NOTE FROM DREW TROTTER: THIS MOVIE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO MONDAY, MARCH 21.

Our next movie discussion centers around a film that might be the very definition of the “small film”. The term usually describes a movie that is brief (this one is 93 minutes), has a small budget (this one’s was a scant $7M), is a character driven drama (see below) and usually has no stars (well, you can’t have everything!).  Good Night, and Good Luck at least satisfies three of the four criteria.

This “small film” deals with a big, historical subject: the McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s and the campaign Edward R. Murrow, the famous CBS newsman, waged to expose the bias and downright foolishness of those proceedings. In perhaps the greatest role of his career, character actor David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum, L.A. Confidential) provides a flawless portrayal of the chain-smoking, incisive reporter, who really does succeed in at least cutting short the hearings and ultimately of discrediting Senator Joseph McCarthy as the fear monger that he was. The personal toll the controversy took on Murrow and his producer and friend, Fred W. Friendly, however, was great, but they stood by their convictions and accomplished their goal.

Directed by George Clooney (who also plays Fred Friendly), Good Night, and Good Luck was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and five others in the year of the “small film”, 2005. That year Crash pulled one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history beating out our picture, Munich, Capote, and that year’s favorite, Brokeback Mountain.

We will be watching and discussing the movie at my house at 1530 Rugby Ave; note we will start at our regular 7:30 p.m. time.

Summary of Details:

Film:  Good Night, and Good Luck
Date:  Monday, Mar 21
Time:  7:30 p.m.
Place:  1530 Rugby Ave.
Phone for directions: 434.295.8323