Journalism Movies

I need to write a paper on a movie related to my intended major. With the exception of All The Presidents Men, does anyone have any other suggestions of good movies that show the journalism profession throughout the movie. I have some ideas but could use some more. Any idea would be appreciated.

I most whole-heartedly suggest one of my most favorite films, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

The story is based on my icon, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, aka. Roaul Duke, and his "strange and terrible saga" through Las Vegas in order to do a story on the Mint 400 race. The story is a savage journey to the heart of the American Dream and very influential to young writers.(such as myself) The story he set out to write ended up turning into the originally Rolling Stone published 2 part epic of the same name. It was later released as a book and took the acid-generation by storm.

Thompson invented a whole new form of Journalism called "Gonzo". This is an extreme form of journalism where the journalist subjects himself to many different extreme forms of drug use, mind-expansion and many other elements. They then go out and get the story using their observations and explaining their reactions, rather than straight reporting. It's an extremely personal form of journalism and has truely never been able to be reproduced by anyone other than Thompson himself. Though many have tried, it ends up more like drunken rambling or too closely resembling Thompson's own work. True Gonzo journalism will die with Thompson, which will likely be soon, and it will be back to square one. The last of the hippie generation's ture relics after the death of Timothy Leary.(A fellow Gonzo-like Journalist of the late 60's)Thompson, now in his 60's, lives in a "fortified compound" in Woody Creek, Colorado. Not too far from Aspen.(which he once ran for Sherrif for and was narrowly defeated.) He is the "self proclaimed King of Fun". Though he is considered by many people do be dangerously weird, I would give my right hand to meet him.

I hope you watch this movie and enjoy it as much as I do. I own all of Thompson's books and would recommend almost all of them to you if you enjoy it. Though the drug use and "bad craziness" tends to dominate most of the film, you must look past all of that and see the gut-wrenching truths that lie inside of Thompson's initial message.

Let me know if you want anymore info(as if I didn't post enough), or if you intend to see the film.

Enjoy,
Doctor Ferro

By the way, my avatar image is Thompson in case you are wondering.

Another journalism movie comes to mind:

"The Killing Fields". Its a superb telling of the civil war in Cambodia. (Its also a tough movie to watch).

Thanks DonFerro for that moving post about an underrated movie.

Speaking of which, another good journalistic movie is also the first directorial effort of Oliver Stone's to get any exposure and respect is SALVADOR starring James Woods.

It is set in the 1980's and is about a burned-out American photo-journalist going down to the civil war-plagued central american nation of El Salvador to revive his career. For a pretty low budget effort, the movie is quite surprisingly powerful...but prepare for one depressing movie with an ending that while its another kick to the gut, its bitterly appropriate in irony.

All the President's Men is about Watergate, but it is also about how the article is researched and verified.

I can't recommend the excellent Killing Fields (1984/Joffe) enough.

Also, check out City of God (2002/Meirelles), one of the best films of the century so far.

Mick

Does it have to be limited to print/newspaper? Here are some that are pure fiction...

Absence of Malice -- young reporter gets manipulated by an ambitious U.S. Attorney and his investigative target. Accurate vs. true and public vs. private figure are always hot topics in slander/libel discussions.

The Front Page -- tabloid journalist hides escaped convict in this classic 1931 comedy.

Broadcast News -- William Hurt, Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks in arguably the best fictional movie about the workplace relationships in a network news operation. Albert Brook's flop-sweat weekend news anchor debut is every media person's nightmare.

SportsNight -- I'm including this because it was a well-written, well produced TV show about the behind-the-scenes workings of a fictional cable sports channel. It should have lasted longer...

Good luck and good skill!

tony b.

Bruce Almighty? Anchorman? JK JK Never seen The Passenger, but its an old Jack Nicholson movie about a reporter who takes on another reporters life. Thats really all I can think of other than Presidents Men.

JFK by Oliver Stone deals a lot with journalism, of course journalism is not what the film's about but it's practiced a lot in the film.

Well JFK I would classify as a LAW MOVIE...umm, new topic!

One that somewhat involves journalism that I saw this past summer was Network, a smart dramedy that satirizes the television media. Probably not a film you want to use for making journalism look good. This is the one with Peter Finch's famous monologue.

Crocodile Dundee.

Oh.... I've got an obvious one.

Citizen Kane. About a newspaper tycoon on his way up the ladder.

"Rosebud...Rosebud..."

Thanks for all the suggestions. You guys have made another good list of movies I now need to see. Unfortunately, I need to write the paper on Journalism in The Godfather because that was the movie I used for my last paper. So if anyone has any ideas of journalism in the movie, it would be much appreciated. I know theres the scene where Michael says we have some writers on the payroll, i bet theyd like a story like that. Then there's all the headlines. I just need to make a general argument on how the journalism profession is portrayed in the movie so if you can think of anything that would help support that, that would be great.

The Insider.

This movie was very strange, but good. I would like to read what he had to say about the race in real life sometime.

"We were somewhere outside Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to kick in. I remember saying something like, 'Maybe you should drive.'"

Perhaps one of the greates leads ever in any novel. Ranks right up there with "outlined against a blue gray October sky..." in all of writing.

tony b.

Well if you have to use the Godfather...In that movie they were protreyed as corrupt folks who,insted of reporting the truth honestly and objectively, printed the side of the story who paid them the most.

Now go do your own homework, and quit makeing us do it. :p