises on their section of the frozen body.

However, the mission quickly takes a turn for the worse as the moles prove unable to drill deep enough into the comet’s crust at the required pace. With only an hour and a half until sunrise, Baker and Tanner anxiously await news from the surface, aware that the situation is spiraling out of control.

As the clock ticks down, the crew knows that once the sun rises on their portion of the comet, the surface temperature will skyrocket to a scorching 350 degrees in mere minutes. This will create an infernal environment, with jets of super-heated gas erupting from the surface like geysers from hell. It’s as if they’re about to descend into a minefield of intense heat and pressure.

On the comet’s surface, one of the moles gets stuck at 75 meters, leaving the crew scrambling to free it up before time runs out. Commander Monash, undeterred by the warnings from his crew, decides to take matters into his own hands, descending into the shaft to rescue the stuck mole. As he works to free the stuck machine, the rest of the crew anxiously awaits his return.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, President Beck receives a dire warning in the White House office, where she’s surrounded by her chief advisor Morton Entrekin and several top military brass. The gravity of the situation is palpable as they coordinate the arming of the nuclear warheads, their faces etched with concern.

In space, Tulchinsky shouts urgently for the surface crew to lower their visors’ solar shields just as Monash clears the surface, only to be blasted upward by a jet of super-heated gas before he can shield his eyes. The rest of the crew reels him back in by his tether cable, racing desperately toward the landing module as the clock ticks down.

In the chaos that ensues, Partenza is blown out into open space and lost forever. The remaining crew members barely make it to the landing module, their faces etched with exhaustion and fear. As they struggle to regroup, Col. Tulchinsky coordinates the final preparations for the nuclear warheads, his voice steady and calm amidst the chaos.

As President Beck addresses the nation, a somber reality sets in: the failed attempt to detonate a warhead against the comet has only fragmented it, producing a massive 1.5-mile wide chunk hurtling toward Earth, capable of unleashing catastrophic destruction. The main piece of the comet, measuring six miles across, remains on a collision course with our planet, leaving Houston Mission Control struggling to establish communication with the stricken spacecraft Messiah. The fate of its crew and passengers hangs precariously in the balance.

In a desperate bid to mitigate the impending disaster, President Beck announces a monumental undertaking: the excavation of shelter caverns within Missouri’s limestone cliffs, designed to serve as a modern-day Noah’s Ark, capable of housing one million people, along with animal and plant life essential for the rebirth of our planet. A select group of 200,000 individuals, comprising leaders, medical professionals, scientists, engineers, educators, soldiers, and artists, has been pre-selected for participation in this massive endeavor.

To further bolster humanity’s chances of survival, a national lottery will be held on August 10th, randomly selecting 800,000 additional people based on their social security numbers. A notable exception to the general lottery is the exclusion of men and women over the age of 50, with only the pre-selected group containing individuals from this demographic, chosen for their expertise in specific fields crucial to rebuilding society.

As MSNBC news anchor Jenny delves deeper into the lottery procedure, two families – the Biedermans and the Hotchners – convene at the Biederman residence in Richmond. The phone rings, and Ellen Biederman (Betsy Brantley) answers the call, only to discover that her family has been pre-selected for the Ark. This revelation sparks an instant rift between the two families, a divide that will widen as the crisis unfolds.

Meanwhile, on board the Messiah, Tanner attempts to gauge the crew’s collective sentiment, with Monash and his colleagues yearning to return home. Back on Earth, Leo Biederman tries to leverage his status to secure Sarah’s family a spot on the pre-selected list. In a desperate bid to save their loved ones, he ultimately decides to marry Sarah. However, when the National Guard arrives, it becomes clear that Sarah’s family is not among the chosen few. Refusing to abandon her family, Sarah stands firm, while Leo departs with his parents for the limestone mountains, leaving uncertainty in his wake.

As Jenny’s world crumbles beneath her feet, her pent-up anger at her father Jason (for leaving her mother Robin) finally boils over into a caustic diatribe. She seizes upon his mention of Chloe returning to her mother in fear of her own life, exploiting the vulnerability for her own twisted satisfaction. Her verbal assault leaves Jason reeling as Jenny cruelly asserts her sense of abandonment, proclaiming herself an orphan. The tension is palpable as Jason tries to reason with her, but Jenny’s pain and anger have reached a fever pitch.

Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, Leo Biederman finds an unexpected surge of courage and decides to risk everything to rescue his loved one Sarah from the jaws of destruction. His father offers words of encouragement, sending him off on his perilous mission.

As the clock ticks down to disaster, Jenny takes to the airwaves to report on the failed missile strike aimed at deflecting the two comets hurtling towards Earth. Her broadcast is interrupted by President Beck’s somber announcement from the Oval Office: despite their best efforts, the missiles have failed to alter the trajectory of the celestial bodies.

The dire consequences unfold like a ticking time bomb. The smaller fragment, Biederman, will strike the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras at 4:37 Eastern Daylight Time, unleashing a catastrophic tsunami that will ravage the US East Coast, including iconic cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, and Miami.

The main event is yet to come. The larger comet, Wolf, will soon make landfall in Western Canada, triggering an Extinction Level Event of unprecedented proportions. Within days, a toxic cocktail of dust and debris will choke the skies, plunging the planet into a “nuclear winter” that will last for two years. As sunlight is blocked from reaching the Earth’s surface, plant life will wither and die, followed by the extinction of all animal species. The clock ticks down to oblivion as humanity faces its darkest hour.

Here’s a rephrased version of that section:

As desperation sets in, Captain Tanner resorts to a last-ditch plan to salvage humanity. Gathering his crew on the Messiah, he outlines a daring strategy to stop the impending disaster. The Wolf comet, though still an insurmountable threat, presents a glimmer of hope - its surface has cracked open, revealing a massive vent that leads deep into its core. Tanner believes they can exploit this fissure by firing their remaining nuclear warheads directly into it, shattering the comet into harmless fragments and giving Earth a chance to survive. However, the crew is well aware that their ship’s dwindling resources make this plan a death sentence: low on life-support and fuel, they won’t be able to access the cargo bay or maneuver for a second landing on the comet’s surface, let alone escape once the warheads are detonated. Yet, with resignation, they accept their fate.

As the clock ticks down, personal stories unfold amidst the chaos. Jenny sacrifices her chance at evacuation to ensure Beth’s safety, while Leo commandeers Mr. Hotchner’s bike in a desperate search for Sarah amidst a traffic jam. He finally finds her, and together they flee to the mountains with her infant brother. Time runs out as the Biederman comet fragment pierces the atmosphere, racing towards an apocalyptic impact that will reshape the planet.

The ensuing devastation is catastrophic. A colossal mushroom cloud erupts from the point of impact, casting a dark shadow over the Atlantic Ocean. The skies grow turbulent as the resulting tsunami hurtles towards the eastern coast, leaving destruction in its wake. On the Lerner beach house, Jenny’s fear gives way to despair as Jason holds her close, shutting his eyes to the impending doom. The tsunami strikes, unleashing a torrent of devastation that will be etched into the collective memory forever. In the final reckoning, New York City is ravaged, its iconic landmarks - the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center - reduced to mere silhouettes against the darkening sky.

As panic sets in on the Virginia coast, abandoned cars become mere obstacles on the chaotic landscape, with people scrambling to reach higher ground amidst the cacophony of frantic screams and wails. Amidst this apocalyptic backdrop, Chuck (Gary Werntz) and Vicky Hotchner (Denise Crosby) cling to each other, finding fleeting comfort in their final moments together. Meanwhile, a small crowd has converged on the hillsides, driven by the desperate need for escape from the impending doom.

In the midst of this mayhem, the crew of the Messiah spacecraft is preparing for its ultimate showdown with the Wolf Comet. The tension builds as family members are summoned to Mission Control in Houston, allowing loved ones to bid their final farewells. Baker’s husband and daughter, Simon’s fiancée, and Commander Monash’s wife Mariette (Jennifer Jostyn) all arrive at the center, accompanied by a sense of poignant sadness.

As the clock ticks down to the point of no return, emotions run high as Baker and Simon share tearful goodbyes. Just as transmission is about to be terminated, Mariette bursts into the control room, cradling her baby son Oren in her arms, named in honor of Commander Monash’s legacy. The commander, though still blind, senses his wife’s presence and bids a heartfelt farewell, even as Col. Tulchinsky sets the warhead timers and Baker and Tanner meticulously calculate the trajectory for their final, desperate bid to intercept the comet.

As the countdown concludes, Captain Tanner guides the Messiah into the heart of the Wolf Comet, where the warheads detonate with explosive force, shattering the celestial body into a million tiny fragments. The aftermath is a kaleidoscope of color and light as the fragmented debris creates a breathtaking firework display in the sky, visible from the highest vantage points on the hillsides. For those who had narrowly escaped the initial devastation – including Leo, Sarah, and her baby sister – this pyrotechnic spectacle serves as a poignant reminder of their own narrow escape from catastrophe.

As the Atlantic Ocean’s turbulent waters finally subside, President Beck (Jeffrey Wright) stands atop a makeshift stage in Washington D.C.’s heart, his voice booming across the crowded landscape like a clarion call to resilience. The weight of unimaginable tragedy hangs heavy over the nation, with entire communities ravaged by the devastating global catastrophe that has left its mark on every continent - America, South America, Europe, and Africa alike. Yet, in this moment of collective grief, President Beck’s impassioned plea serves as a beacon of hope, urging his people to honor the memories of those lost and forge ahead with the daunting task of rebuilding their shattered world.

As he speaks, the camera pans out, capturing the scope of the devastation that lies before him. The iconic U.S. Capitol building, once a symbol of American strength and resilience, now stands as a testament to the nation’s capacity for rebirth. Amidst the rubble and debris, the crowd gathered before President Beck erupts into cheers, their voices rising in a triumphant chorus of defiance and determination - a powerful affirmation that even in the darkest of times, humanity will always find a way to rise again.