An Enemy Of The People (1978)

Set in a small town in 1880s Norway, a doctor (Steve McQueen) knows that the therapeutic springs that brought fame and commerce to his town are polluted. He is determined to publish the truth, even though his brother the mayor (Charles Durning) and others are equally determined to stop him. Based on the play by Henrik Ibsen (by way of the 1950 adaptation by Arthur Miller) and directed by George Schaefer (DOCTORS' WIVES). Miller's play removed some ideas (like eugenics and racial theories) from the Ibsen play that don't work in contemporary society. Successful movie stars (Burt Lancaster is a good example) often want to stretch beyond their screen personas and take on more challenging roles. Here, Steve McQueen, the king of "cool", known for action pieces like BULLITT and THE GREAT ESCAPE takes on Henrik Ibsen. He's ..... adequate but nothing more but one can still admire his attempt. Ibsen's exploration of a righteous moral stance that may prove  fatal to one's position in society is as relevant and powerful today as it was in 1882. With Bibi Andersson, Richard Dysart, Richard Bradford and Eric Christmas, who gives the movie's worst performance.