The Paper (1994)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers (WGA):

David Koepp (written by) &
Stephen Koepp (written by)

Release Date:

18 March 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story

Plot:

Henry Hackett is the editor of a New York City tabloid. He is a workaholic who loves his job, but the long hours and low pay are leading to discontent...

Plot Keywords:

New York | Editor | Publisher | Workaholic | Pregnant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Michael Keaton	...	Henry Hackett
Robert Duvall	...	Bernie White
Glenn Close	...	Alicia Clark
Marisa Tomei	...	Martha Hackett
Randy Quaid	...	Michael McDougal
Jason Robards	...	Graham Keighley
Jason Alexander	...	Marion Sandusky
Spalding Gray	...	Paul Bladden
Catherine O'Hara	...	Susan
Lynne Thigpen	...	Janet
Jack Kehoe	...	Phil
Roma Maffia	...	Carmen
Clint Howard	...	Ray Blaisch
Geoffrey Owens	...	Lou
Amelia Campbell	...	Robin

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:18+ (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Peru:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-10 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Paul Newman turned down the part taken by 'Robert Duvall (I)'.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene with everyone in Henry Hackett's office (prior to the gunshot), the pad of paper that Carmen is holding jumps from one hand to the other & back again.

Quotes:

Henry: Jeez. What are these?
Janet, Henry's Secretary: Subway wreck, West 4th Street this morning. Did you find the one with the...
Henry: Is that an arm?
Janet, Henry's Secretary: Yeah, you found it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in MST3K Little Gold Statue Preview Special (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

MEND THIS BROKEN HEART

Why can't I stop watching this?

I usually find Ron Howard's work a tad self-indulgent - you only have to watch Apollo 13 to know what I mean. However, with this, Ron really delivers a fully watchable film.

There are classic comedy moments - the Glenn Close "I light a cigarette..." line is just brilliant - while also providing true pathos with an excellent performance from Marissa Tomei (a disappointingly under-rated actress in anything she is in - witness her performance in Mel Gibson's otherwise rubbish "Whast Women Want").

I saw this in the cinema, and own it on DVD - it features in my regular rotation, and it doesn't matter how many times I watch it, it is still good viewing. A sign of a classic film is how often one can view it without finding scope for criticism - nothing yet!