The Paper (1994)

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. Also, publisher Bernie White faces ... See full summary »

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

David Koepp, Stephen Koepp

Stars:

Michael Keaton, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

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. Also, publisher Bernie White faces financial straits, and has hatchetman Alicia Clark, Henry's nemesis, impose unpopular cutbacks. Henry's wife Martha, a hugely pregnant former reporter of his, is fed up because he has so little time for his family. He is therefore considering an offer from Paul Bladden to edit a paper like the New York Times, which would mean more money, shorter hours, more respectability...but might also be a bit boring for his tastes. But a hot story soon confronts Henry with tough decisions.

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Plot Keywords:

publisher | editor | new york city | workaholic | character says i love you | 

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Taglines:

A behind the lines look at work, marriage and other forms of combat...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 March 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

El periódico

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

£629,234 (UK) (20 May 1994)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mike Sheehan was the perfect choice to play the character of New York Detective Ritchie, a police source for Randy Quaid's character Michael McDougal. Sheehan was the key detective in the Central Park Case of 1989 in which five African-American and Latino-American teens from Harlem were wrongfully accused of attempted murder and rape of a 28-year-old white woman jogging in Central Park. Despite the overturn of the Central Park Five's conviction in 2002, Sheehan remains confident that the teens committed the crime. In the film, Sheehan's character Ritchie--when pressed by MacDougal and Keaton's character Henry Hackett about whether the two teenage African-American boys are NYPD scape goats for the killing of white businessmen in Brooklyn--gives the quote/headline for the newspaper: "They didn't do it!"

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Henry: Don't take the bat out of my hand. It's the ninth inning.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Guarding Tess/Lightning Jack/The Hudsucker Proxy/The Ref/Belle Epoque/Germinal (1994)

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Soundtracks

"YOU JUST NEVER KNOW"
Written by Todd Hallowell and Jim Lang
Performed by Rose Stone

User Reviews

The Paper Delivers!

A funny, fast-paced and fascinating film, THE PAPER delivers. Michael Keaton is remarkable as Henry Hackett, a newspaper editor torn between the two loves of his life: his exhausting job and his long-suffering (and pregnant) wife. This juggling act plays itself out during one particularly frenzied day in which Hackett must weigh a better job offer while trying to outscoop his deep-pocketed competitors on a murder story.

It's a cliché to say so, but there's never a dull moment in THE PAPER. The multi-faceted storyline sucks the viewer in and doesn't let go until after the exciting, root-on-the-good-guys finale. An interesting film could have been made about any one of the angles explored here, be it the incredibly hectic behind-the-scenes workings of a major daily, the personal toll such an operation takes on its employees, or the media's tendency to oversimplify. To combine these into one film results in an infinitely mesmerizing piece of work. And let's not forget Ron Howard's direction, which is smooth and virtually flawless. The writing is equally brilliant. Whatever reaction the film tries to inflict -- laughter, excitement, surprise -- it inevitably succeeds.

The performances in THE PAPER deserve special mention. Everyone is so well cast that it's impossible to picture anyone else in these roles. Keaton has never been better in a starring role that is tailor-made to his comedic and dramatic abilities. Robert Duvall is on top of his game as the publisher whose job has cost him so much in other areas of his life. Marisa Tomei, as Mrs. Hackett, proves MY COUSIN VINNY was no fluke. (The scene where she glares at her husband in disbelief as he tells her he has to miss an important dinner with her parents is absolutely priceless). Randy Quaid is as quirky as can be as the paper's resident columnist. And although his appearances are brief, the late Spalding Gray is unforgettable as the head of a rival paper. This group of actors may very well comprise one of the most talented ensembles of the 1990s.

It's a shame THE PAPER has never received the attention it deserved. Had it been released 50 years ago, in a less cluttered era, it would most certainly be widely hailed as a classic today.