Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Good Night & Good Luck has been nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for David Strathairn who plays Edward R. Murrow. This is not a typical Hollywood film. It�s closer to a documentary than the usual entertainment variety Hollywood serves up with extra helpings of special effects, explosions and computer generated imaging. It�s almost more suited to a stage play than the cinema. This is a simple film, shot entirely in black and white that seeks to do nothing more than tell a factual story.

In the early 1950�s, Senator Joseph McCarthy created a nationwide epidemic of fear by making freewheeling accusations of communism or communist sympathies against American citizens. Many were accused with no evidence and lost their jobs, homes and community standing. Anyone brave enough to question his tactics quickly came under fire as a communist sympathizer. CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred Friendly took a stand and challenged McCarthy. The showdown with McCarthy made Murrow the most respected journalist in America.

I loved this film for several reasons. The black and white photography was an artistic masterpiece, giving the film not only its period look, but a clean clear quality that sparkled on the big screen. The backlit shots of jazz singer Dianne Reeves were so beautiful they made me catch my breath. The ever present cigarette smoke circling Murrow�s head is a vivid reminder of the bygone era, but for me, also casts a deep shadow of foreboding over the entire proceedings. The fact that director George Clooney chose to let McCarthy speak for himself, using actual footage of the senator, rather than having an actor portray him, was a stroke of genius. This reflects the way Murrow challenged the senator�s actions; with nothing less or more than McCarthy�s own words. Another aspect that appealed to me was the social commentary on the obligation of news media to challenge and criticize government actions that resonates loudly in today�s political atmosphere. Clooney reminds us that public accountability is an integral part of democracy in a masterful piece of film making that is both fascinating and observant.

Clooney not only adapted the screenplay and directed the film, he plays Murrow�s friend and producer, Fred Friendly. While this is doubtlessly Clooney�s baby, it is San Francisco born David Strathairn who brings it to vibrant life. While Strathairn has more than 80 film credits, he has, until now, remained comfortably under the Hollywood radar. You may remember him as Ira Lowenstein in A League of Their Own, but my favorite Strathairn part was Whistler in a movie titled Sneakers. (If you�ve never seen Sneakers, you must rent it. It�s a hoot!) Robert Downey Jr. and Patricia Clarkson play Joe and Shirley Wershba, a married couple pretending to be single because of a company policy that disallows spouses to work together. Both turn in notable performances. Frank Langella plays William Paley, the head of CBS at the time, with his usual panache.

Everyone should see this film. It is informative, entertaining, attractive to look at and it has something important to say. No wonder it got all those Oscar nominations. I think it deserves 6 stars out of 7.

For Cyndi�s Oscar picks and more visit:
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