J. Edgar (2011)

J. Edgar Hoover, powerful head of the F.B.I. for nearly 50 years, looks back on his professional and personal life.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer:

Dustin Lance Black

Stars:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	J. Edgar Hoover
Josh Hamilton	...	Robert Irwin
Geoff Pierson	...	Mitchell Palmer
Cheryl Lawson	...	Palmer's Wife
Kaitlyn Dever	...	Palmer's Daughter
Brady Matthews	...	Inspector
Gunner Wright	...	Dwight Eisenhower
David A. Cooper	...	Franklin Roosevelt
Ed Westwick	...	Agent Smith
Naomi Watts	...	Helen Gandy
Kelly Lester	...	Head Secretary
Jack Donner	...	Edgar's Father
Judi Dench	...	Annie Hoover
Dylan Burns	...	Hoover as a Child
Jordan Bridges	...	Labor Dept. Lawyer

Storyline

Biopic of J. Edgar Hoover told by Hoover as he recalls his career for a biography. Early in his career, Hoover fixated on Communists, anarchists and any other revolutionary taking action against the U.S. government. He slowly builds the agency's reputation, becoming the sole arbiter of who gets hired and fired. One of his hires is Clyde Tolson who is quickly promoted to Assistant Director and would be Hoover's confidant and companion for the rest of Hoover's life. Hoover's memories have him playing a greater role in the many high profile cases the FBI was involved in - the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the arrest of bank robbers like John Dillinger - and also show him to be quite adept at manipulating the various politicians he's worked with over his career, thanks in large part to his secret files.

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Plot Keywords:

gay relationship | fbi | secret | federal bureau of investigation | agent | 

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Taglines:

The Most Powerful Man in the World

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Spain]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hoover

Filming Locations:

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club - 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$11,217,324 (USA) (11 November 2011)

Gross:

$37,304,950 (USA) (17 February 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine Entertainment, Malpaso Productions, Wintergreen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The closing lines of the film, "Most clearly I remember your eyes, with a kind of teasing smile in them, and the feeling of that soft spot just north-east of the corner of your mouth against my lips..." is a quote from a letter from Lorena Hickok to Eleanor Roosevelt.

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Goofs

Hoover states that the Lindbergh baby's body was found in a spot that was within sight of the Lindbergh home. The body was found in Mount Rose, as shown in the film, but this is located miles from the Lindbergh home, which was in the Sourlands.

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Quotes

[first lines]
J. Edgar Hoover: Let me tell you something. The SCLC has direct Communist ties. Even great men can be corrupted, can't they? Communism is not a political party. It is a disease. It corrupts the soul, turning men, even the gentlest of men, into vicious evil tyrants.

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Connections

Referenced in Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot (2013)

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Soundtracks

I Only Have Eyes for You
Written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin
Performed by Kyle Eastwood, Joe Bagg, Kye Palmer, Jason Harnell

User Reviews

Another one of "how-a-movie-should-be-made" by Mr. Eastwood

I'm one of those viewers who can not comprehend bad reviews from below. This is an almost perfect movie: excellent performances by the cast, traditional discrete direction by Mr. Eastwood (also his ever fantastic music score), emotions, well written script... You name it. Let's clear out one thing: This is NOT primarily a biographic movie but a story of love and devotion. And that's why Mr. Eastwood excels again. If you want a biopic, you can give it to anyone, but if you want an emotional story perfectly told, you give it to Mr. Eastwood. He is an artist par excellence.

Highly recommended to anyone who, after the abundance of Hollywood movie junk, wants to see finally a very very good movie.