The Day After Tomorrow 2004

As paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) ventures onto the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica alongside colleagues Frank (Jay O. Sanders) and Jason (Dash Mihok), he is met with a sudden and catastrophic event: the ice shelf abruptly breaks off, leaving Jack perilously close to disaster. This harrowing experience serves as a stark reminder of the precarious nature of the planet’s climate.

Later, at a United Nations conference in New Delhi, Jack presents his groundbreaking research on global warming to a gathering of diplomats, including the Vice President of the United States (Kenneth Welsh). His findings reveal that 10,000 years ago, a global warming event drastically altered the earth’s climate, plunging it into an Ice Age. Jack warns that humanity is at risk of repeating this catastrophic cycle if we fail to address our atmospheric pollution. However, his compelling theory falls on deaf ears among most diplomats, who remain unconvinced by his research.

It is here that Jack crosses paths with Professor Terry Rapson (Ian Holm), a renowned expert from the Hedland Climate Research Centre in Scotland. Rapson has been monitoring the world’s ocean currents and shares his alarming discovery: the melting of polar ice caps has disrupted the delicate balance of salt levels in the oceans, causing a chilling 13-degree drop in temperature.

Simultaneously, two buoys in the North Atlantic register a massive temperature drop, prompting Rapson to summon Jack. As an expert in paleoclimatological weather modeling, Jack possesses the unique ability to reconstruct historical climate patterns. With this knowledge, he, Frank, Jason, and NASA’s meteorologist Janet Tokada (Tamlyn Tomita) work together to build a complex forecast model incorporating their collective data. This collaborative effort allows them to predict the potential consequences of the melting polar ice caps, serving as a stark warning about the devastating impact of climate change on our planet.

As Earth’s climate spirals into chaos, catastrophic weather events unfold across the globe. In Tokyo, hailstones the size of softballs pummel the city; in New Delhi, snowflakes blanket the streets; while Los Angeles lies in ruins, ravaged by an unprecedented series of F5 tornadoes that strike with devastating precision. The United States President (Perry King), faced with the catastrophic consequences, authorizes the FAA to suspend all air traffic over the country due to extreme turbulence.

Meanwhile, a trio of RAF helicopters, tasked with evacuating the British Royal Family from Balmoral Castle in Scotland, find themselves caught in the eye of a monstrous storm system. The temperature plummets to an astonishing -150°F, freezing their fuel lines and rotors, leading to a tragic crash that claims the lives of those on board.

In New York City, Jack’s son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is participating in an academic competition with friends Brian and Laura (Arjay Smith and Emmy Rossum), where they befriend fellow student J.D. As the storm intensifies, whipping winds and torrential rains ravage the city, Sam takes a moment to call his father, promising to catch the next train home. Unfortunately, the tempest worsens, prompting the closure of subways and Grand Central Station as floodwaters inundate the area.

As Jack delivers the grim news to the President that their estimate of years has been reduced to mere days before the planet succumbs to a new Ice Age, he advises the leader to evacuate everyone in the southern states to Mexico, acknowledging that it’s too late for those in the northern states. The Vice President responds with disdain to Jack’s perceived sarcasm, prompting him to leave for New York and search for his son.

As the storm reaches its crescendo in Manhattan, a massive storm surge of nearly 40 feet - equivalent to half the height of the Statue of Liberty - crashes onto the island, unleashing devastating flooding. Sam and his friends find refuge within the walls of the iconic New York Public Library. As they make their way towards the front doors, Laura suffers a gruesome injury while attempting to navigate through debris-covered streets. Despite her pain, she selflessly assists a woman and her children in escaping from a flood-ruined taxi, further solidifying the gravity of the situation as the city teeters on the brink of collapse.

As the merciless North American super-storm ravages the continent, a desperate exodus unfolds in the Northern United States. Jack (character A) embarks on a perilous quest to reach Manhattan and reconnect with his son, accompanied by Frank (character B) and Jason (character C). Their arduous journey is marred by a catastrophic truck accident near Philadelphia, forcing them to continue onward via snowshoes. The trio’s trek takes an even more devastating turn when Frank falls prey to the treacherous conditions, sacrificing himself in a poignant display of selflessness as he cuts the rope and succumbs to his fate.

In Washington D.C., the U.S. President’s helicopter meets its demise amidst the raging storm, claiming the lives of everyone on board. With the Vice President at the helm, the administration grapples with the consequences of the disaster. As the nation teeters on the brink of chaos, the VP makes a bold decision to forgive Mexico’s substantial debt, allowing the desperate masses fleeing the frozen north to seek refuge across the border.

Inside the beleaguered New York City Public Library, Sam (character D) urges those who remain to heed his father’s wisdom and stay indoors. However, few heeded his warning, and a small group of survivors resorts to burning books for warmth and plundering the vending machines for sustenance. Meanwhile, Laura’s cut becomes septic, precipitating a dire crisis that prompts Sam (character D), Brian (character E), and J.D. (character F) to embark on a treacherous quest to find penicillin on a Russian cargo ship that has drifted inland. As they navigate this treacherous terrain, they are confronted by the feral remnants of New York’s zoo, their ferocity intensified by the subzero temperatures.

Just as the eye of the storm begins its agonizing descent upon the frozen metropolis, the trio returns to the library with vital supplies, narrowly avoiding the instant freeze that is transforming the city into a winter wonderland. Buildings and air alike are encased in a crystalline shell, as if time itself has been suspended.

In the midst of this surreal landscape, Jack (character A) and Jason (character C) take refuge in an abandoned Wendy’s restaurant, where they must confront their own mortality amidst the howling winds and biting cold. In a desperate bid to survive, Jack plunges his lifeless son into the kitchen vent, holding out hope that the storm will soon pass.

As the North American super-storm begins its slow departure from the city, Jack (character A) and Jason (character C) resume their journey, finally arriving in Manhattan. To their surprise, they find Sam’s group alive and well, huddled together for warmth within the snow-shrouded library. Their relief is short-lived, as U.S. Army soldiers arrive on the scene, transporting them to safety via UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

As the newly inaugurated Mexican President makes a bold move to mobilize search and rescue efforts, a glimmer of optimism emerges. The discovery of additional survivors, huddled atop Manhattan’s skyscrapers, serves as a beacon of hope for a world still reeling from the devastating consequences of climate change. With each new group pulled to safety, the scope of humanity’s resilience is reaffirmed, as the collective struggle to rebuild and persevere gains momentum. Meanwhile, from the vantage point of the International Space Station, two astronauts gaze down upon the ravaged Earth, bearing witness to a transformed landscape: a vast expanse of ice now stretches across the northern hemisphere, effectively bisecting the United States, while the once-blue skies are now a hazy gray, a stark reminder of the catastrophic pollution that has ravaged our planet. As the camera pans out, the full extent of the disaster becomes clear, leaving viewers to ponder the long road ahead for humanity as it navigates this new, unforgiving world.