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Film Review: 'The Post'

Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks deserve an Oscar for their powerful performances in this Nixon-era film.

By Suzanne RothbergPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks star in "The Post."
The Post is one of the most intriguing and entertaining films of 2018. The film is directed by Steven Spielberg. It's also an Oscar-winning contender this year. It's a real story that depicts turmoil of The Washington Post reporters. The Post reporters attempt to expose the truth of The Pentagon Papers. Meryl Streep gives a powerful performance, as newspaper heiress Kay Graham, the owner and publisher of The Washington Post. She struggles to keep the paper alive when government attempts to abolish "free-press" and shut down her newspaper as well as The New York Times— for revealing the truth regarding the undisclosed documents and scandals of the Vietnam War and the short-lived Nixon Administration. Kay took over the reins as the owner of the paper from her husband who succeeded her father and committed suicide. In the end, The Washington Post and The New York Times go to court, and the ruling of free press wins 6-3— that corporate governance should not control the media.

Tom Hanks portrays Ben Bradlee, the ambitious managing editor of The Washington Post. His remarkable performance of his character was quite impressive and real. He has a convincing portrayal of a man obsessed with telling the truth and making his newspaper seem very competitive with the New York Times. He had high expectations for The Washington Post to be the best in the journalism industry and have the same credibility. The film also stars Sarah Paulson who plays Ben's wife in the film. The film's premise is being compared to the Trump Administration and how Trump may consider shutting down media that criticize him and his administration.

Fast-forward 2016 to 2018, newspapers have had their share of criticism with the term, “fake news.” There are claims that newspapers published stories about the Trump and his administration that have been dubbed, “inaccurate.” The film demonstrates that the government cannot always be trusted and doesn’t always display the truth to the American public. The newspaper’s job is to verify their sources and tell the truth—not lie and deliver “fake news.”

This film is a “must-see” for all aspiring journalists and news junkies who are curious about the journalism business. Of all the movies I’ve seen focusing on newspapers, this film is a true-to-life story. It exposes the truth about the dynamics of working in a newspaper. The actual film footage of Kennedy and of the various presidents such as Lyndon Johnson was used in the movie to accentuate the realism of the past to make the film seem more authentic.

The friendship between Katharine Graham and Robert McNamara the former Secretary of Defense in the 70s was put in jeopardy to expose the truth. She had to do what was right and tell the whole story even if it hurt her friend.

On a slightly unusual note, I was surprised to discover that I have a personal connection to the film. Harry Gladstein is mentioned in the retirement party scene at Katharine Graham's home in the movie. I knew him many years ago when I was much younger. He lived in Palm Springs and was the former circulation manager for The Washington Post and a dear friend of my paternal grandfather. Both have since passed away years ago. Harry knew all the secrets of the political elite during his tenure as the circulation manager for The Washington Post.

Print Journalism vs. The Internet

In the film, The Post shows the audience the operations of newspaper publishing before the Internet. Typefaces and printing machines are almost extinct. It's really sad how so many newspapers are not surviving and going out of the publishing business and turning to online media thinking it will boost their bottom line.

I rate this film an A+.

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About the Creator

Suzanne Rothberg

Suzanne Rothberg is an entertainment writer and video producer. She has interviewed many celebrities and musicians—including Justin Hayward and John Lodge of The Moody Blues, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Tommy Shaw of Styx and many others.

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