The Post
Review by Myla Tosatto
Steven Speilberg’s latest Oscar magnet, The Post, is an argument for protecting the Fourth Estate. Though the movie is set 50 years ago, it is as timely now as it was then. Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) is the owner of The Washington Post, which at the time was still thought of as a local newspaper. Tom Hanks plays Ben Bradlee, executive editor of The Post. At times, the two are at odds but are ultimately striving for the same thing- a great newspaper. In 1971, they were both tested by the explosive Pentagon Papers which documented the U.S.’s role in the Vietnam War. To publish or not to publish? That is the question The Post grapples with. Both Graham and Bradlee have their reasons for and against and it is an interesting study to watch.
The movie examines the importance of the First Amendment. The freedom of the press was challenged by Nixon’s White House in the same fashion it is being tested today. It is interesting to note that while the story about the Pentagon Papers by The New York Times was shut down by the government, The WAPO had their backs and brought the fiery news to the people. Eventually the other major newspapers followed suit in helping The Times and The Post. Journalists now could learn a lot from their print predecessors.
You can never go wrong with a Streep or Hanks film. Or a Speilberg one for that matter. It’s rated PG-13, but it is suitable for middle school and up. Of course, those middle schoolers would probably need to have an interest in history, current events or journalism. Kids high school age and above would probably appreciate it more. It is definitely a film to enjoy over the holidays.
P.S. It was very clever how Speilberg set up the sequel. #watergate #allthepresidentsmen
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Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers – and their very freedom – to help bring long-buried truths to light.
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