The Bottom Line
Pros
- Entertaining and thought-provoking film chronicling a vital chapter in American history
- David Strathairn gives a brilliant performance as respected TV journalist Edward R. Murrow
- Movie cleverly uses humor and music and generally avoids being didactic
Cons
- Murrow is depicted as a flawless hero in a world where good and evil are clear-cut
- No action sequences and everything takes place in cramped, not-particularly-charming interiors
- Some people are troubled by the large amount of cigarette smoking shown
Description
- DVD containing drama Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) about TV journalist Edward R. Murrow
- Movie nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor
- David Strathairn got an Oscar nomination for his performance as Edward R. Murrow
- DVD has commentary by director-screenwriter George Clooney and producer-screenwriter Grant Heslov
- DVD contains 15-minute featurette on historical context of and issues raised by the film
- MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements and brief language
- Feature run time: 1 hour 33 minutes
- DVD release date: March 14, 2006
Guide Review - Good Night, and Good Luck DVD
Good Night, and Good Luck was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director (George Clooney), Actor (David Strathairn), Original Screenplay, Art Direction and Cinematography. It is entertaining and thought-provoking, and it's my idea of a nearly perfect little movie.
In the 1950's, Edward R. Murrow (Strathairn) was a respected TV journalist, while Sen. Joseph McCarthy (archival footage) wielded power by accusing various Americans of being Communists, often using unfounded accusations as a weapon. The film chronicles how Murrow helped bring about McCarthy's downfall, but the newsman pays a price. The performance by Strathairn is among the best I've ever seen.
The driving creative force behind Good Night, and Good Luck was George Clooney, who directed, co-wrote and appears in a key supporting role. His film takes on big themes such as media responsibility and governmental abuse, but I am astounded at how well he avoided being overly didactic. He achieved this partly through the use of humor and period jazz performed by Dianne Reeves.
The DVD contains two worthwhile extras: (1) a lively, informative, entertaining audio commentary by George Clooney and co-writer/producer Grant Heslov; and (2) a 15-minute featurette where various people help us understand the historical context of and the issues raised by the film.
