Films about journalism are few and far between. The reason being trying to make journalism cinematically interesting is rather difficult. Audience’s don’t tend to find typing at a typewriter, making phone calls, and fact-checking to be very visually arresting.

All the President’s Men (Pakula 1976) rejected those notions and made a landmark film that truly showcased the lives of investigative reporters, and in doing so paved the way for every film about journalism since.

The film follows two unknown reporters, Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford), as they attempt to uncover the real scandal that unfolded at the Watergate hotel.

Throughout the two hour and eighteen minute film, Woodward and Bernstein do nothing more than talk. They talk on the phone, they talk to their editors, they talk to an unknown source in a parking garage, and they talk to each other. A lot.

All this conversation would have been tedious had the screenwriters not been such an airtight script, but the script in question unfolds like a mystery novel. Every conversation is full of small details that the audience can piece together to form their own conclusion. Every character has new information that allows the audience to solve the puzzle.

Pakula chooses to focus on these moments of the journalistic field. The discovery, the intrigue and the search for the truth are the backbone of All the President’s Men. Hoffman and Redford live their characters as they begin to get more involved in the case. While no real action takes place, the tension underneath simmers the entire time, making the film feel dense with action.

All the President’s Men displays the true glory of investigative journalism. It stands as the gold standard of journalism films, and every film about journalism since has to stand next to it.

4/4

When faced with something truly horrific, most people do not yell, or scream or rant. Most people will internalize that pain and carry it with them as they go day to day.

Spotlight (McCarthy 2015) takes this notion of pain and showcases the actions the men and women of the Boston Globe took when faced with an atrocity, and contests All the President’s Men (Pakula 1976) as the defining film on Journalism.

The film follows a subsection of the Boston Globe newspaper, known as the spotlight division. This division would do in-depth investigative reporting to uncover overlooked news. In this specific instance, the Boston Glove uncovered the systematic covering up of the abuses of children within the Catholic Church.

With as powerful a subject as that, Spotlight could have been a dramatic retelling of the events meant to wet tissues and win awards, but McCarthy forgoes convention. Unlike similar films that follow tragic stories, the power of Spotlight lies in its subtlety.

Other than an explosive rant done by Mark Ruffalo, there are no powerful monologues or climactic moments. There isn’t a time during this movie when you will want to cry, other than out of disgust. No, Spotlight presents itself as a true-to-life story of the discovery of the Catholic Church Scandal and lets that fact sink in without a flourish or a care.

The film doesn’t disrespect the subject by adding unnecessary subplots or drama. The film allows what actually happened to speak for itself. This is then further emphasized by the amazing ensemble cast, of which to highlight any single performance would be disingenuous to the rest.

Spotlight tries, and succeeds, to show how real journalism is done on a serious subject. Hopefully, it will leave an impact.

4/4

How far would you be willing to go to cover up a lie? At what point do you look at the circumstances you are in and say, “maybe this isn’t a good idea?” To Stephen Glass, there was never any circumstance where his name was less valuable than the truth, and he was willing to fight tooth and nail to make sure that his lies were never discovered.

Shattered Glass (Ray 2003) is one of those films that makes the audience beg for any semblance of logic or reason during its runtime, and the movie gives you nothing.

Anchored by Hayden Christensen, of Attack of the Clones fame, Shattered Glass follows the story of Stephen Glass, an intrepid, but endearing news reported for the New Republic. Over his three year stint at the Washington magazine, Glass went from rising star to famed fabricator, in what was one of the breakthrough moments for internet journalism.

The film relies on a fast pace and endearing characters to make you feel invested, and in this department, the movie succeeds. All the actors, from Hank Azaria to even Christensen, pull of believable and likeable performances. Each character seems completely natural in the newsroom setting and are truly the brightest part of a well-made film. The constant scene and locations changes, in addition to the actors, makes the subject of journalism feel intense and interesting.

At times the movie can feel exhausting, as Glass is pinned down and eventually wriggles free time and time again; however, the fall-from-grace narrative is rarely seen in the world of journalism and it seems that Shattered Glass succeeds where it counts.

3.5/4