George Clooney’s Good
Night, and Good Luck tells the story of
the famous over-the-air battle between newsman Edward R. Murrow and U.S.
Sen. Joseph McCarthy, a confrontation that helped undermine political
support for the demagogue. It’s a meticulous account that adheres
closely to the facts and even includes film from the period to bolster its
authenticity. The year is 1953, and veteran war correspondent
Murrow (David Strathairn) has risen to the top of the CBS news department,
using his program See it Now as a forum to report on important issues. When a story
about an officer in the armed forces who’s been dishonorably
discharged for no apparent reason comes across his desk, Murrow and
producer Fred Friendly (Clooney) investigate. They learn that the soldier
has been accused of being a member of the Communist Party and convicted by
a tribunal without ever being shown the evidence against him. Realizing that reporting on this case means taking on
McCarthy, Murrow and Friendly go after the Communist-hunter with both
barrels. Their efforts put them and the members of their staff — Joe
and Shirley Wershba (Robert Downey Jr. and Patricia Clarkson), Don
Hollenbeck (Ray Wise), and station manager Sig Mickelson (Jeff Daniels)
— in jeopardy. Even the powerful owner and founder of CBS, William
Paley (Frank Langella), finds himself threatened by conservative sponsors
who want him to kill the program. The film moves at a rapid pace and is quite exciting
as we see Murrow and McCarthy exchange volleys. Clooney does a masterful
job of conveying the seriousness of these issues and the paranoia of the
early 1950s. Good Night, and Good Luck is a rare film, one with purpose that makes no bones about
its intentions and politics. Clooney, who co-wrote the script with Grant
Heslov (who appears as Don Hewitt), sends a clear message that applies to
every age: Journalists have a moral responsibility to report the truth, and
nobody has the right to suppress that truth. Also in theaters this week. . .
Chicken Little [G] The
sky is falling. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
G [R] The story of
Summer G’s rise to money and power in the hip-hop world and his
pursuit of a college love that rejected him. Parkway
Pointe
Jarhead [R] An
adaptation of Marine Anthony Swofford’s memoir of time spent in the
trenches during the first Gulf War. ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Shopgirl [R] Thoughtful
Mirabelle, a shopgirl, finds herself stuck between loving two men: Ray, a
rich older man and Jeremy a young struggling musician. ShowPlace West
The Weather Man [R] A
troubled Chicago weatherman tries to hold it together at the height of his
broadcasting career despite his plummeting personal life. Parkway Pointe
This article appears in Nov 3-9, 2005.
