The Paper (1994)

New York City tabloid Editor Henry is faced with tough decisions while he faces several serious life challenges, and a tempting job offer.

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

David Koepp, Stephen Koepp

Stars:

Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall

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:

newspaper reporter | one day | workaholic | publisher | editor | 

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Taglines:

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story

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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:

25 March 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

El periódico

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$38,824,341

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$48,424,341

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

The second film where Director Ron Howard collaborated with Composer Randy Newman. Their first film was Parenthood (1989), where Newman received an Oscar nomination for the song, "I Love To See You Smile".

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Goofs

When Henry is commenting in the penile implant drawing he says it looks like the "5th at Shinnecock, you play over the water." There is no water hazard on the 5th hole at Shinnecock and it is not a dogleg.

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Quotes

Marion Sandusky, New York Parking Commissioner: You made my wife cry when she reads the paper.
Michael McDougal: At least she bought it, didn't she?

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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

MAKE UP YOUR MIND
Written and Performed by Randy Newman
Produced by Don Was & Randy Newman

User Reviews

My god, what a piece of tripe

Sometimes a movie comes along which is so bad, that seeing it just discredits the whole art. Desperate Measures was one of these movies, but that is a different topic for a different time. But The Paper was certainly close. Never has a movie stuck out in my mind of having such a poorly written screenplay and waste of acting that Ron Howard has perpetrated in so many of his movies (My god I rooted for the capsule to blow up in Apollo 13 to give the movie some real drama). This movie was about a paper covering a story proving 2 young black children being blamed for a crime they didn't commit and the paper that covered the story. The movie boringly portrayed the inner-workings of the coverage of the story(in a newspaper environment) along with sub-plots that were just insulting in their stupidity. If you would like to see a movie with fake drama and an awful plot which doesn't draw you to the characters, and would like to waste your time, I would suggest this movie. But then again, I would recommend this after sitting through Pauly Shore and Carrot Top trying to convey the meaning of life for a sea slug. It is a shame that an actor who was the best Batman, didn't stick with the series and went along to make such classics as this, Multiplicity and Jack Frost. No wonder he hasn't done a movie in 3 years. This movie also brought down the careers of Glenn Close and Marisa Tomei in the process. It is fortunate that a director that lacks so much talent is out there so that we can better appreciate the works of Stanley Kubrick, and has paved the way for great young directors like M. Night Shyamalan and Sam Mendes (American Beauty) to show their Talent. To quote the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons, "Worst Movie Ever".