Good Night, and Good Luck (film)
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | George Clooney |
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| Distributor | Warner Home Video |
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| “Good Night, And, Good Luck.” takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950’s America. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff—headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom—defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist… | |
“Good Night, And, Good Luck.” takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950’s America. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff—headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom—defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist ‘witch-hunts’. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity will prove historic and monumental.
Honors
Reviews
Amazon.com
Without force-feeding its timely message, Good Night, and Good Luck illuminates history to enlighten our present, when the need for a free and independent press is more important than ever. In 90 breathtaking minutes of efficient and intricate storytelling, writer-director George Clooney and cowriter Grant Heslov pay honorable tribute to the journalistic integrity of legendary CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow, who confronted the virulent and overzealous anti-Communist witch-hunting of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1953-54, and emerged as a triumphant truth-seeker against the abuses of corporate and governmental power. As played by David Strathairn, Murrow is a dogged realist, keenly aware of the smear tactics that will be employed against him; Clooney provides crucial backup as Murrow’s “See It Now” producer and closest confidante Fred Friendly, forming a fierce but not entirely fearless triumvirate of broadcasting bravery with CBS chief William Paley (Frank Langella), who anxiously champions Murrow’s cause under constant threat of reprisals. While using crisp black-and-white cinematography (by Robert Elswit) to vividly recreate the electrifying atmosphere of the CBS newsroom and the early years of television, Clooney (son of long-time Cincinnati newsman Nick Clooney) proves his directorial skill by juggling big themes and an esteemed ensemble cast, never stooping to simplification of ethically complex material. Good Night, and Good Luck is an instant classic, destined for all the accolades it so richly deserves. —Jeff Shannon
Barnes and Noble
The legendary, televised showdown between veteran news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and Cold War-era Communist hunter “Tail Gunner Joe” McCarthy is portrayed here by director George Clooney as an epic struggle between light and darkness. It’s something of an oversimplification by Clooney, who has admitted he intended the film to be allegorical, a commentary on media complacency in an era of governmental overreach. In his eyes Murrow is a titan, a courageous Everyman who publicly challenges the motives and methods of a powerful U.S. senator who sees Commies everywhere, terrorizing an entire nation with his fear-mongering and intimidation. As played by David Strathairn, CBS commentator Murrow is an almost phlegmatic figure, impervious to both the obvious threats from McCarthy (seen only in actual newsreel footage and kinescopes of live broadcasts, a genius move by Clooney) and the thinly veiled ones from network boss William Paley (Frank Langella). Along with producer Fred Friendly (Clooney) and reporter Joe Wershba (Robert Downey Jr.), Murrow uses McCarthy’s own words to pillory him, setting into motion a chain of events that culminates in the senator’s discrediting and censure. In actuality, Tail Gunner Joe was already on the ropes when Murrow attacked him in the now-famous episode of See It Now, and the broadcaster’s wryly delivered commentary didn’t resonate with Americans nearly as much as the famous exchange between the senator and attorney Joseph Welch in the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954. But why quibble about facts? Good Night, and Good Luck (whose title is Murrow’s famous sign-off line) is a crackling good drama. Ed Hulse
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Good Night, And Good Luck: Music from the Motion Picture
Dianne Reeves’s cool contralto, fronted by a quicksilver combo featuring saxophonist Matt Catingub and pianist Peter Martin, provides the flowing jazz soundtrack to George Clooney’s 1950s, film detailing the epic struggle between the legendary TV newsman Edward R. Murrow and the Communist-baiting Senator Joseph McCarthy. Reeves’ delivery is flawless and swinging on these mostly mid-tempo/ballad takes on several timeless classics (including Nat King Cole’s “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” Duke Ellington’s “Solitude,” and the bouncy Dinah Washington hit “TV is the…
