Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Director:

George Clooney

Writers:

George Clooney, Grant Heslov

Stars:

David Strathairn, George Clooney, Patricia Clarkson

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 38 wins & 121 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Daniels	...	Sig Mickelson
David Strathairn	...	Edward R. Murrow
Alex Borstein	...	Natalie
Rose Abdoo	...	Mili Lerner
Dianne Reeves	...	Jazz Singer
Peter Martin	...	Pianist
Christoph Luty	...	Bassist
Jeff Hamilton	...	Drummer
Matt Catingub	...	Saxophonist
Tate Donovan	...	Jesse Zousmer
Reed Diamond	...	John Aaron
Matt Ross	...	Eddie Scott
Patricia Clarkson	...	Shirley Wershba
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Joe Wershba
George Clooney	...	Fred Friendly

Storyline

In the early 1950's, the threat of Communism created an air of paranoia in the United States and exploiting those fears was Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. However, CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly decided to take a stand and challenge McCarthy and expose him for the fear monger he was. However, their actions took a great personal toll on both men, but they stood by their convictions and helped to bring down one of the most controversial senators in American history.

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Plot Keywords:

fear | reporter | paranoia | expose | cbs | 

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Taglines:

They Took On The Government With Nothing But The Truth

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Kinowelt [Germany]

Country:

USA France UK Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Buenas noches, y buena suerte.

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$421,446, 9 October 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$31,501,218, 12 March 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Independent Pictures (WIP), 2929 Productions, Participant Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The man introducing Edward R. Murrow's keynote address to the 1958 convention of the Radio-Television News Directors Association cites Murrow's reporting on, among other topics, the plight of migrant workers. In fact, Murrow did not report on the conditions of migrant workers until 1960. His documentary on the subject, CBS Reports: Harvest of Shame (1960), was the last project he worked on as a CBS broadcaster.

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Goofs

The piano shown behind jazz singer Dianne Reeves displays the "Steinway" logo on the side - it would not have been displayed on the side of models at that time.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sig Mickelson: In 1935, Ed Murrow began his career with CBS. When World War II broke out, it was his voice that brought the Battle of Britain home to us, through his "This Is London" radio series. He started with us all, many of us here tonight, when television was in its infancy, with the news documentary show, "See It Now." He threw stones at giants. Segregation, exploitation of migrant workers, apartheid, J. Edgar Hoover, not the least of which, his historical fight with Senator McCarthy. He ...

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Crazy Credits

Even the rating band at the tail of the film is in black and white.

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Connections

References Person to Person (1953)

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Soundtracks

I've Got My Eyes on You
(1939)
Written by Cole Porter
Performed by Dianne Reeves
Produced by Allen Sviridoff

User Reviews

When Things Were Black and White

I've had the "Edward R. Murrow" Collection from CBS for years and have enjoyed watching it's biography of Murrow, the complete Milo Radulovich, McCarthy and Annie Lee Moss shows many times. I'm sure George Clooney must have these as well as he used the actual footage extensively in his fine drama "Good Night and Good Luck". As a previous poster said, by concentrating on what was actually presented, Clooney is able to focus on the ethical issues that were the real substance of the broadcasts, rather than the tragicomic personalities involved. He wants us to see that the same issues are in our lives today, (Clooney has had his own battles with would-be modern McCarthys like Bill O'Reilly), but he isn't going to force the issue. He's doing exactly what Murrow and Friendly did with the McCarthy broadcast: using the actual record to tell the story.

There are minor, but significant embellishments, mostly an impressive cast of actors who can tell us more with one look than an entire speech. Leading the way is David Straithairn as Murrow. Except for possessing a higher pitched voice than the original, he's got his man down cold. I would pick Frank Langella as William Paley, here presented as a man with ideals but who is rooted in the realities of business, the sort of guy who has to make the tough decisions the idealists like Murrow don't have to or want to deal with. Then there is Ray Wise as the vulnerable Don Hollenbeck, who was one of the co-creators of "You Are There", a program this film somewhat resembles. He wound up being "there" when he didn't really want to be.

What really enhances the show is the black and white photography, (actually, according to the notes, it was "The film was shot on color film on a grayscale set, then color-corrected in post" – whatever that means). Not only does it heighten the drama, (magazine photographers, in the days when they had a choice, said "black and white for drama, color for excitement"), but the tremendous resolution seems to bring out each furrow and poor on each person's face, allowing the viewer to see into their souls.