All the President's Men (1976)

"The Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon's resignation.

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

Carl Bernstein (book), Bob Woodward (book)

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden

Won 4 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dustin Hoffman	...	Carl Bernstein
Robert Redford	...	Bob Woodward
Jack Warden	...	Harry Rosenfeld
Martin Balsam	...	Howard Simons
Hal Holbrook	...	Deep Throat
Jason Robards	...	Ben Bradlee
Jane Alexander	...	Bookkeeper
Meredith Baxter	...	Debbie Sloan
Ned Beatty	...	Dardis
Stephen Collins	...	Hugh Sloan
Penny Fuller	...	Sally Aiken
John McMartin	...	Foreign Editor
Robert Walden	...	Donald Segretti
Frank Wills	...	Frank Wills
F. Murray Abraham	...	Arresting Officer #1

Storyline

In the run-up to the 1972 elections, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward covers what seems to be a minor break-in at the Democratic Party National headquarters. He is surprised to find top lawyers already on the defense case, and the discovery of names and addresses of Republican fund organizers on the accused further arouses his suspicions. The editor of the Post is prepared to run with the story and assigns Woodward and Carl Bernstein to it. They find the trail leading higher and higher in the Republican Party, and eventually into the White House itself.

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Plot Keywords:

investigative journalism | watergate | washington post | white house | newspaper | 

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Taglines:

At times it looked like it might cost them their jobs, their reputations, and maybe even their lives.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. WB Shop / Warner Archive

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

9 April 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Todos los hombres del presidente

Filming Locations:

2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$70,600,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Wildwood,Wildwood Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

All the President's Men Revisited (2013), a feature length television documentary about the making of this movie, was broadcast thirty-seven years after this movie debuted.

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Goofs

In a 2007 web discussion on Watergate, reporter Bob Woodward gave the following answer when asked for the biggest factual error in this movie: "The movie is an incredibly accurate portrait of what happened. To limit the number of characters, the city editor, Barry Sussman, was merged into another character. That is regretable, and something Carl Bernstein and I should have fought, because Sussman played a critical role in guiding and directing our reporting."

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Quotes

[first lines]
[first lines including archive footage]
Walter Cronkite: Now here comes the president's helicopter, Marine Helicopter Number One, landing on the plaza on the east side of the east front of the Capitol.

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Crazy Credits

The opening Warner Bros. Zooming \\' logo is in black and white.

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Connections

Referenced in The Newsroom: 5/1 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Hail to the Chief
(uncredited)
Written by James Sanderson

User Reviews

Second time's a charm

The first time I saw this film, I was suitably impressed but found I couldn't enjoy it completely. In order to keep up with the relentless pace of the plot, I didn't pay as much attention to the writing and the performances as I should have. When it was over, I felt the breakneck pace of the story overshadowed the screenplay and acting, rendering the film an accomplished reprisal of fact but not much else.

What a difference a second viewing made. My familiarity with the plot allowed me to appreciate all the finer details of the film. Watching Redford and Hoffman's disciplined performances as Woodward and Bernstein, for instance, is like watching two expert tennis players work in tandem with one another. When they act together, there is a delightful give-and-take, two masters working their way into a wonderful groove. While they appear steady and reserved on the surface, the two actors radiate a noticeable undercurrent of excitement and dread, as if underneath their stern countenances they're screaming, "Holy sh*t! I can't believe we're doing this!!" Redford, not the strongest dramatic actor, finds his normal-guy niche here and gives one of his best performances. Hoffman is equally strong, making even the simplest scene seem like a masterpiece (the "count to 10" phone scene comes to mind).

Throughout the film, Pakula communicates the idea of these two reporters being completely outnumbered by the people responsible for the Watergate break-in. I loved the numerous overhead shots of Woodward and Bernstein that pull up, up, up, until they're nothing more than specks in the dirty streets of DC. (This technique is also used in the classic scene where the two guys are searching through old records and the camera pulls up to the ceiling and shows them seated along the edge of a circular series of desks.)

The film rockets right along, leaving the viewers as excited over the reporters' discoveries as they are. William Goldman's script helps in this regard, I think, sticking straight to the meat and cutting out any unnecessary roughage. The dialogue gets right down to business while working in realistic vocal habits and the like. Redford really captures this well (listen to his stammering and self-corrections when he talks on the phone to sources - great stuff!).

I can't recommend "All the President's Men" enough. It's tightly-structured, fiercely-paced, and captivating as all get-out. If necessary, watch it twice: once to find out who's who, the second time to savour the handiwork. If you want to talk more about it, leave a red flag on the potted plant on your balcony.