Steven Spielberg does it again, delivering another excellent film involving journalists from The Washington Post and The New York Times using their message of Freedom of Speech to expose a shocking truth (The Pentagon Papers) by going against the government.
The excellent writing of this film mixed in with Spielberg’s directing will make it hard for you to look away as you go on this two-hour thrill ride.
Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep both deliver Academy Award-winning performances. Hanks plays Ben Bradlee, the famous editor of The Washington Post. Hanks has delivered many memorable performances over the years going all the way back to Forrest Gump and one of his most recent character Captain Sully. This is another excellent performance from Hanks.
Meryl Streep also knocks it out of the park with her performance as Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham. I would not be shocked to see both of them mentioned more frequently as awards season rapidly approaches.
I know that this based on true events but I still don’t like giving away specific things that happen during the film. I want to encourage people to see the film and get to experience this on their own. I know this film has yet to be released nationally. The entire idea of the movie is how The Washington Post challenged the government about the right to publish The Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers are a 47-page study from the United States Department of Defense about the government’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The film’s feeling of the 1970s really captures the emotion of the times and takes viewers inside the perspective of the characters.
The idea of watching the characters in the film slowly uncover the truth and then publish the truth so the people can find out what is really going was really inspiring to me and really reminds me why journalism is so important. I’m sure that every journalist who watches this film will understand the hard work and dedication that goes into exposing and reporting of something that has such a national impact.
The Post is a film that is going to be relevant during awards season. Hanks and Streep are very deserving of their praise, as well as excellent performances from the supporting cast which includes Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) and Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek).
For me personally, this movie proved to be a strong reminder of why I am a journalist. From the time I was in the fourth grade, I have had a passion for writing. That passion grew into a burning desire to study the world of journalism and develop my skills as a writer. I have had the privilege of being able to write articles and stories for many years now. Films like The Post remind me why I have a passion for writing.
I definitely recommend this movie to everyone, especially anyone who is a writer, journalist or anyone that has worked on any type of publication.
The Post opened for a limited release on December 22 and is having a wide release opening across the United States on January 12th.