I was on the school newspaper at Edward R. Murrow High School as was a friend of mine. Late last year, both she and I sat down in a rather empty movie theater to see this film which showed why TV journalist Edward R. Murrow was the type of fellow who got a high school named after him. After watching this film for the second time on DVD, I can confirm to you dear readers, that Edward R. Murrow is most assuredly the type of person who should have a high school named after him.
The depiction of Murrow in this film is one that is rather iconic. The film's director, George Clooney, never allows us to see Mr. Murrow's personal life. As far as the film's concerned, Murrow has no friends, no family, no home besides a CBS newsroom and a TV studio. In lesser hands, this presentation of Murrow could have made the character stiff and disconnected. Thankfully some wonderful camera work and an amazing performance from David Strathairn make it succeed.
Strathairn's performance is fantastic. When he plays Murrow on camera, giving speeches of the dangers of fear and paranoia, you will get chills down your spine and possibly the urge to write a mean spirited letter to both CNN and Fox News, asking them why they can't just tell us the truth like Mr. Murrow says they should. Still, Stratharin and the film's script are able to bring Murrow down to a likable off camera fellow who tells corny jokes and goes drinking with his co-workers.
The supporting cast of the film is also very strong. Robert Downey Jr. and Patricia Clarkson give great performances as a pair of co-workers with a secret that can cost them their jobs. Clooney and Jeff Daniels also lend some solid acting, but the person who really steals the film is Ray Wise as the tragic Don Hollenbeck. His role isn't huge, he isn't given a big amount of screen time, but it doesn't matter. Every time you see Wise on screen you completely understand what his character is going through and this sort of automatic empathy kicks in every time he forces a smile. Where the character's personal story arc eventually leads provides a true emotional punch that you'll still feel after the credits are rolling.
One of the strongest points of the supporting cast for me though was that there really are no villains. There are characters that stand against Murrow's historic crusade against Senator Joe McCarthy, however their stances are always both relatable and understandable. Even Joe McCarthy who is shown in actual archive footage doesn't seem as much a villain, but rather a victim of a greater evil.
This evil, the film's antagonist, does not come in the form of a character. You will find no credit for this villain on Internet Movie Database. It is fear, in all it forms and horrible glory. The film shows how fear was not only able to grip America during the McCarthy Era, but how fear has gripped the world since the dawn of time and has never seemed to loosen its grasp.
Unlike films like Crash though, Good Night, and Good Luck never feels heavy handed, or over the top. It's a short film with an economy of language that makes its point quietly and calmly with the charisma of an elderly college professor, only to surprise you with bold moments that will leave your eyes glued to the screen and your mouth slightly agape. It's then in the film that you realize that the credits are rolling and the only thought going through your mind at that moment is, "That's true."
I highly recommend this film. It doesn't drag like other historical and biographical pictures, and is based more on the characters then the history. It's a lot like Mr. Murrow in a lot of ways, straight and to the point, but it is one hell of a point. I hope you give this movie a chance and I would like to wish you goodnight, and good luck.
"Good Night, and Good Luck" opens October 14, 2005 and is rated PG. Drama. Directed by George Clooney. Written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Starring Alex Borstein, David Strathairn, Frank Langella, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, Ray Wise, Robert Downey Jr.
