Best of Enemies (2015)
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- R
- 1h 27min
- Documentary, Biography
- 31 Jul 2015 (USA)
- Movie
A documentary on the series of televised debates in 1968 between liberal Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley.
Directors:
Writers:
Awards:
- 6 wins & 27 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Gore Vidal | ... |
Self - Debater (archiveFootage)
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| William F. Buckley | ... |
Self - Debater (archiveFootage)
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| Todd Gitlin | ... |
Self - Media Studies, Columbia University
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| Brooke Gladstone | ... |
Self - Host, NPR's On the Media
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Richard Wald | ... |
Self - Former President, NBC News
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William Sheehan | ... |
Self - Former President, ABC News
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| Frank Rich | ... |
Self - Writer, New York Magazine
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Sam Tanenhaus | ... |
Self - Biographer, William F. Buckley Jr.
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Patricia Buckley | ... |
Self - Buckley's Wife (archiveFootage)
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Lee Edwards | ... |
Self - Historian, The Heritage Foundation
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Reid Buckley | ... |
Self - Buckley's Brother
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Linda Bridges | ... |
Self - Buckley's Personal Assistant
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Fred Kaplan | ... |
Self - Author, Gore Vidal: A Biography
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| Matt Tyrnauer | ... |
Self - Vidal's Editor & Friend
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| Sam Donaldson | ... |
Self - Correspondent, ABC News (archiveFootage)
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| Howard K. Smith | ... |
Self - Anchor, ABC News (archiveFootage)
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George Merlis | ... |
Self - ABC Publicist
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| Christopher Hitchens | ... |
Self - Political Essayist
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| Dick Cavett | ... |
Self - Talk Show Host
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| Norman Mailer | ... |
Self - Author (archiveFootage)
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| Godfrey Cambridge | ... |
Self - Comedian (archiveFootage)
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| Muhammad Ali | ... |
Self - Boxer (archiveFootage)
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Eric Alterman | ... |
Self - Media Historian
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Ginia Bellafante | ... |
Self - Culture Writer, New York Times
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Elmer Lower | ... |
Self - President, ABC News (archiveFootage)
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John McWhorter | ... |
Self - Linguist, Columbia University
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| James Wolcott | ... |
Self - Writer, Vanity Fair Magazine
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| Andrew Sullivan | ... |
Self - Political Editor & Blogger
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| Everett Dirksen | ... |
Self - Senator, Illinois (archiveFootage)
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| Richard J. Daley | ... |
Self - Mayor, Chicago (archiveFootage)
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| Arthur Miller | ... |
Self - Playwright (archiveFootage)
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| Paul Newman | ... |
Self - Actor (archiveFootage)
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| Al Capp | ... |
Self - Political Satirist (archiveFootage)
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Shana Alexander | ... |
Self - Point Commentator (archiveFootage)
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James J. Kilpatrick | ... |
Self - Counterpoint Commentator (archiveFootage)
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Christopher Lehmann-Haupt | ... |
Self - New York Times Writer
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| John Lithgow | ... |
Gore Vidal (voice)
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| Kelsey Grammer | ... |
William F. Buckley (voice)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Noam Chomsky | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Walter Cronkite | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Woody Allen | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Aretha Franklin | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Barry Goldwater | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Hugh Hefner | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Hubert H. Humphrey | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| John F. Kennedy | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Robert F. Kennedy | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Eugene McCarthy | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Richard Nixon | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Mason Pike | ... |
Klan Member (uncredited)
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| Nancy Reagan | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Ronald Reagan | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Raquel Welch | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Directed by
| Robert Gordon | ||
| Morgan Neville | ||
Written by
| Robert Gordon | ... | (co-writer) |
| Tom Graves | ... | (co-writer) |
| Morgan Neville | ... | (co-writer) |
Produced by
| Caryn Capotosto | ... | co-producer |
| Julie Goldman | ... | executive producer |
| Robert Gordon | ... | producer |
| Tom Graves | ... | consulting producer |
| Michael Kinomoto | ... | supervising producer |
| Eileen Meyer | ... | associate producer |
| Morgan Neville | ... | producer |
| Clif Phillips | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Jonathan Kirkscey | ||
Cinematography by
| David Leonard | ||
| Mark Schwartzbard | ||
| Graham Willoughby | ||
Editing by
| Eileen Meyer | ||
| Aaron Wickenden | ||
Editorial Department
| Andrew Balis | ... | colorist |
| Christopher Clements | ... | creative consultant |
| Dan Moore | ... | additional assistant editor |
| Matt Radecki | ... | on-line editor |
| Lee Rosch | ... | assistant editor |
| Harry Locke IV | ... | on-line editor (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Scott Grossman | ... | graphics |
Sound Department
| Danny Caccavo | ... | digital editorial support |
| Steve Clack | ... | sound mixer |
| Doug Ford | ... | engineering services |
| Dennis Hamlin | ... | sound mixer |
| Pete Horner | ... | supervising sound editor & re-recording mixer |
| Jade Howard | ... | sound mixer |
| Tom Hurxthal | ... | sound mixer |
| Michael Lonsdale | ... | sound mixer |
| Josh Lowden | ... | general manager: executive staff, Skywalker Sound |
| Charlotte Moore | ... | bidding & scheduling |
| Steve Morris | ... | head of engineering: executive staff, Skywalker Sound |
| Al Nelson | ... | sound designer |
| Jon Null | ... | head of production: executive staff, Skywalker Sound |
| Eva Porter | ... | client services: Skywalker |
| E. Benjamin Posnack | ... | sound mixer |
| Ronald G. Roumas | ... | audio/video transfer |
| Cathy Shirk | ... | post-production sound accountant |
| Dimitri Tisseyre | ... | sound mixer |
| Aaron Webster | ... | sound mixer |
| Andre Zweers | ... | sound effects editor |
| Mike Lane | ... | client services: Skywalker (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Martin Albert | ... | additional photography |
| Russell Bell | ... | gaffer |
| Jonathan Bruno | ... | assistant camera |
| Brendan Burdzinski | ... | digital imaging technician |
| Steve Dorst | ... | additional stills photography |
| Jim Flynn | ... | additional photography |
| Nelson Hume | ... | additional photography |
| James Lea | ... | additional photography |
| Martim Vian | ... | additional photography |
Animation Department
| Tom Foster | ... | animator |
Music Department
| Julien Pierre | ... | performer |
Additional Crew
| Darcy Borg | ... | production intern |
| Alaric Campbell | ... | production assistant |
| John Carner | ... | production intern |
| Tom Graves | ... | consulting producer |
| Jane Kelly Kosek | ... | researcher |
| Carl Kriss | ... | production intern |
| Emily McAllister | ... | additional researcher |
| Kevin Norton | ... | production assistant |
| Carl S. Pyrdum Jr. | ... | police security |
| Alix Spence | ... | production assistant |
| James Thal | ... | production assistant |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Hi Gloss Entertainment (2015) (Australia) (theatrical)
- I Wonder Pictures (2015) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Magnolia Pictures (2015) (United States)
- Participant (2015) (United States)
- Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (VPRO) (2016) (Netherlands) (tv)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Cinereach (funding)
- Montclair Film Festival (festival)
- Skywalker Sound (Post-Production Sound Services by)
- South By Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) (festival)
- Sundance Film Festival (festival)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
'Best of Enemies' is a documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. 'Best of Enemies' delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, 'What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?' |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Buckley vs. Vidal. 2 Men. 10 Debates. Television Would Never Be The Same. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $1,000,000 (estimated) |
| Opening Weekend United States | $50,378, 02 Aug 2015 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The film-makers shot an interview with Gore Vidal, but ultimately decided not to use it, so he only appears in archive footage. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Best of Enemies (2016). See more » |
| Crazy Credits | There is a short scene after the credits showing footage of an interview with Buckley. See more » |
| Quotes |
Richard Wald:
ABC was the third of the three networks. It would've been fourth, but there were only three. See more » |