Some attributed this poor performance to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster around the same time. However Brickman downplayed this. "When Chernobyl happened, other people said to me, 'God, what great timing,' as if I had some kind of foresight to do the film. But when you think about it, something's always popping up about nuclear weapons or reactors every couple of months. I don't think it matters. If the film works, it works."