DVD Review: Good Night, and Good Luck by CD

Title: Good night, and Good luck
Starring: David Strathairn, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Ray Wise, Frank Langella
Directed By: George Clooney
Produced By: Steven Soderbergh, Jennifer Fox, Ben Cosgrove
Genre: Drama and Biopic
Release Date: October 7th, 2005
MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.
Distributors: Warner Independent Pictures


Taking place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950's America, a chronicle of the real-life conflict between television news man Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. -Yahoo movies.com

So the other night I was sitting up watching the news and I got sickened. Not by the news segments themselves, but more by the fact that the news is no longer the news. So I put it in my head that I wanted to witness a telling of when the news was still “news”.

Good night, and good luck is just that. A peek into an era that 90% of America today couldn't live in. Edward R. Murrow was a man who believed in shooting straight and telling the people what needed to be said. Senator McCarthy was a man bent on criminalizing anyone who thought that the country was being run the wrong way. Granted the communist element was present and needed to be addressed, but McCarthy resorted to “Witch Hunts”.

This movie reminded me of what I learned in History class. If we don't pay close attention to history we are doomed to repeat it. If you look at todays media and pay close attention to the events taking place in our country and the war on terror it's not too dissimilar.

Murrow was a man conflicted. He wanted to uphold his own personal standards in telling the viewing public the truth. Unfortunately, speaking your mind or the truth in those days made you, your family, and you bosses a target. He was however backed by the president of the network, a very rare thing. Granted he was told that if anyone in his staff even possibly had ties to the red party in any way that they would be fired. Murrow had a great team and he didn't want to see anyone go, but he understood the position it would put him and the network in.

All parties involved acted wonderfully in this film. Say what you may about Clooney, but I think his view of what took place was pin point perfect. You can tell that there was a relationship between the actors and that they all understood the time period and the turmoil that was in the air.

Biopics are not everyones cup of tea, but if you would like a better understanding of what was going on in our country at that time this movie is defiantly worth seeing. Especially since they used a lot of stock footage for the courtroom scenes and the scenes where McCarthy was trying to attack Murrow and crew.

Only a few scattered special features. Commentary tracks by Clooney and his producer Grant Heslov. Also there is a companion piece that shows more of what was happening during the trials and news casts.

I am only gonna put up one quote from this film, but I believe it speaks volumes.

Edward R. Murrow: “We will not walk in fear of one another. “


It's been Odd

Chris Dunahm
Crobertdunham@yahoo.com