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Storyline
David Merrill (Robert De Niro), a fictitious 1950s Hollywood director, returns from filming abroad in France to find that his loyalty has been called into question by the House Committee on Un-American Activities and he is unable to work until cleared. Before being called, his highest priority had been his work to the extent of leaving his wife (Annette Bening) and son (Luke Edwards) alone for months at a time. He initially refuses to implicate others or himself in a private meeting with Roy Cohn and a studio lawyer. This decision initially to stick to his principles first leaves him unable to work in his profession, even with films and producers he never would have worked with before. Harassment by the FBI leaves him unable to work on Broadway, with advertising agencies, or even in a small film repair shop. Finally, having fallen so far, and tempted with a new offer to direct a film from his old studio (if he testifies), he agrees to go before the Committee, initially planning to ... Written by
Mike Harris <mharris@injersey.com>
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Taglines:
All it took was a whisper.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Sam Wanamaker, who plays Felix Graff, really was blacklisted by HUAC during the McCarthy era.
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Goofs
There is a Milwaukee Braves baseball pennant on the wall of Merrill's son's room. This film takes place in 1951 and 1952. The Braves didn't move to Milwaukee from Boston until 1953.
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Quotes
David Merrill:
I'm a filmmaker. That's all I am, I don't know what else to do. What the hell do they think I'm gonna do? Blow all the bridges if the Red Army comes invading Manhattan?
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Soundtracks
"JEEPERS CREEPERS"
Music by
Harry Warren
Lyrics by
Johnny Mercer
Performed by
Louis Armstrong See more »
This was the directing/writing debut of long-time producer Irwin Winkler, and he attempts to deal with a serious, and still controversial issue, and is more successful than most who have tried. Winkler caught De Niro in an upswing. After a pretty disappointing decade, De Niro return with vigour in the 90s with Goodfellas, Awakenings, Cape Fear, and this. He receives solid support, especially from George Wendt as his loyal screenwriter friend. Although this had it's detractors, take a look at it alongside The Majestic, a film that attempts similar groundwork, and this will begin to look like a masterpiece in comparison.