It's mildly ironic that Redford and Hoffman costar in this movie because years before, Hoffman got the lead role in The Graduate, which Redford really wanted. Mike Nichols said he couldn't imagine Redford playing an insecure 21 year old virgin 😆
But Brad Pitt is sort of a “reboot” of Robert Redford - something Brad Pitt plays with in some of his roles, wherehe seems to be consciously channeling Redford. And Robert Redford cast a young Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It.
@@gigi-ij1hk Nichols obviously made the right call. Thank god. Maybe James should react to The Graduate. He'd freak out on it. Classic. C L A S S I C ! ! ! Then again, considering the soundtrack, that one may have a lot of spots where music rights get in the way. Dunno...
One of the great things about this film is its probably one of the best phone acting movies ever. So many important conversations happen over the phone and the reaction and emotion of the person on the other end really matters. So much of a journalist's job happens over the phone and you have to have a feel for how people are reacting even if you can't see them, and the voice actors really make you feel their reactions.
Nicolas Coster, the actor who says "I'm not here" in the courtroom, was a friend of mine. He's been a guest in my home, beforeCcovid had happened. He passed away not too long ago.
I remember thinking “I know that guy” when I first saw the movie but I could never figure out how I knew him. Now that I know his name I may finally be able to figure it out.
Gordon Willis, the cinematographer on All the President's Men, shot some of the best-looking movies of the 1970s, or of any time. This film, along with both Godfather 1 & 2, plus Annie Hall and Manhattan, and lots of others. Willis was an underappreciated genius.
Redford and Hoffman learned each other's lines so that they could easily talk over each other. It's such a great choice and what makes them feel so real
Bernstein "All these neat, little houses and all these nice, little streets... It's hard to believe that something's wrong with some of those little houses." Woodward : "No, it isn't." Top 10 film for me - only gets better with every watch. Jason Robards is the greatest and I also love that Jack Warden and Martin Balsam (also both in 12 Angry Men) are in this too. Utter perfection ;)
“"Sometimes you do junk just to keep alive. You know it's junk when you go in. You just hope you will do the best you can, and that the film will be entertaining. Many times, it isn't, but you just do those things to pay the bills." Jason Robards preferred working in the theater, and said once that he performed in Hollywood films so that he could "grab the money and go back to Broadway as fast as I can." He is the only actor to win consecutive best supporting actor Oscars (for "All the President's Men" (1976) and "Julia" (1977)). During filming of "All the President's Men" (below) Robards decided that it was important for Ben Bradlee to always be "in the newsroom," so his presence would always be felt in the film. On days when he wasn't shooting scenes with the other actors, Robards came to the set and hung out in Ben Bradlee's office, usually sitting at Bradlee's desk and reading a book, so Bradlee would appear in the background of shots that featured Woodward, Bernstein, and other reporters. Although he wasn't keen on the idea of a film being made in his offices, Post editor Benjamin C. Bradlee realized that by co-operating he would have a better chance of influencing the production. Robards was nowhere to be seen when his name was called during that second Academy Awards ceremony, as due to a scheduling conflict with a theater play he was supposed to be in that night he was unable to attend the Oscars. When he failed to appear at the 1978 Oscar ceremony, host Bob Hope quipped that "he must be off playing poker with George C Scott and Marlon Brando," who both had famously rejected their Oscars in the early 70's. (IMDb) Happy Birthday, Jason Robards!”
I'm 73 and was in College when this stuff went down! .... It really was a scary time! If Nixon had gone to Jail we wouldn't have the Mess we're in today!
@@flerbus My Dad was a WW II USAAC Vet. The night Walter Cronkite said Vietnam was a Disaster .... He got up and said "Well That's It, We Need to Get the Hell Out!"
Watergate is one of the most important chapters in American history. To my knowledge, the only time a president resigned from office before his term ended. Nixon would have been the first president to be impeached AND convicted. He resigned to avoid this.
The filmmakers intended to depict the typewriters as weapons since they were using them to wield their power, hence the typewriter keys in close-up opening the movie.
One of Redford's brilliant ideas: both he and Hoffman learned not only their own lines, but each others' too. So at any moment, they could finish each others' sentences, switch lines back and forth on the spot, etc. It gave their scenes an amazingly gritty, real sense of two guys working closely together with tremendous intensity on the story.
I was riveted as this story unfolded day by day. I was coming out of the eighth grade and headed to high school the summer the story of Watergate was building, and I was totally enamored of the idea that dogged, unrelenting reporters were responsible for holding Washington power players accountable for their actions. The shame and blame was so deep that Nixon resigned. Today, we respond to revelations of misdeeds with maybe an “Oh dear, not again,” but the players stay in the game and nothing changes. Years later I got to visit the Washington Post newsroom, faithfully reproduced here for the movie, and I was still in awe and grateful for those two reporters. Loved your response to the film, as always. Peace …
Jason Robards won an Academy Award for this movie. It was his first role after suffering multiple injuries in a car accident. He and Redford appeared together years earlier in a TV production of THE ICEMAN COMETH.
I’ve always loved these “investigative journalist” movies. Even though the story is dark, and based on real events, “Spotlight” is one of my favorites in that category.
@@jainthorne4136You're right! Total brain fart on my part. Although Spotlight is excellent, I was actually thinking of another newspaper industry movie, "The Post," which is about the Pentagon papers, a series of events that occurred shortly before Watergate. Thanks for calling me out!
is that the movie that tells the story of how the boston globe covered up the story on pedophile priests and only released their story when they found out the boston herald was going to run a similar story
Hoffman is an acting god and I love him in this doing his Method thing to the Nth degree with all the little actorly bells and whistles which is insanely good, but definitely showing off and heightened, as is his signature detail to everything he does, and his Bernstein is definitely, hypnotically highly stylized and entertaining as hell. It's funny, but Redford was considered the pretty boy lightweight to Hoffman at the time and pretty much his entire career, but fifty years later, Robert Redford is a like performing whisperer he is so natural and effortlessly present in every moment, every scene playing it like he's not even acting, but like he's channeling Woodward, conjuring him, but I never catch him 'acting.' Robert actually is achieving the true attainment a thespian is suppose to want to capture and procure and that is just be, exist, react, be present. It's like Dustin and Redford are in two different movies at the same time in every scene together: Hoffman in the motion picture big budget reenactment version and Robert is in the documentary. And then there's Jason GD Robards....The Goat.
The list of nominees for Best Picture at that year's Oscars is stacked: All the Prez's Men, Rocky (which won), Network, Taxi Driver, and Bound for Glory (the only one on the list I haven't seen). Other films released the same year include Carrie and Marathon Man. It's bonkers
When Woodward, and Bernstein published "All The President's Men" it was a huge best seller. They were asked who they wanted to play them in the movie that was expected to be made. They asked for Redford, and Hoffman. The identity of "Deep Throat" was kept secret for over 30 years. It was the Deputy Director of the FBI after J. Edgar Hoover died 3 weeks before the first of two Watergate burglaries. The second when the burglars were caught was 3 weeks after that. I didn't see this movie until it came out on TV years later. It was a movie of the week but had been promoted for months. It was the first time the story was told to Ma, and Pa Kettle as one piece in an understandable form. It originally came out over several months clouded by all the denials, and cover ups. Most people didn't understand what it all meant until this came on TV.
When journalism was really journalism. When facts and the truth mattered. You had to confirm the source of information from 2 other sources. Integrity mattered.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Live in a dream world much. My god you can’t be that naive. Where were the exposes on LBJ or JFK or FDR? Oh that’s right they belong to the right party. Just like today.
@@Divamarja_CA What a chilling three words. That's right up there with "You're going to need a bigger boat". Man, the 70s was a great decade for memorable lines.
William Goldman was understandably concerned he wasn't sued for his script. He had a simple rule. If the book said something, it was safe to include it because it hadn't been sued. That said, Redford bought the rights before the book was published.
My uncle was a Washington D.C correspondent during this time, it was so cool to unpack all the stuff from this scandal while archiving his work. Including a personal signed copy of this book!
Right? I remember being a little kid & because my dad was a news junkie, just hearing over & over on TV: watergate, watergate, watergate. I remember thinking: What the heck is a watergate?
Same here. The big televised events I remember from my childhood are the Watergate hearings and the moon landings. Even as a little kid, it was clear to me that these things were not just business as usual. These events were IMPORTANT.
Just a thought, but one of the real highlights of the impeachment hearings of Nixon - the outcome of the journalistic effort of these two - is Barbara Jordon’s speech. Legendary. We watched every minute of those hearings. And that one sends shivers down your spine. ✌️
The heroes were the FBI. The journalist did nothing that FBI had already done. They just couldn’t print it in the newspaper everyday. The watergate hearings had nothing to do with Woodstein, except keeping it in the public eye. Mismanagement of history is why we continually fall for garbage after garbage.
Felt was still a hero, in my eyes, even if he wanted to stay anonymous. Unfortunately, people have changed their attitudes towards whistleblowers in the past decade or so.
@@captainsplifford Hero? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 The man was convicted of black bag jobs, like the ones the plumbers did. He was pardoned by Reagan. He was a piece of garbage, who was upset at Nixon for passing him over for the job of head of the FBI. He was Hoover’s right hand man for years. The left’s bete noir. Hero my ASS!!!
When I was in high school, the teachers in our school went on strike. As a result, they took all the students in the auditorium and put this gem of a movie on. No one seemed to care about this movie being on but I was fully ENTHRALLED by it. I must have checked the movie out from the library ten times or so 😂 Brilliant movie with so many good shots.
16:45 It's not crazy to call someone "Deep Throat," because that name was infamously known around the country as the title to a controversial adult film. Remember from "Taxi Driver" that triple xxx aka adult films typically premiered in theaters -- with no VCR/DVD aftermarket existing until the 80s; So "Deep Throat" continued to resonate several decades later as a memorable "character" in the film and book.
Another great companion piece is "White House Plumbers" which is a limited series on Max that came out a couple of years ago. It's the story of the Watergate break in from the P.O.V. of the criminals who did the breaking in. Believe it or not, it's a comedy.
Oh, Frost/Nixon is an excellent movie! I remember Frank Langella saying that he didn't want to do an easy caricature of Nixon -- the vocal and physical mannerisms, etc. Anyone could do those surface imitations. Instead, he watched hundreds of hours of films of Nixon, and decided to go for something different: At the core of the man, Nixon was deeply ill at ease in his own skin. By playing *that*, Langella is utterly convincing. Towering performance.
Was in college at the time, and my school buddies and I were so relieved when this was over because we knew this was the worst thing that could ever happen to this great country.....and that we could just imagine how excellent journalism will be in the future.
I was just a teenager when this went down. Reading about this piece by piece, it was hard to put what happened together. Seeing this film assembled the narrative into why this was such a big deal.
This movie is absolutely incredible. One thing I'm always going to wonder about, and think about, when I watch this movie: my journalism teacher in high school told us a story about when he was a young pup reporter working in Florida, and was at an airport for a presser for Nixon. He finished taking notes, and was just looking over those notes behind a bank of cameras, so he was kinda hidden, and he said he overheard a couple of Nixon's staffers talking about the seeds of the whole Watergate thing. Said he went to his editor and told him about it, but the editor told him not to move on it. Once Woodward and Bernstein broke the story, as he was watching a news broadcast talking about it, he picked up his TV and threw it against the wall, knowing it could have been him. He's a good man and was my favorite teacher in HS, so I really like to believe he wasn't just spinning a yarn, but I'll obviously never know for sure.
I was 16 in 1974 and was working part time in the mail room of the Data Prossesing Division Headquarters of IBM in Bethesda Maryland. Needless to say that being in the proximity of the Capitol, we had the Watergate hearings on the TV at work. Around that time the first X rated mainstream movie took the country by storm. The name of the movie was "Deep Throat". I'm sure you can appreciate the meaning of the title. 😀
This film is in my top 10 of all time and Im glad you watched it. The acting, writing, editing and cinematography are spectacular.I hope it continues to get more love and views.
William Goldman won his second Academy Award for writing the screenplay (only to be minimized by Robert Redford, whom he helped get his breakthrough role in BUTCH CASSIDY).
Thrillers from the 70s just have this matter-of-fact-ness style that I find compelling. The French Connection would be another great example that you watched too.
There’s not a note of music in the soundtrack for the first 30 minutes of the film. The music from then on is compelling,but used selectively. The last scene is not a typewriter. It’s a wire service teletype machine. Back before the internet, radio and television stations got news, weather, sports, etc from wire services like AP and UPI. They would be connected by a dedicated phone line. Those machines were LOUD! Often kept in some back room or closet-like situation so you could close the door. That’s why it’s so loud in the movie soundtrack.
Had the pleasure of meeting Bob Woodward when he visited the company I used to work for back in 2016. He's full of amazing real life stories and always genuinely interested in what you think about a given topic. He treats you like you're the most interesting person in the room and even gives everybody his Washington Post email in case anybody wants to ask him questions or continue a discussion.
Great reaction! If I recall correctly, both the book and the screenplay were being written as the events portrayed were happening; hence, the precision and pacing that you mention. i'm glad you appreciated as well the cinematography of Gordon Willis, the "Prince of Darkness," who also shot The Godfather films and other greats, as well as David Shire's minimalist scoring. Great film, nominated for Best Picture (1976), along with Scorsese's Taxi Driver, Lumet's Network, and Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory, all losing out to Rocky...
People in the U.S. were *really* hurting after Nixon because of the absolute weirdness of the situation and unprecedented uncertainty in the country during that time. Never before had a president been *proven* to be so duplicitous. And I think this film really helped heal the nation in a very specific way, because it, even though it was a fictionalized account, was real enough that it documented all the intense research and fact-checking that the journalists did during that time to expose the president's treachery. My sister was born in the fall of 1973, and our parents wanted her first words to be "Impeach Nixon Now!"
The actor who is the plays editor Ben Bradlee, is Jason Robards, he was considered a very good actor. He was at one time married to Lauren Bacall, who had been married to Humphrey Bogart.
Did you notice Salieri as the undercover cop in the passenger seat who took the call about a burglary? How about two of the 12 Angry Men -- the jury foreman (also in Psycho) and the Juror with the baseball tickets (also in ... everything) -- on the Post editorial staff? This film is FULL of "that guy" types.
The cast is just nuts: Redford and Hoffman, both huge stars at the time, with a deep bench of character actors: Warden, Balsam, Robards, Holbrook and Jane Alexander (the Bookkeeper), who was nominated for Oscars three times in the '70s, including for this movie
One of my favorite films from the '70s. The lens that you were asking about is the split diopter. While it allows for two focal points within the frame, you can tell that the center of the frame is blurry
You need to check out the other two remarkable films that make up the director Alan J. Pakula's 'Paranoia Trilogy': Klute (1971) and The Parallax View (1974). Brilliant, intense, soaked in anxiety.
I just mentioned The Parallax View in another thread. Warren Beatty is such a good actor and I really appreciate how uncomfortable he was with being “just” a pretty face and worked hard on expanding his range, not only as an actor but as a director too!
You said quite early on "a deep ocean within a puddle". Such a fantastic quote! I stopped the video and thought about it for a while. Thank you, your reactions and takes are always interesting.
This film is the part three in Alan J. Pakula's Paranoia Trilogy. The first part is Klute (71'), and then it was The Parallax View (74'), and finished it off with All The President's Men (76'). Gordon Willis aka The Prince of Darkness as was the nickname given to him by Conrad Hall, shot all three and they are masterclasses in minimal lighting and complex blocking, tableau's, and camera movement. One of my favourite things about this film is the portrait of analogue information, and all the ways to process and research that knowledge through typewriters, telephones, notes, and teletype, and the effort it took work it. That feeling of paranoia and suspense is so palpable in this great movie.
Thanks for doing this one James, one of my Mum's fav films.I was only 13 when this came out ,saw it prob a couple of yrs later and, as a UK resident, didnt fully understand the politics of the USA.I learned so much from this film in this matter. Great to dip into this again with you.For me, the chemistry between Redford and Hoffman stands out, and the 'realness' of the office set.Btw, love the 'pushing in' of the lens when you are speaking. Only just noticed it on this one (which is a more recent analysis compared to your older stuff that I've been going through)..keep up the good work👍
I know. I suddenly became fascinated with Watergate at the end of 2016 - for some mysterious reason - and that's when I first saw this movie, and read several books besides. It was comforting to know that, no matter how shameless and corrupt a president became, the mechanisms existed to corral and expel them.
Well dangit if this wasn't a beautiful surprise to see on a Thursday afternoon... THANKS for this one James! I remember Ben Affleck saying when he was approaching directing Argo that he really wanted to capture the lines and cinematography of this film. Even Fincher said something similar when doing Zodiac. Rightfully so. Great watchalong with you, James. In terms of 'construction' of a film that has so much historical written word going for it as a foundation, and I've recommended it to you before, but it would be great if you did 1982's Gandhi.
Hey Good Sir! Great pick. You should take a peek into Sorcerer. 1977, directed by William Friedkin and starring Roy Scheider. Not horror (at least in the conventional sense), but one of the most intense movie experiences out there.
@@JamesVSCinema William Goldman (RIP 2018) - Amazing screen writer and author, as well as legendairy "fixer" of scripts. He advised dropping a conspiratorial sub-plot in the "Good Will Hunting" screenplay, which polished it into the gem it became. In high school in the 70s, we read his first novel "The Temple of Gold" which I think is on a par with "Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger. Goldman - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Goldman
I always think if this movie when I see anything being reported today. It used to be you were held accountable for what you were reporting. You had to report facts that can be backed up and not just state opinions as if they are the news.
Fun fact: Jason Robards' character, Ben Bradlee, was the father of Ben Bradlee Jr, played by John Slattery in Spotlight. First Family of American journalism.
In the 90s, the French director of The Artist (2011 Oscar for Best Picture) got the rights from Warner Bros to use their catalogue. The results, La classe americaine (American Class), is a hilarious parody using extensively footage of movies like All the President's Men, Harper, Bullit etc. with the plot explicitely lifted from Citizen Kane.
I recommend (and request!) that you react to other classics, too, like The Parallax View, Rebecca, Three Days of the Condor, Bulworth, The Candidate, The Way We Were, Shampoo, Kramer vs Kramer, Reds, The Natural, The Electric Horseman.
Great suggestions. I especially agree with 'Reds' and 'Three Days of the Condor'. 'Reds' is such an enormous, sweeping story on the scale of 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Utterly breathtaking. And 'Three Days of the Condor' is another great paranoiac spy thriller with one hell of a cast.
In that scene where you asked about 2001 - I think you were looking at John McMartin at the end of the table. 2001 starred Keir Dullea. As for the film, which is a Top-10 Favorite for me, I saw it when it came out and was astonished how quickly two hours passed. Paced within an inch of its life.
I once read an article of how the visual choices of this film became the blueprint of all journalism films: the well-lit newspaper offices serve as the headquarters of truth from which the investigators embark to the dark caverns filled with nefarious secrets. But I daresay nobody's done it better than Pakula & Willis here. (Gordon Willis, the cinematographer of this film, also shot The Godfather.)
I was in 8th grade when this started. There is a fantastic documentary on making this film including the real news people. It is called All The President's Men and is on RUclips. Enjoy
Absolutely an incredible movie! There’s a great movie from 2017 called “The Post” that I think is a great companion film to this, it’s another big story and more about the difficult decision about whether to print the story or not. It happens just before the plot of this movie so it fits well together! Plus, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep among other great cast members!
Now that you have this classic crossed off, you NEED to see Secret Honor (1984). Directed by Robert Altman, Philip Baker Hall gives maybe the most outstanding performance of a historical figure ever as the movie is nothing but a 90 minute monologue from Nixon as he records his own thoughts and feelings regarding his downfall.
They have computers now and not much paper. Everyone has a phone with a camera. Deep Throat wasn't revealed until 2005 and is daughter did it. Woodward has written a lot of books, including a couple about Trump. Berstein was a playboy and the two reporters couldn't be more different.
In terms of genre, this movie is a procedural. William Goldman (who wrote this) basically invented two genres that are still very much in vogue today: the buddy movie (which he invented when he wrote Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid) & procedurals (which he invented when he wrote this movie). Without All the Presidents' Men, there is no Law & Order. There is no CSI. Their is no NYPD Blue, etc, etc, etc.
I had the privilege of doing an internship in the office of Alan Pakula, the director of this film (as well as Parallax View, Sophie's Choice and others). This was many years later and he wasn't actually in the office all that much, but when I met him he was relaxed and funny. Sadly he died in a car accident literally months after my internship ended.
Yes, I remember that time. I was 12 when I watched the Watergate hearings during summer vacation in 1973, with my mom commenting to the TV. I was old enough to understand the gist of what was happening but not the nuances. At some point, I remember thinking: If you can't prove a person guilty without getting their private tapes and their lawyer to turn on them, you probably don't have a case. I also always wondered if Nixon would have beaten Robert Kennedy in the 1968 election--how that could have changed history. Humphrey and McGovern had no chance.
Truly an enthralling experience...any other information on Water Gate you'd like to share? Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day!
Watergate was such a huge deal. It’s the reason we tack on the word “gate” after every named scandal. Woodward and Bernstein were such great reporters and have been relevant in journalism for decades. Their vital work a reason that journalism itself became so admired. Their work also created a demand for reporters’ stories / media in film. (“The Killing Fields,” “The Year Of Living Dangerously,” “Network,” “The Parralax View,” etc.
"William Goldman won two Academy Awards in both writing categories-once for Best Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and once for Best Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men (1976). His other well-known works include his thriller novel Marathon Man (1974) and his cult classic comedy/fantasy novel The Princess Bride (1973), both of which he also adapted for film versions." Marathon Man is a MUST!
A truly great film - my go-to may times a year! In terms of connected movies - 2 for you! I would strongly suggest THE POST (2017) (Meryl Streep) which focuses on Katharine Graham, the Publisher mentioned for The Washington Post here, and when they battled to publish the secret Pentagon Papers (which revealed damning facts about The Vietnam War). This could be watched before or after James Spader as Daniel Ellsberg - (the real Whistle blower who got hold of the papers for their publication in 1971) in THE PENTAGON PAPERS (2003) a gripper true-life thriller! Enjoy :)
Hey James great instalment - a fantastic 70s flick with a killer 70s cast. Another cool journalism style movie is The Paper - Glenn Close, Michale Keaton, Marisa Tomei et al, directed by Ron Howard. The good movies about journalism are usually made by great directors.
"Deep Throat" was an XXX adult movie in theaters in the early 1970s. It was a title on marquees back then. The actual informant called Deep Throat was later revealed to be Mark Felt.
(16:24) Close! The only actor from 'All the President's Men' _credited_ with also being in '2001: A Space Odyssey' was HAL* - who played _Deepthroat_ *Holbrook. However, at least THREE of the actors playing the Washington Post editorial board in this scene, costumed up as _monkeys_ for the opening scene of '2001: A Space Odyssey' in 1968 ...just 4 years earlier. (Juuuuuust kidding!)
This came out when I was a senior in high school. My entire government class went to see the movie. It resonated deeply, because we were all in junior high and then freshmen when all of these events played out on TV. The Senate hearings, then the impeachment hearings. Woodward and Bernstein still do investigative journalism today, although mostly in book form. Bob Woodward has published a bunch of books detailing the inside workings of the Trump administration. It amazes me that politicians and their staffs still talk to him, but they do - a lot. Some stuff in the most recent Woodward book just made the news again this week, when Trump denied some of what was in it. Trump never bothered to learn from history, I guess. Although these days all he has to do is claim "fake news" and half of the country believes him.
I had a chance to ask Bernstein a question when he spoke at my college. I asked him how it is possible for news organizations to keep objectivity, when most reporters end up in relationships or close friendships with those they are supposed to report on. He said that is a major issue and one the industry still must grapple with. This was more than 10 years ago. But as we have seen, with the suspension of news anchors and reporters, recently, it's still a problem. A reporter can't be objective when sleeping with a subject.
I was visiting Washington D.C. a few years back and parked my car in a nondescript garage in Alexandria Virginia. Going to pick up my car I saw the small plaque outside that it was the place where Bob Woodward used to meet with “Deepthroat” during the Watergate investigation.
Robert Redford isn't the father of Brad Pitt - he was just the template of Handsome for decades to come.
It's mildly ironic that Redford and Hoffman costar in this movie because years before, Hoffman got the lead role in The Graduate, which Redford really wanted. Mike Nichols said he couldn't imagine Redford playing an insecure 21 year old virgin 😆
But Brad Pitt is sort of a “reboot” of Robert Redford - something Brad Pitt plays with in some of his roles, wherehe seems to be consciously channeling Redford. And Robert Redford cast a young Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It.
Robert Redford directed, "A River Runs Through It" with Bard Pitt in it and Pitt tried very hard to be as much like Redford as he could.
Never heard the Owen Wilson comparison but without the broken nose I can see it .
@@gigi-ij1hk Nichols obviously made the right call. Thank god. Maybe James should react to The Graduate. He'd freak out on it. Classic. C L A S S I C ! ! ! Then again, considering the soundtrack, that one may have a lot of spots where music rights get in the way. Dunno...
I read that Redford and Hoffman learned each other's lines in addition to their own so they could almost finish each other's sentences.
Brilliant idea!!
One of the great things about this film is its probably one of the best phone acting movies ever. So many important conversations happen over the phone and the reaction and emotion of the person on the other end really matters. So much of a journalist's job happens over the phone and you have to have a feel for how people are reacting even if you can't see them, and the voice actors really make you feel their reactions.
Nicolas Coster, the actor who says "I'm not here" in the courtroom, was a friend of mine. He's been a guest in my home, beforeCcovid had happened. He passed away not too long ago.
I remember thinking “I know that guy” when I first saw the movie but I could never figure out how I knew him. Now that I know his name I may finally be able to figure it out.
Wow. That's really cool! I remember seeing him in several movies/ TV shows back in the day. He was great in this movie.
Gordon Willis, the cinematographer on All the President's Men, shot some of the best-looking movies of the 1970s, or of any time. This film, along with both Godfather 1 & 2, plus Annie Hall and Manhattan, and lots of others. Willis was an underappreciated genius.
His masterful use of deep shadow earned him the informal title "the Prince of Darkness".
Redford and Hoffman learned each other's lines so that they could easily talk over each other. It's such a great choice and what makes them feel so real
Bernstein "All these neat, little houses and all these nice, little streets... It's hard to believe that something's wrong with some of those little houses."
Woodward : "No, it isn't."
Top 10 film for me - only gets better with every watch. Jason Robards is the greatest and I also love that Jack Warden and Martin Balsam (also both in 12 Angry Men) are in this too. Utter perfection ;)
“"Sometimes you do junk just to keep alive. You know it's junk when you go in. You just hope you will do the best you can, and that the film will be entertaining. Many times, it isn't, but you just do those things to pay the bills."
Jason Robards preferred working in the theater, and said once that he performed in Hollywood films so that he could "grab the money and go back to Broadway as fast as I can." He is the only actor to win consecutive best supporting actor Oscars (for "All the President's Men" (1976) and "Julia" (1977)).
During filming of "All the President's Men" (below) Robards decided that it was important for Ben Bradlee to always be "in the newsroom," so his presence would always be felt in the film. On days when he wasn't shooting scenes with the other actors, Robards came to the set and hung out in Ben Bradlee's office, usually sitting at Bradlee's desk and reading a book, so Bradlee would appear in the background of shots that featured Woodward, Bernstein, and other reporters. Although he wasn't keen on the idea of a film being made in his offices, Post editor Benjamin C. Bradlee realized that by co-operating he would have a better chance of influencing the production.
Robards was nowhere to be seen when his name was called during that second Academy Awards ceremony, as due to a scheduling conflict with a theater play he was supposed to be in that night he was unable to attend the Oscars. When he failed to appear at the 1978 Oscar ceremony, host Bob Hope quipped that "he must be off playing poker with George C Scott and Marlon Brando," who both had famously rejected their Oscars in the early 70's. (IMDb)
Happy Birthday, Jason Robards!”
I'm 73 and was in College when this stuff went down! .... It really was a scary time! If Nixon had gone to Jail we wouldn't have the Mess we're in today!
back when journalist weren't just talking heads who read the teleprompter and surf twitter
@@flerbus My Dad was a WW II USAAC Vet. The night Walter Cronkite said Vietnam was a Disaster .... He got up and said "Well That's It, We Need to Get the Hell Out!"
I'm 68 and agree with you 100%.
@@jamesalexander5623what did your dad mean? Vietnam WAS a disaster.
@@im-gi2pg We were getting our troops killed for nothing, Or as he might have said in WW II it was FUBAR!
Watergate is one of the most important chapters in American history. To my knowledge, the only time a president resigned from office before his term ended. Nixon would have been the first president to be impeached AND convicted. He resigned to avoid this.
The filmmakers intended to depict the typewriters as weapons since they were using them to wield their power, hence the typewriter keys in close-up opening the movie.
As well as the typing sounding like gunshots via sound editing.
One of Redford's brilliant ideas: both he and Hoffman learned not only their own lines, but each others' too. So at any moment, they could finish each others' sentences, switch lines back and forth on the spot, etc. It gave their scenes an amazingly gritty, real sense of two guys working closely together with tremendous intensity on the story.
I was riveted as this story unfolded day by day. I was coming out of the eighth grade and headed to high school the summer the story of Watergate was building, and I was totally enamored of the idea that dogged, unrelenting reporters were responsible for holding Washington power players accountable for their actions. The shame and blame was so deep that Nixon resigned. Today, we respond to revelations of misdeeds with maybe an “Oh dear, not again,” but the players stay in the game and nothing changes. Years later I got to visit the Washington Post newsroom, faithfully reproduced here for the movie, and I was still in awe and grateful for those two reporters. Loved your response to the film, as always. Peace …
Yeah if the president is a republican. I didn’t see the dogged press go after LBJ or Kennedy or FDR. Selective outrage by the party membership.
Jason Robards won an Academy Award for this movie. It was his first role after suffering multiple injuries in a car accident. He and Redford appeared together years earlier in a TV production of THE ICEMAN COMETH.
I’ve always loved these “investigative journalist” movies. Even though the story is dark, and based on real events, “Spotlight” is one of my favorites in that category.
Clearly the last scene of Spotlight leads directly to the first scene of this movie
Yes....Spotlight is amazing. I also love The Post. Both are fantastic journalism movies.
@@Zigmond303 Spotlight happened decades after Watergate.
@@jainthorne4136You're right! Total brain fart on my part. Although Spotlight is excellent, I was actually thinking of another newspaper industry movie, "The Post," which is about the Pentagon papers, a series of events that occurred shortly before Watergate. Thanks for calling me out!
is that the movie that tells the story of how the boston globe covered up the story on pedophile priests
and only released their story when they found out the boston herald was going to run a similar story
"The Post" is a must watch after this. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks with an ending that lines up perfectly.
Apparently the Post was ok with people breaking in and stealing classified documents then, until they weren’t. Real class.
Back at it with another certified classic. This movie rocks and it's awesome that you chose it.
Hoffman is an acting god and I love him in this doing his Method thing to the Nth degree with all the little actorly bells and whistles which is insanely good, but definitely showing off and heightened, as is his signature detail to everything he does, and his Bernstein is definitely, hypnotically highly stylized and entertaining as hell.
It's funny, but Redford was considered the pretty boy lightweight to Hoffman at the time and pretty much his entire career, but fifty years later, Robert Redford is a like performing whisperer he is so natural and effortlessly present in every moment, every scene playing it like he's not even acting, but like he's channeling Woodward, conjuring him, but I never catch him 'acting.' Robert actually is achieving the true attainment a thespian is suppose to want to capture and procure and that is just be, exist, react, be present. It's like Dustin and Redford are in two different movies at the same time in every scene together: Hoffman in the motion picture big budget reenactment version and Robert is in the documentary.
And then there's Jason GD Robards....The Goat.
1976. Was the best picture All The President's Men? Or Rocky? Or Network? Or Taxi Driver? What a year!
Def holds a candle to 1994
All the President's Men is yet another film that shows what a truly amazing decade for cinema the 1970s were.
The list of nominees for Best Picture at that year's Oscars is stacked: All the Prez's Men, Rocky (which won), Network, Taxi Driver, and Bound for Glory (the only one on the list I haven't seen). Other films released the same year include Carrie and Marathon Man. It's bonkers
When Woodward, and Bernstein published "All The President's Men" it was a huge best seller. They were asked who they wanted to play them in the movie that was expected to be made. They asked for Redford, and Hoffman.
The identity of "Deep Throat" was kept secret for over 30 years. It was the Deputy Director of the FBI after J. Edgar Hoover died 3 weeks before the first of two Watergate burglaries. The second when the burglars were caught was 3 weeks after that.
I didn't see this movie until it came out on TV years later. It was a movie of the week but had been promoted for months. It was the first time the story was told to Ma, and Pa Kettle as one piece in an understandable form. It originally came out over several months clouded by all the denials, and cover ups. Most people didn't understand what it all meant until this came on TV.
Another gem from THE great American screenwriter, William Goldman
Marathon Man should have more reactions to...
@@EShelby2127 Is it safe?
When journalism was really journalism. When facts and the truth mattered. You had to confirm the source of information from 2 other sources. Integrity mattered.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Live in a dream world much. My god you can’t be that naive. Where were the exposes on LBJ or JFK or FDR? Oh that’s right they belong to the right party. Just like today.
When Americans cared about the truth!
One of my favorite political thriller films along with 3 days at the Condor and Marathon Man.
A damn good watch too!
Marathon Man is soooo good.
Is it safe?
@@Divamarja_CA What a chilling three words. That's right up there with "You're going to need a bigger boat". Man, the 70s was a great decade for memorable lines.
William Goldman was understandably concerned he wasn't sued for his script. He had a simple rule. If the book said something, it was safe to include it because it hadn't been sued. That said, Redford bought the rights before the book was published.
Because a good bit was bs...Bob Woodward is a world class liar.
My uncle was a Washington D.C correspondent during this time, it was so cool to unpack all the stuff from this scandal while archiving his work. Including a personal signed copy of this book!
Brilliant movie about a very complicated time in American politics. Woodward and Bernstein put in WORK.
Agreed! They did a phenomenal job here.
when journalists looked for the truth not pushing a personal narrative
@@YvonneSanders-hv2gcand when people could hear the truth without shouting witch hunt and fake news
Woodward is a known liar, and much of his "work" was fabricated bs. He was fed a story.
When i would come home from school my mother would be in our den glued to the tv when the hearings and trials were occurring
I can imagine!!
Right? I remember being a little kid & because my dad was a news junkie, just hearing over & over on TV: watergate, watergate, watergate. I remember thinking: What the heck is a watergate?
Same here. The big televised events I remember from my childhood are the Watergate hearings and the moon landings. Even as a little kid, it was clear to me that these things were not just business as usual. These events were IMPORTANT.
Just a thought, but one of the real highlights of the impeachment hearings of Nixon - the outcome of the journalistic effort of these two - is Barbara Jordon’s speech. Legendary. We watched every minute of those hearings. And that one sends shivers down your spine. ✌️
The heroes were the FBI. The journalist did nothing that FBI had already done. They just couldn’t print it in the newspaper everyday. The watergate hearings had nothing to do with Woodstein, except keeping it in the public eye. Mismanagement of history is why we continually fall for garbage after garbage.
"Deep Throat' was the #2 guy at the FBI, Mark Felt. The filmmakers took artistic liberties with the 'follow the money' line.
Woodward and Bernstein kept Felt's identity secret for decades, only confirming he was Deep Throat after he had already disclosed that in an interview
Felt was still a hero, in my eyes, even if he wanted to stay anonymous. Unfortunately, people have changed their attitudes towards whistleblowers in the past decade or so.
@@captainsplifford
Hero? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
The man was convicted of black bag jobs, like the ones the plumbers did. He was pardoned by Reagan.
He was a piece of garbage, who was upset at Nixon for passing him over for the job of head of the FBI. He was Hoover’s right hand man for years. The left’s bete noir. Hero my ASS!!!
Yeah artistic license for sure, since it was invented by William Goldman.
I don't think this film took any artistic liberties. They couldn't because if they had, they would've been sued.
When I was in high school, the teachers in our school went on strike. As a result, they took all the students in the auditorium and put this gem of a movie on.
No one seemed to care about this movie being on but I was fully ENTHRALLED by it.
I must have checked the movie out from the library ten times or so 😂
Brilliant movie with so many good shots.
16:45 It's not crazy to call someone "Deep Throat," because that name was infamously known around the country as the title to a controversial adult film.
Remember from "Taxi Driver" that triple xxx aka adult films typically premiered in theaters -- with no VCR/DVD aftermarket existing until the 80s; So "Deep Throat" continued to resonate several decades later as a memorable "character" in the film and book.
I'm glad you're back on movies again.
You might watch Frost Nixon as a companion piece to this storywise.
Another great companion piece is "White House Plumbers" which is a limited series on Max that came out a couple of years ago. It's the story of the Watergate break in from the P.O.V. of the criminals who did the breaking in. Believe it or not, it's a comedy.
Oh, Frost/Nixon is an excellent movie! I remember Frank Langella saying that he didn't want to do an easy caricature of Nixon -- the vocal and physical mannerisms, etc. Anyone could do those surface imitations. Instead, he watched hundreds of hours of films of Nixon, and decided to go for something different: At the core of the man, Nixon was deeply ill at ease in his own skin. By playing *that*, Langella is utterly convincing. Towering performance.
Was in college at the time, and my school buddies and I were so relieved when this was over because we knew this was the worst thing that could ever happen to this great country.....and that we could just imagine how excellent journalism will be in the future.
My favorite shot in the movie is in the library of congress. It made them look so small inside the grandeur and permanence of the building
I was just a teenager when this went down. Reading about this piece by piece, it was hard to put what happened together. Seeing this film assembled the narrative into why this was such a big deal.
This movie is absolutely incredible. One thing I'm always going to wonder about, and think about, when I watch this movie: my journalism teacher in high school told us a story about when he was a young pup reporter working in Florida, and was at an airport for a presser for Nixon. He finished taking notes, and was just looking over those notes behind a bank of cameras, so he was kinda hidden, and he said he overheard a couple of Nixon's staffers talking about the seeds of the whole Watergate thing. Said he went to his editor and told him about it, but the editor told him not to move on it. Once Woodward and Bernstein broke the story, as he was watching a news broadcast talking about it, he picked up his TV and threw it against the wall, knowing it could have been him. He's a good man and was my favorite teacher in HS, so I really like to believe he wasn't just spinning a yarn, but I'll obviously never know for sure.
I was 16 in 1974 and was working part time in the mail room of the Data Prossesing Division Headquarters of IBM in Bethesda Maryland. Needless to say that being in the proximity of the Capitol, we had the Watergate hearings on the TV at work. Around that time the first X rated mainstream movie took the country by storm. The name of the movie was "Deep Throat". I'm sure you can appreciate the meaning of the title. 😀
This film is in my top 10 of all time and Im glad you watched it. The acting, writing, editing and cinematography are spectacular.I hope it continues to get more love and views.
Bob Woodward is a guardian of democracy. He’d just came out with another book this very week…called War.
Great, great film! That scene in the Library of Congress...just wow!!
Right??? It was great this took place in DC.
William Goldman won his second Academy Award for writing the screenplay (only to be minimized by Robert Redford, whom he helped get his breakthrough role in BUTCH CASSIDY).
Thrillers from the 70s just have this matter-of-fact-ness style that I find compelling. The French Connection would be another great example that you watched too.
There’s not a note of music in the soundtrack for the first 30 minutes of the film. The music from then on is compelling,but used selectively. The last scene is not a typewriter. It’s a wire service teletype machine. Back before the internet, radio and television stations got news, weather, sports, etc from wire services like AP and UPI. They would be connected by a dedicated phone line. Those machines were LOUD! Often kept in some back room or closet-like situation so you could close the door. That’s why it’s so loud in the movie soundtrack.
Had the pleasure of meeting Bob Woodward when he visited the company I used to work for back in 2016. He's full of amazing real life stories and always genuinely interested in what you think about a given topic. He treats you like you're the most interesting person in the room and even gives everybody his Washington Post email in case anybody wants to ask him questions or continue a discussion.
Great reaction! If I recall correctly, both the book and the screenplay were being written as the events portrayed were happening; hence, the precision and pacing that you mention. i'm glad you appreciated as well the cinematography of Gordon Willis, the "Prince of Darkness," who also shot The Godfather films and other greats, as well as David Shire's minimalist scoring. Great film, nominated for Best Picture (1976), along with Scorsese's Taxi Driver, Lumet's Network, and Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory, all losing out to Rocky...
People in the U.S. were *really* hurting after Nixon because of the absolute weirdness of the situation and unprecedented uncertainty in the country during that time. Never before had a president been *proven* to be so duplicitous. And I think this film really helped heal the nation in a very specific way, because it, even though it was a fictionalized account, was real enough that it documented all the intense research and fact-checking that the journalists did during that time to expose the president's treachery.
My sister was born in the fall of 1973, and our parents wanted her first words to be "Impeach Nixon Now!"
James, there were a lot fewer coffee shops back then, Starbucks doesn't exist yet.
You might like The Conversation with Gene Hackman.
Awesome movie!!!
OH YES, PLEASE!!! Brilliant film. Gene Hackman was one of the very best!
The actor who is the plays editor Ben Bradlee, is Jason Robards, he was considered a very good actor. He was at one time married to Lauren Bacall, who had been married to Humphrey Bogart.
Did you notice Salieri as the undercover cop in the passenger seat who took the call about a burglary?
How about two of the 12 Angry Men -- the jury foreman (also in Psycho) and the Juror with the baseball tickets (also in ... everything) -- on the Post editorial staff?
This film is FULL of "that guy" types.
The cast is just nuts: Redford and Hoffman, both huge stars at the time, with a deep bench of character actors: Warden, Balsam, Robards, Holbrook and Jane Alexander (the Bookkeeper), who was nominated for Oscars three times in the '70s, including for this movie
One of my favorite films from the '70s. The lens that you were asking about is the split diopter. While it allows for two focal points within the frame, you can tell that the center of the frame is blurry
This book and film is legit a big part of why I ultimately became a journalist.
You need to check out the other two remarkable films that make up the director Alan J. Pakula's 'Paranoia Trilogy': Klute (1971) and The Parallax View (1974). Brilliant, intense, soaked in anxiety.
I just mentioned The Parallax View in another thread. Warren Beatty is such a good actor and I really appreciate how uncomfortable he was with being “just” a pretty face and worked hard on expanding his range, not only as an actor but as a director too!
Great movie . This was huge back then and yet today…. You fill in the blank .
Jack Warden and Martin Balsam together again. They were both in 12 Angry Men.
You said quite early on "a deep ocean within a puddle". Such a fantastic quote! I stopped the video and thought about it for a while. Thank you, your reactions and takes are always interesting.
Anytime!! 🙏🏽
This film is the part three in Alan J. Pakula's Paranoia Trilogy. The first part is Klute (71'), and then it was The Parallax View (74'), and finished it off with All The President's Men (76'). Gordon Willis aka The Prince of Darkness as was the nickname given to him by Conrad Hall, shot all three and they are masterclasses in minimal lighting and complex blocking, tableau's, and camera movement. One of my favourite things about this film is the portrait of analogue information, and all the ways to process and research that knowledge through typewriters, telephones, notes, and teletype, and the effort it took work it. That feeling of paranoia and suspense is so palpable in this great movie.
Thanks for doing this one James, one of my Mum's fav films.I was only 13 when this came out ,saw it prob a couple of yrs later and, as a UK resident, didnt fully understand the politics of the USA.I learned so much from this film in this matter. Great to dip into this again with you.For me, the chemistry between Redford and Hoffman stands out, and the 'realness' of the office set.Btw, love the 'pushing in' of the lens when you are speaking. Only just noticed it on this one (which is a more recent analysis compared to your older stuff that I've been going through)..keep up the good work👍
Perfect timing releasing this a day after Jack Smith released his Jan. 6 evidence.
I know. I suddenly became fascinated with Watergate at the end of 2016 - for some mysterious reason - and that's when I first saw this movie, and read several books besides. It was comforting to know that, no matter how shameless and corrupt a president became, the mechanisms existed to corral and expel them.
Woodward told enough lies to qualify. And if you think Hack Smith is legitimate you're an idiot.
Thanks again for your insights. How u discuss film always impresses me.😊
Well dangit if this wasn't a beautiful surprise to see on a Thursday afternoon... THANKS for this one James! I remember Ben Affleck saying when he was approaching directing Argo that he really wanted to capture the lines and cinematography of this film. Even Fincher said something similar when doing Zodiac. Rightfully so. Great watchalong with you, James.
In terms of 'construction' of a film that has so much historical written word going for it as a foundation, and I've recommended it to you before, but it would be great if you did 1982's Gandhi.
The main characters were frequently shown walking past huge concrete buildings to show visually the powers they were up against
I remember watching the moon launches and landings, the Viet Nam war reporting on the news, and the Watergate hearings like it was yesterday.
Same here ❤
Hey Good Sir! Great pick. You should take a peek into Sorcerer. 1977, directed by William Friedkin and starring Roy Scheider. Not horror (at least in the conventional sense), but one of the most intense movie experiences out there.
Didn't expect this. Awesome!
Do Marathon Man next.
Great suggestion!
great choice and a much underrated actor Roy Scheider
@@YvonneSanders-hv2gcRoy isn’t underrated
Yes! Amazing suspense!! And story.
@@JamesVSCinema William Goldman (RIP 2018) - Amazing screen writer and author, as well as legendairy "fixer" of scripts. He advised dropping a conspiratorial sub-plot in the "Good Will Hunting" screenplay, which polished it into the gem it became. In high school in the 70s, we read his first novel "The Temple of Gold" which I think is on a par with "Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger. Goldman - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Goldman
The good ol' days when reporters actually did the footwork
I always think if this movie when I see anything being reported today. It used to be you were held accountable for what you were reporting. You had to report facts that can be backed up and not just state opinions as if they are the news.
Fun fact: Jason Robards' character, Ben Bradlee, was the father of Ben Bradlee Jr, played by John Slattery in Spotlight. First Family of American journalism.
In the 90s, the French director of The Artist (2011 Oscar for Best Picture) got the rights from Warner Bros to use their catalogue. The results, La classe americaine (American Class), is a hilarious parody using extensively footage of movies like All the President's Men, Harper, Bullit etc. with the plot explicitely lifted from Citizen Kane.
I recommend (and request!) that you react to other classics, too, like The Parallax View, Rebecca, Three Days of the Condor, Bulworth, The Candidate, The Way We Were, Shampoo, Kramer vs Kramer, Reds, The Natural, The Electric Horseman.
Great suggestions. I especially agree with 'Reds' and 'Three Days of the Condor'. 'Reds' is such an enormous, sweeping story on the scale of 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Utterly breathtaking. And 'Three Days of the Condor' is another great paranoiac spy thriller with one hell of a cast.
In that scene where you asked about 2001 - I think you were looking at John McMartin at the end of the table. 2001 starred Keir Dullea. As for the film, which is a Top-10 Favorite for me, I saw it when it came out and was astonished how quickly two hours passed. Paced within an inch of its life.
I once read an article of how the visual choices of this film became the blueprint of all journalism films: the well-lit newspaper offices serve as the headquarters of truth from which the investigators embark to the dark caverns filled with nefarious secrets. But I daresay nobody's done it better than Pakula & Willis here. (Gordon Willis, the cinematographer of this film, also shot The Godfather.)
I met Harry Rosenfeld at a book signing for his memoir in upstate New York a few years ago. We had a great little conversation.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is another historical biopic that you may enjoy
PHENOMENAL flick.
interesting to watch along with Judas and the Black Messiah, similar times and some overlap
I was in 8th grade when this started. There is a fantastic documentary on making this film including the real news people. It is called All The President's Men and is on RUclips. Enjoy
Absolutely an incredible movie! There’s a great movie from 2017 called “The Post” that I think is a great companion film to this, it’s another big story and more about the difficult decision about whether to print the story or not. It happens just before the plot of this movie so it fits well together! Plus, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep among other great cast members!
Now that you have this classic crossed off, you NEED to see Secret Honor (1984). Directed by Robert Altman, Philip Baker Hall gives maybe the most outstanding performance of a historical figure ever as the movie is nothing but a 90 minute monologue from Nixon as he records his own thoughts and feelings regarding his downfall.
They have computers now and not much paper. Everyone has a phone with a camera. Deep Throat wasn't revealed until 2005 and is daughter did it. Woodward has written a lot of books, including a couple about Trump. Berstein was a playboy and the two reporters couldn't be more different.
The gold ol’days of Nixon being the worst president ever.
Yeah second to Wilson, FDR, LBJ.
Back when people actually gave a shit whether their president was a crook or not.
One of the best movies surrounding journalism
Lol. Almost complete bs. Woodward lied like a politician.
In terms of genre, this movie is a procedural. William Goldman (who wrote this) basically invented two genres that are still very much in vogue today: the buddy movie (which he invented when he wrote Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid) & procedurals (which he invented when he wrote this movie). Without All the Presidents' Men, there is no Law & Order. There is no CSI. Their is no NYPD Blue, etc, etc, etc.
Jason Robards was such a great actor. The cast in this film is top notch.
I had the privilege of doing an internship in the office of Alan Pakula, the director of this film (as well as Parallax View, Sophie's Choice and others). This was many years later and he wasn't actually in the office all that much, but when I met him he was relaxed and funny. Sadly he died in a car accident literally months after my internship ended.
Yes, I remember that time. I was 12 when I watched the Watergate hearings during summer vacation in 1973, with my mom commenting to the TV. I was old enough to understand the gist of what was happening but not the nuances. At some point, I remember thinking: If you can't prove a person guilty without getting their private tapes and their lawyer to turn on them, you probably don't have a case. I also always wondered if Nixon would have beaten Robert Kennedy in the 1968 election--how that could have changed history. Humphrey and McGovern had no chance.
This and 3 Days of the Condor are 2 of my favorite Robert Redford films. If you haven't seen that one I highly recommend it🙌🏽
This movie inspired me to work in media.
Dustin Hoffman 1974 “Lenny” story of comedian Lenny Bruce. Directed by Bob Fosse. Brilliant performance
Truly an enthralling experience...any other information on Water Gate you'd like to share?
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Have a great day!
You should watch the movie Dick now. It is comedy and almost a spoof of this movie. Very funny and underrated!
Watergate was such a huge deal. It’s the reason we tack on the word “gate” after every named scandal. Woodward and Bernstein were such great reporters and have been relevant in journalism for decades. Their vital work a reason that journalism itself became so admired. Their work also created a demand for reporters’ stories / media in film. (“The Killing Fields,” “The Year Of Living Dangerously,” “Network,” “The Parralax View,” etc.
"William Goldman won two Academy Awards in both writing categories-once for Best Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and once for Best Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men (1976).
His other well-known works include his thriller novel Marathon Man (1974) and his cult classic comedy/fantasy novel The Princess Bride (1973), both of which he also adapted for film versions." Marathon Man is a MUST!
A truly great film - my go-to may times a year! In terms of connected movies - 2 for you! I would strongly suggest THE POST (2017) (Meryl Streep) which focuses on Katharine Graham, the Publisher mentioned for The Washington Post here, and when they battled to publish the secret Pentagon Papers (which revealed damning facts about The Vietnam War). This could be watched before or after James Spader as Daniel Ellsberg - (the real Whistle blower who got hold of the papers for their publication in 1971) in THE PENTAGON PAPERS (2003) a gripper true-life thriller! Enjoy :)
The White House Tapes...
I was in high school when this started to unfurl on the national stage. It's hard to convey just how shocking it was as it hit public awareness.
A great followup would be "Thirteen Days" with Kevin Costner about the Cuban missile crisis.
Hey James great instalment - a fantastic 70s flick with a killer 70s cast.
Another cool journalism style movie is The Paper - Glenn Close, Michale Keaton, Marisa Tomei et al, directed by Ron Howard. The good movies about journalism are usually made by great directors.
Jane Alexander was nominated for an Academy Award for her few minutes in this movie.
She and Dustin Hoffman also appear in Kramer Vs. Kramer.
"Deep Throat" was an XXX adult movie in theaters in the early 1970s. It was a title on marquees back then. The actual informant called Deep Throat was later revealed to be Mark Felt.
Well, my plans for the evening just got pushed back.
(16:24) Close! The only actor from 'All the President's Men' _credited_ with also being in '2001: A Space Odyssey' was HAL* - who played _Deepthroat_
*Holbrook.
However, at least THREE of the actors playing the Washington Post editorial board in this scene, costumed up as _monkeys_ for the opening scene of '2001: A Space Odyssey' in 1968 ...just 4 years earlier.
(Juuuuuust kidding!)
This came out when I was a senior in high school. My entire government class went to see the movie. It resonated deeply, because we were all in junior high and then freshmen when all of these events played out on TV. The Senate hearings, then the impeachment hearings. Woodward and Bernstein still do investigative journalism today, although mostly in book form. Bob Woodward has published a bunch of books detailing the inside workings of the Trump administration. It amazes me that politicians and their staffs still talk to him, but they do - a lot. Some stuff in the most recent Woodward book just made the news again this week, when Trump denied some of what was in it. Trump never bothered to learn from history, I guess. Although these days all he has to do is claim "fake news" and half of the country believes him.
I had a chance to ask Bernstein a question when he spoke at my college. I asked him how it is possible for news organizations to keep objectivity, when most reporters end up in relationships or close friendships with those they are supposed to report on. He said that is a major issue and one the industry still must grapple with. This was more than 10 years ago. But as we have seen, with the suspension of news anchors and reporters, recently, it's still a problem. A reporter can't be objective when sleeping with a subject.
The guard who initially found the tape on the door who kicked the whole investigation off, had to move and basically, his life was ruined.
I was visiting Washington D.C. a few years back and parked my car in a nondescript garage in Alexandria Virginia. Going to pick up my car I saw the small plaque outside that it was the place where Bob Woodward used to meet with “Deepthroat” during the Watergate investigation.