Good Night. And, Good Luck
directed by George Clooney
written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov
The New York Film Festival opens Friday, September 23 with the U.S. premiere of Good Night, and Good Luck, a film enacting broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow’s televised criticisms of the McCarthy hearings of 1953-54. Directed by George Clooney, the historical drama is more than a labor of love for the filmmaking actor, who also co-wrote the screenplay and appears in a major supporting role.
David Straithairn won best actor honors at the Venice Film Festival for his immersed portrayal of Murrow, a man often credited with inventing television news reporting with his CBS program See It Now. He leads a talented ensemble that includes Clooney as the show’s co-producer Fred Friendly plus Robert Downey, Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels and Frank Langella. Joseph McCarthy is only featured through archival footage.
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The movie is no more a biopic, however, than The Crucible is about the life of John Proctor and just as that play debuted as a professed allegory for McCarthy’s “witch-hunt” of communists, the senator’s hearings now serve as an undisguised parallel to the Patriot Act and other encroachments of constitutional civil liberties as well as the complacency of today’s broadcast media. During one scene recreating a segment from March 9, 1954, Murrow’s pledge that, “we will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason,” hits most pointedly at the present. Clooney’s intention to anchor his film and his stance on current affairs with this moment is evident in the full quotation’s reprinting in the press notes.
In addition to representing his politics, Clooney’s film works as homage to many personal influences, the most obvious being his newscaster father Nick Clooney. Even before making the connections between then and now, there were plans to do something with Murrow and the dawn of broadcast journalism, a subject that he got into while literally growing up in a TV studio. Another family tribute is made with the soundtrack of songs performed by Diane Reeves including standards previously recorded by the director’s aunt Rosemary Clooney and accompanied by musicians who had worked with the legendary singer.
Article comments
1 - RJ
A left-wing actor using a movie to whine about the "Red Scare" (which was over half a century ago), and then morph it into as an analogy for the War On Terror?
No thanks...
Here's all you need to know about Clooney:
According to the New York Post's Liz Smith, while accepting an award from the National Board of Review, Clooney wisecracked, "Charlton Heston announced again today that he is suffering from Alzheimer's."
When asked about the statement, Clooney told Smith, "I don't care. Charlton Heston is the head of the National Rifle Association. He deserves whatever anyone says about him."
2 - RogerMDillion
whine about the "Red Scare"
Ah yes, because the FBI was doing such important work back then, investigating the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Loius Armstrong and Lucille Ball to make sure they weren't communists, according to newly released documents.
I guess we know all we need to know about RJ Grande. Just because you are willing to give up your rights doesn't mean the rest of us have to.
3 - randy
Saw this last night in NYC. It's a major film, intelligent, well directed, acted and written. Kudos to Clooney for casting my favorite character actor, David Strathairn, as William Morrow. The black and white cinematography is enthralling, the performances uniformly rock solid. After 8 months in a year of the worst collection of major releases in over two decades, what a pleasure to attend a movie that shows respect for its adult audience. I wish this film all the success it deserves.
The movie's subject definitely speaks to the lack of civility and constructive dialog and discourse in today's press and media. The first comment above is typical: rather than offer constructive criticism as to why the movie didn't work for the writer, instead, it's mudslingin' time.
What a pleasure it would be have broadcasters and journalists of Murrow's integrity working in the industry again.