The Post (2017)

A cover-up spanning four U.S. Presidents pushes the country's first female newspaper publisher and her editor to join an unprecedented battle between press and government.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Liz Hannah, Josh Singer

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 110 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Kay Graham
Tom Hanks	...	Ben Bradlee
Sarah Paulson	...	Tony Bradlee
Bob Odenkirk	...	Ben Bagdikian
Tracy Letts	...	Fritz Beebe
Bradley Whitford	...	Arthur Parsons
Bruce Greenwood	...	Robert McNamara
Matthew Rhys	...	Daniel Ellsberg
Alison Brie	...	Lally Graham
Carrie Coon	...	Meg Greenfield
Jesse Plemons	...	Roger Clark
David Cross	...	Howard Simons
Zach Woods	...	Anthony Essaye
Pat Healy	...	Phil Geyelin
John Rue	...	Gene Patterson

Storyline

When American military analyst, Daniel Ellsberg, realizes to his disgust the depths of the US government's deceptions about the futility of the Vietnam War, he takes action by copying top-secret documents that would become the Pentagon Papers. Later, Washington Post owner, Kay Graham, is still adjusting to taking over her late husband's business when editor Ben Bradlee discovers the New York Times has scooped them with an explosive expose on those papers. Determined to compete, Post reporters find Ellsberg himself and a complete copy of those papers. However, the Post's plans to publish their findings are put in jeopardy with a Federal restraining order that could get them all indicted for Contempt. Now, Kay Graham must decide whether to back down for the safety of her paper or publish and fight for the Freedom of the Press. In doing so, Graham and her staff join a fight that would have America's democratic ideals in the balance.

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Plot Keywords:

washington post | journalism | freedom of speech | new york times | freedom of the press | 

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Taglines:

Truth be told

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and brief war violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steven Spielberg directed the first ever episode of Columbo and Matthew Rhys played the murderer in the final episode.

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Goofs

When Post staffer goes to a pay phone to call Ellsberg, he apparently direct dials a long distance number, something you couldn't do from a pay phone in 1971.

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Quotes

[behind closed doors]
Ben Bradlee: So, can I ask you a hypothetical question?
Kay Graham: Oh, dear. I don't like hypothetical questions.
Ben Bradlee: Well, I don't think you're gonna like the real one, either.
[pause]
Kay Graham: Do you have the Papers?
[pause]
Ben Bradlee: Not yet.

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Crazy Credits

The 20th Century Fox logo is shown, but we do not hear the usual fanfare. Instead, we just hear the sound effects of the action in Vietnam which leads into the first scene of the film.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Kissing A Fool (2018)

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Soundtracks

Green River
Written by John Fogerty
Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Courtesy of Concord Music Group, Inc.

User Reviews

Worth the cover price

Print media may be dead, but the crusader journalist movie is alive and well. "The Post" is just as much a paean to the newspaper's heyday as it is a warning against corrupt government, complete with top-shelf cast. Given the Washington Post's lasting legacy (to this day), you can easily tell that the Pentagon Papers weren't the certain doom they seemed to spell out for the paper. Yet Spielberg jumps right into the material, creating excitement even in mundane printing press scenes. This is a stirring tale, masterfully directed and timelier than ever. Sure, it's probably Oscar-bait, but you can't argue with that level of quality.

8/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Post

Filming Locations:

White Plains, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$526,011, 24 December 2017

Gross USA:

$81,903,458

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$179,769,467

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Dreamworks Pictures, Reliance Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Surround 7.1 SDDS DTS (DTS: X)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1