Garry: Daniel Ellsberg has been arrested almost 100 times for civic activism.
There is perhaps no living American who better exemplifies the historian Howard Zinn’s mantra that “dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”
Ellsberg, an 86-year-old veteran of the Marine Corps, holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard. An Oscar-nominated 2009 documentary labeled Ellsberg “The Most Dangerous Man in America.”
A new film — “The Post” — is placing the legendary whistleblower’s name back in the headlines.
“The Post” is a historical drama directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg about Katharine Graham and Ben Bradlee of The Washington Post who battled the federal government over their right to publish the Pentagon Papers, which Ellsberg leaked to the press. In the movie, Matthew Rhys portrays Ellsberg. The film also stars Tom Hanks as Bradlee and Meryl Streep as Graham.
The movie goes into wide release Friday. Holly and I have planned our day around it. To prepare, I’m reading Ellsberg’s classic book “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers” published in 2002.
Following the release of the film, we’ll be asking former and current Oakland University journalism students to comment on it.
For two decades, I’ve maintained a list of the best films about journalism. Cannot be sure yet, but “The Post” is almost certain to make the first five. Here’s my top 20:
- “Spotlight” 2015
- “Good Night, and Good Luck” 2005
- “All the President’s Men” 1976
- “Shattered Glass” 2003
- “Almost Famous” 2000 — Did you know Billy Crudup shines in both “Spotlight” and “Almost Famous”?
- “The Insider” 1999
- “The Paper” 1994
- “Frost/Nixon” 2008
- “Broadcast News” 1987
- “Absence of Malice” 1981
- “State of Play” 2009 — Did you know Rachel McAdams stars in both “Spotlight” and “State of Play”?
- “The Soloist” 2009
- “Network” 1976
- “The Year of Living Dangerously” 1982
- “The Killing Fields” 1984
- “Reds” 1981
- “His Girl Friday” 1940
- “The Front Page” 1931
- “Nightcrawler” 2014
- “Citizen Kane” 1941
Considered:
“Michael” 1996
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” — Swedish version 2009
“The Devil Wears Prada” — 2006
“Anchorman”— 2004
“Groundhog Day” — 1993
“Superman” 1978 and “Superman II” 1980
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” — 1998
“Capote” — 2005
“Trainwreck” — 2015
“Veronica Guerin” — 2003
“Salvador” — 1986
“Deadline U.S.A.” — 1952
“Under Fire” — 1983
“The China Syndrome” — 1979
I did not include — but I highly recommend — excellent documentaries such as “Citizen McCaw” and “Dying to Tell the Story” and TV programs such as “The Newsroom” and a blast from the past: “Lou Grant.”
For your reading pleasure, The Washington Post itself has published a list of 10 influential journalism films with comments from a “who’s who” list of reporters and editors.
Holly: Seriously? No such conversation is complete without mention of Mary Tyler Moore. After all, she made “Lou Grant” possible.
What else is missing? Let us know.
1 comments On Premiere of Spielberg watchdog drama prompts consideration of the top 20 journalism films – let’s compare lists
One I keep forgetting to watch.