The Pentagon Papers (2003) (TV)

Director:

Rod Holcomb

Writer:

Jason Horwitch

Release Date:

9 March 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

His greatest act of patriotism was an act of treason.

Plot:

Defense worker Daniel Ellsberg seeks to publish a series of classified government documents detailing the true nature of America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam War | Information Leak | Lingerie Slip | Anti War | Politics

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

James Spader	...	Daniel Ellsberg
Claire Forlani	...	Patricia Marx
Paul Giamatti	...	Anthony Russo
Alan Arkin	...	Harry Rowen
Kenneth Welsh	...	John McNaughon
Maria del Mar	...	Carol Ellsberg
Sean McCann	...	John Mitchell
James Downing	...	H.R. Haldeman
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	John Ehrlichman
Jonas Chernick	...	Neil Sheehan
Amy Price-Francis	...	Jan Butler
Aaron Ashmore	...	Randy Kehler
George R. Robertson	...	Senator Fulbright (as George Robertson)
Robert Seeliger	...	FBI Agent
Roland Rothchild	...	FBI Agent
Damir Andrei	...	Leonard Boodin
Carl Marotte	...	Charles Nesson
David Fox	...	Judge W. Matthew Bryne
Neville Edwards	...	Bailif
Matt Cooke	...	Rand Employee
Jonathan Higgins	...	Army Officer at Rand
Owen Rilan	...	Cororra
Sharon McFarlane	...	Charlotte
Daneen Boone	...	Blonde at Russo's
Judah Katz	...	District Attorney
Bruce Gooch	...	Supreme Court Marshal
Mark Benesh	...	Leonard Compson III
Martin Roach	...	Sgt. Watson
Troy Blendell	...	Marine Radio Man
Amy Troung	...	Vietnamese Woman
Kris Saric	...	Marine Captain in Bar
Derek Murchie	...	Air Force Officer in Bar
Hannah Lochner	...	Young Mary Ellsberg
Hayley Lochner	...	Mary Ellsberg
Michael Cameron	...	Young Robert Ellsberg
Adam Butcher	...	Robert Ellsberg
Julio Benitez Guardiola	...	The Plumbers
Carlos Mellado	...	The Plumbers
Manuel Angel Torres	...	The Plumbers
John Connolly	...	The Plumbers
Brandon Barré	...	Patricia's boyfriend
Richard Blackburn	...	New York Times Editor
John Blackwood	...	TV Journalist
Michael Spencer-Davis	...	News Reporter
David Lyle	...	News Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doug Hicton	...	News Reporter
William Perkins	...	Air Force Lieutenant
Michael Stevens	...	Russo's Long-Haired Lawyer #1
Demitri Warner	...	Speaker organizer

Directed by
Rod Holcomb

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jason Horwitch

Produced by
Rod Holcomb	....	supervising producer
Fritzi Horstman	....	associate producer
Joshua D. Maurer	....	executive producer
Stephen J. Turnbull	....	producer
John Sacret Young	....	consulting producer

Original Music by
Normand Corbeil

Cinematography by
Michael Mayers

Film Editing by
Christopher Nelson

Casting by
Nancy Foy

Production Design by
Sandra Kybartas

Art Direction by
Armando Sgrignuoli

Set Decoration by
Erica Milo

Costume Design by
Eydi Caines-Floyd

Makeup Department
Heidi Armstrong	....	makeup artist (as Heidi Da Costa)
Mario Cacioppo	....	makeup artist
Debra Corbeil	....	second assistant makeup artist
Mary-Lou Green-Benvenuti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mary Pantelidis	....	production manager
Skates Naiman	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ted Hanlan	....	second unit director
David McLeod	....	first assistant director (as David MacLeod)
Pierre Ouellet	....	second assistant director
Sean Watson	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Dave Byers	....	on-set dresser
David Orin Charles	....	on-set dresser
Vladislav Fyodorov	....	first assistant art director (as Vladislav Fedorov)
Malcolm Gibson	....	property master
Dar Higden	....	set dresser
Kent McIntyre	....	lead set dresser
Aaron Morrison	....	assistant art director
Joey Panko	....	scenic artist
Travis Staley	....	construction coordinator
John Subotich	....	lead set dresser
Rob Valeriote	....	head carpenter
Paul Vernon	....	set dresser
Wayne Wightman	....	first assistant art director

Sound Department
Karma Barber	....	foley artist
Karma Barber	....	foley mixer
Gonzo Cervantes	....	foley mixer
Greg Chapman	....	sound mixer
Adam De Coster	....	foley artist (as Adam DeCoster)
Jason England	....	dialogue editor
Ken Kobett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Melnychuk	....	boom operator
Todd Morrissey	....	adr mixer
George Nemzer	....	sound effects editor
Mike Olman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Michael Olman)
Eddie Rogers	....	dialogue editor
Eddie Rogers	....	foley mixer
John Rotondi	....	sound engineer
Clancy T. Troutman	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Laird McMurray	....	special effects coordinator
Shane Million	....	special effects department coordinator
Ted Shackleton	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Tony Haspel	....	I/O technician
Ali Laventhol	....	digital artist
Tom Mahoney	....	digital artist
Ray McMillan	....	visual effects supervisor
Steven Meyer	....	digital artist
Scott Rader	....	digital artist
Edward L. Williams	....	visual effects supervisor (as Eddie Williams)

Stunts
Eric Bryson	....	stunt coordinator
Louis Paquette	....	stunt actor
Ken Quinn	....	stunt coordinator
Rene Bishop	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Nick Bacon	....	dolly grip (as Nicholas Bacon)
Peter Battistone	....	first assistant camera
Deanna Cadette	....	second assistant camera
Sophie Giraud	....	still photographer
Jason Lenoury	....	second company grip
J.P. Locherer	....	director of photography: second unit
Andris Matiss	....	Steadicam operator
Robert McRae	....	chief lighting technician (as Bob McRae)
David Perkins	....	camera operator: second unit
Doug Reid	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Paul Spaven	....	generator operator
Paul Sweeney	....	first company grip
Jasper Vrakking	....	24 frame video operator
Andreas Waldherr	....	dolly grip
Mark Willis	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Hugh Young	....	generator operator

Casting Department
Bradley A. Flett	....	extras casting
Stephanie Gorin	....	casting: Canada
Helen Mossler	....	casting executive

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kevin Barry	....	assistant costume designer
Joan Boyko	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Brian Lovery	....	color timer: dailies
Jenna Nelson	....	assistant editor
John Potter	....	color timer: video

Music Department
Roger Hewett	....	orchestrator
Gerry Sackman	....	music editor
Rick Winquest	....	music scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Ben Cekuta	....	transportation coordinator
Marco Sousa	....	transportation captain
Ian C. Harris	....	daily picture cars (uncredited)

Other crew
Derek Brady	....	location manager
Meg Davies	....	assistant to executive producer
Janice Fowlie	....	production accountant
Leigh French	....	adr group coordinator
Shari L. Kaufman	....	publicist
Angela Mastronardi	....	script supervisor
Linda McKenney	....	production assistant
John Nguyen	....	voice coach
Jeffery Pong	....	assistant location manager
Carole Rosenberg	....	assistant production coordinator
Fran Solomon	....	production coordinator
Rachel Suhanic	....	assistant: Mr. Holcomb
Charles Taylor	....	armorer
Al Vrkljan	....	gun handler
Ralph Berge	....	production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• City Entertainment
• Paramount Pictures
• Paramount Television
• fX Network

Distributors

• fX Network (2003) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• City Entertainment
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Radium (visual effects)
• Reel FX Creative Studios (as Radium)

Other Companies

• Digital Dreams  post-production sound
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation
• Enterprise Post  digital mixing facility
• Hand Prop  props supplied by
• Medallion-PFA Film & Video  negative processing
• Movie Armaments Group  firearms supplied by
• PS Production Services  cameras provided by
• Paramount Pictures Production Services  lighting and grip equipment
• Toronto Film Studios  movie studio

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some war images and brief sexuality

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

City Entertainment

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The exterior of a bar supposedly located in Saigon clearly displays signs written in the Thai language, and some of the signs are from contemporary times, as evidenced by product logos, rather than from 1965.

Movie Connections:

References The Pentagon Papers (1972) (TV)

History of Lies

In the 70s, the ambitious and brilliant Daniel Ellsberg (James Spader) aims to work in the Defense Department of the USA. His ambition destroys his marriage and he goes to Vietnam to fight. He meets Patricia Marx (Claire Forlani), the daughter of a wealthy manufacturer of toys, and they have a brief affair. Once back in the USA, he works as analyst for the Rand Corporation and he finds secret Defense Department documents showing that the American population was being deceived along four successive governments about the Vietnam War. With the support of Patricia and his close friend Anthony Russo (Paul Giamatti), he decides to disclose the documents to the American people, being accused of treason by the government of Richard Nixon.

"Pentagon Papers" is a surprisingly good political film about the history of lies of the Vietnam War. I did not expect such a good movie, indeed very recommended for students. The direction is excellent, the true story is very tense, and the conclusion, with the statement of the real Daniel Ellsberg is fantastic. James Spader and Claire Forlani show great chemistry in this good TV movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Segredos do Pentágono" ("Secrets of the Pentagon")