A Flash of Green


A Flash of Green is a 1984 American drama film directed by Victor Nuñez. It was first shown at the Toronto Festival of Festivals and New York Film Festival in 1984, then aired on PBS as an episode of American Playhouse in 1986. It is based on a 1962 novel by John D. MacDonald.

Plot

A Flash of Green tells the story of small-town corruption and two people brave enough to fight back. When a local reporter starts sympathizing with an eco-group opposing a new development, a local county commissioner attempts to quiet him with a bribe. Going along with it at first, the reporter soon develops a conscience when the commissioner uses a right-wing paramilitary group to keep the eco-group in line.

Cast

The film is adapted from the novel A Flash of Green by John D. MacDonald. Director Victor Nuñez spent four years trying to get the film made relying entirely on independent financing which came from private investors, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, and support form the Public Television Playhouse, Inc.

Release

While initially intended as an episode of American Playhouse on PBS, the film was acquired for distribution by Spectrafilm for a theatrical release on June 21, 1985 prior to premiering on television in the Fall of that year.