The 30th Anniversary of State of Emergency (1994)

It was thirty years ago today that the television movie State of Emergency (1994) debuted on HBO. State of Emergency was one of a number of remarkable tele-films put out by HBO in the Nineties that also included Citizen Cohn (1992), The Tuskegee Airman (1995), and Truman (1995). While State of Emergency may not be as well remembered as some of these other films, there is every reason it should be. For myself, it is significant as the last television movie my dearest Vanessa Marquez made before beginning her stint as Nurse Wendy Goldman on ER.

State of Emergency (1994) is set in the emergency room of an inner city hospital that is both under-staffed and under-funded. Indeed, among other things, their CAT scan is not functioning. After a victim of an auto accident is brought to the hospital, Dr. John Novelli (Joe Mantegna) finds himself in a difficult situation that could affect both his career and the hospital. In addition to Joe Mantegna and Vanessa Marquez, the cast included Lynn Whitfield (known for The Josephine Baker Story), Melinda Dillon (Ralphie's mom in A Christmas Story) and Richard Beymer (known for West Side Story and Twin Peaks).

State of Emergency (1994) was written by Dr. Lance Gentile and Susan Black. Susan Black had written an episode of A Year in the Life. She served as an associate producer on State of Emergency. Dr. Gentile would later serve as a medical consultant on ER and a consulting producer on both Providence and Third Watch. Lance Gentile also served as an associate producer on State of Emergency.

Dr. Gentile was an 18 year emergency room veteran and he drew upon some of his own experiences in co-writing the teleplay. In an newspaper article published on February 8 1994 in The Indiana Gazette, Dr. Gentile said he wanted to dramatize the health care crisis. He also wanted to demonstrate the effect the health care system has on health care workers. In the article he said, "There is a high emotional toll because the nature of your business is people suffering and dying. It's unrelenting. If you let it touch you, it eats away at you." HBO was responsible for making the television movie darker than it might otherwise have been. They suggested to Lance Gentile and Susan Black that they cut a romance in the film that softened the film.

State of Emergency was directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. She had already directed episodes of Amazing Stories and Twin Peaks, among several other shows. She would go onto direct episodes of The West Wing and Mad Men (for which she was nominated for an Emmy for the episode "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency").

Vanessa Marquez as Violetta

Vanessa Marquez played the emergency room's radiologist, Violetta, in the movie. It was a significant role for her, as up to that point she had primarily played juvenile roles, even as she approached her mid-twenties. State of Emergency gave Vanessa a chance not only to play an adult for a change, but an intelligent young woman who was in a position of responsibility as well. Vanessa enjoyed her time on the set of State of Emergency, as her fellow cast-mates were all very nice. Vanessa was a huge fan of West Side Story (1961), so she was initially intimidated at playing alongside Tony himself, Richard Beymer. Richard Beymer sensed this and soon put her at ease, and even helped her with her acting. He was one of her most fondly remembered cast mates in any movie or TV show.

State of Emergency received largely positive reviews. Drew Voros in Variety wrote of the film, "Based on the experiences of an emergency room doctor, 'State of Emergency' dips into fiction for the needed dramatic elements, but the producers, writers and director Lesli Linka Glatter have assembled a no-holds-barred medical drama that smacks of real life." State of Emergency would also be recognized by various awards. It received several nominations at the CableACE awards, including the awards for Make-Up, Movie or Mini-Series, and Supporting Actress for Melinda Dillon. It was also nominated for the Humanitas Award and its teleplay won the PEN Center USA West Literary award.

State of Emergency benefits from a tight script that shows no mercy in its portrayal of the shortcomings of the American healthcare system in the Nineties. There is nothing that is superfluous in the film, so that every scene counts. It also benefits from some fine performances, including Joe Mantenga as Dr. Novelli, Lynn Whitfield as his loyal assistant Dehlia, Richard Beymer as the sardonic Dr. Frames, and Deborah Kara Unger as stressed out nurse Sue Payton.

Currently State of Emergency is unavailable on streaming, although it is available on DVD.

Ultimately, State of Emergency is a grim drama that can be unrelenting. It is certainly not a film to watch if one wants to escape the worries of their day, but it is a movie to watch if one want something thought-provoking. Indeed, while State of Emergency was made thirty years ago, it still seems as timely and relevant today.