Citizen Kane – 1941
Regarded as one of the greatest films ever made Orson Welles
plays Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper magnate, telling the story of his life
pieced together through a number of flashbacks as reporters search for the
answer to the question – what is Rosebud.
The film is loosely based of the life of William Randolph
Hearst who had one of the biggest influences on the newspaper world,
revolutionising print journalism and essentially creating the modern tabloid
paper.
Well’s masterpiece tops this list and is a contender for the
best film ever made, and if you haven’t seen it Citizen Kane should top your
list of films you have to watch.
All the Presidents
Men – 1976
It would be hard to not include the film based on one of the
most influential pieces of journalism ever written, I mean the Watergate
brought down the president of the United States.
Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford star as reporters Woodward
and Bernstein who get a tip off from the mysterious Deep Throat that lead them to
discover Richard Nixon’s involvement in some pretty dirty dealing, forcing him
to resign.
The film, directed by Alan J. Pakula, won four Oscars
provides a faithful re-telling of the Watergate scandal and should inspire
journalists not to give up on a story.
Almost Famous – 2000
Aspiring journalist William Miller (Patrick Fugit) gets his
big break when Rolling Stone ask him to cover Stillwater as they tour America.
Miller, who’s just 16, departs on the adventure of a
lifetime, following the band across America, all the while trying to lock down
the big interview he need with the band’s guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy
Crudup)
This coming of age film may not have the same pure
journalistic focus as some of the others on this list, but it is a brilliant
film which is definitely a must watch.
Network – 1976
The film that got a whole generation yelling “I'm
as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
Peter Finch plays Howard Beale, a long
serving news anchor on the UBS evening news, but after a drop in rating the
network decides it’s time for him to move on.
That is until Finch breaks down into a
drunken rant on air, which the network exploits Beale for the ratings and
eventually give him his own show.
The film won four academy awards,
including the Best Actor nod for Finch, and is a brilliant insight into the
cutthroat world of network television where in then end ratings are all that
matter.
Fear
and Loathing in Las Vegas – 1998
This adaptation of Hunter S Thompson’s novel by the same
name tells the story of Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo
(Benicio del Toro) as they travel to Las Vegas to report on the Mint 400.
But even before they reach Vegas the concoction of psychedelic
drugs kick in and the story descends more into a fever dream as Duke and his
lawyer experience Sin City on acid.
The film was a box office flop, but has become a cult
classic and is a fantastic portrayal of Thompson’s work, if you don’t see the
film I would definitely recommend reading the novel.
Honorable Mention.
Anchorman – The
Legend of Ron Burgundy – 2004
While this may be a little more low brow than the other
films its hard to argue that Anchorman shouldn’t be on this list at the end of
the day it’s a great film about journalism, sort of.
Will Ferrell stars as Ron Burgundy, San Diego’s top rated
anchorman, but when the network hires a new female anchor everything changes
for Burgundy and the news team.
Adam McKay’s comedy has become one of the most quoted films
of all time, and while I’m pushing it a bit by pinning it onto the bottom of
the list, I couldn’t resist including Burgundy and co.
You Stay Classy San Diego.
