State of Play (2009)

Director:

Kevin Macdonald

Writers (WGA):

Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay) and
Tony Gilroy (screenplay) and
Billy Ray (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 April 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Find The Truth

Plot:

A team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress.

Plot Keywords:

Congressman | Newspaper | Assassin | Police Detective | Mistress

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Sept. 10

1:50 PM

MAX

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Russell Crowe	...	Cal McAffrey
Ben Affleck	...	Rep. Stephen Collins
Rachel McAdams	...	Della Frye
Helen Mirren	...	Cameron Lynne
Robin Wright	...	Anne Collins (as Robin Wright Penn)
Jason Bateman	...	Dominic Foy
Jeff Daniels	...	Rep. George Fergus
Michael Berresse	...	Robert Bingham
Harry Lennix	...	Det. Donald Bell
Josh Mostel	...	Pete
Michael Weston	...	Hank
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Gene Stavitz
Viola Davis	...	Dr. Judith Franklin
David Harbour	...	PointCorp Insider
Sarah Lord	...	Mandi Brokaw

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA | UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45139) | Australia:M | UK:12A | South Korea:12 | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-13 | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | South Africa:13LS (13LV) | New Zealand:M | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | Mexico:B | France:U | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:Atp | Denmark:11 | Austria:12 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:PG-13

Filming Locations:

612 S Flower St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton originally signed on for the movie that would have reunited them for the first time since Fight Club (1999). However, Pitt pulled out before Thanksgiving 2007, when rewrites were made impossible because of the writers' strike. He was replaced by Russell Crowe. Pitt's departure delayed the start of shooting, and made Norton unavailable as he was committed to start shooting Leaves of Grass (2009) in January. He was replaced by Ben Affleck.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the photograph that shows Sen. Stephen Collins with his fellow Gulf War soldiers, it is obvious that Ben Affleck's face has been edited into the photo.

Quotes:

Rep. Stephen Collins:You're just seeking the truth. You're a truth seeker. You can't help it, that is just who you are. You're such a hypocrite. You're not interested in me. You come in here, it's all about you and you getting your story. I trusted you. You're my friend! You were supposed to be my friend anyway.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Observe & Report/Gigantic/Hannah Montana: The Movie (#1.7)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Night Pat Murphy Died

State of Play, see the feature film, but be sure to see the BBC miniseries, too

I attended a pre-release screening of the new film, State of Play, with anticipation of seeing both quality work from actor Russell Crowe and screenwriter Tony Gilroy. I also entered the theater with a degree of apprehension about how well this feature length film would measure up to the brilliantly acted and crafted six-part BBC series that was the basis for the film. Crowe well-embodied the tenacious old-school investigative journalist that we've come to know from classics, such as "All the President's Men." However, the multifaceted ensemble of journalists, portrayed by a rich range of actors from the BBC series (John Simm, Kelly MacDonald, James McAvoy), is missing from this feature film where Russell Crowe does all the work. The complexity of the plot, which includes the competing professional interests and emotional needs of the characters in the British miniseries, is largely eliminated in this big screen version. Ben Affleck and Robin Wright Penn do not seem to appreciate and respond to the high stakes events that could turn their lives inside out and upside down. What this film shares with the miniseries is the glimpse into the mechanics of running a journalistic investigation under the pressure of time and editorial interference, but the personal stories suffer from not being fleshed out and made to feel real and compelling to watch. It is not fair to compare one piece of art to another, but when two productions are related, and you've seen the original, it is difficult to view the second production without prejudice. It is like trying to unring a bell.

The new film, State of Play, is a convincing thriller, but it fails to also deliver as a richly defined character drama.

Curiosity will drive those who saw the BBC series to see this film, and the rich pedigree of the film production will draw in those who know nothing about the original miniseries. Everyone will ultimately be satisfied by seeing both productions (miniseries is on DVD) so that they can make the comparisons and connections that any thinking film-goer will want to do.