“See It Now”
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK

RATING: B+

Starring: David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey, Jr., Frank Langella. Casting by Ellen Chenoweth, Costume Designer Louise, Frogley, Edited by Stephen Mirrione, Production Designer Jim Bissell, Director of Photography Robert Elswit, Executive Producers Steven Soderbergh, Jennifer Fox, Ben Cosgrove, Produced by Grant Heslov, Screenplay by Grant Heslov & George Clooney, Directed by George Clooney.

Rated PG, Running Time 93 mins., 1.85 to 1 Academy Standard Aspect Ratio.

As a graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School, I readily admit I share a personal interest in George Clooney’s new film. “Good Night, And Good Luck” is a heartfelt docudrama which depicts the historical conflict between Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy. More of a snap shot of a moment in history than a biopic, the film is not without its share of problems. But then again, Clooney’s effort appears to be an account of a historic moment rather than the definitive story of Edward R, Murrow. Clooney has also made the unusual choice of co-writing the film’s screenplay with actor Grant Heslov, best know for his “sidekick” work in films like “True Lies”, “Congo” and “The Scorpion King”. He didn’t’ fare well in those pics but he’s also served as co-producer on Clooney’s cable series “K-Street” and “Unscripted”. Together they’ve enlisted a remarkable cast that includes Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey, Jr., Frank Langella and Clooney himself. At the center of it all is a haunting and mesmerizing performance by David Strathairn as Murrow himself.

"Good Night, and Good Luck" is book-ended by a 1958 tribute dinner to Murrow in which he speaks of the responsibility of television journalism to always question and stand up towards the powers that be. Whisking us back to 1953, Clooney along with production designer Jim Bissell and cinematographer Robert Elswit place us in a time when television and broadcast journalism were in their infancy. The cold interiors of the smoked filled CBS studios are beautifully rendered in monochrome as we are thrown into the world of Murrow's news documentary show "See it Now". Murrow is also host of the talk show "Person to Person" and is enjoying popularity and success, alongside his partner and producer Fred Friendly (Clooney). Along with their dedicated news crew, Murrow and Friendly unwittingly step on a few toes when they investigate the story of a Navy pilot who was kicked out and declared guilty without trial because he refused to renounce his father who subscribed to a communist newspaper. Friendly is visited by high ranking military officers who inform him they don't approve of a finger pointing story that was developed without their approval. With the military so eager to jump down their throats, Murrow suspects that powerful crusader Senator Joseph McCarthy may be behind the pilot's dismissal.

Murrow and Friendly both know that McCarthy is not a force to be trifled with. His fanatical crusade against communism and relentless pursuit of anyone who may share the slightest association with a communist has devastated the lives of Americans across the country. Despite opposition from Sig Mickelson (Jeff Daniels) the head of the CBS news division, Murrow and Friendly run the report and start the ball rolling. McCarthy indirectly responds to the report with the suggestion that Murrow may be a communist sympathizer which raises a few eyebrows, including those of CBS boss William Paley (Frank Langella). Paley who would run the CBS radio and TV networks for more than half a century has always been sympathetic and supportive of Murrow, but he warns him of consequences for his actions. The company owners have begun breathing down his neck and the recent information that Murrow may have worked for the IWW and served as an advisor to the Russians may be used by McCarthy against him. Knowing that he can't back away now, Murrow decides the best defense is to go after McCarthy himself.

Murrow feels that McCarthy's fanatical theatrics and the fact that his Senate hearings occur behind closed doors hide the fact that the man has no real proof and is violating the civil liberties of the accused. With the help of Friendly and his news team, Murrow devises a method to develop a piece on McCarthy, which will present him in his own words through footage that will reveal how he is violating the laws of due process. The piece proves successful and has an impact on Senate hearings involving Annie Lee Ross, the middle-aged African-American CIA code writer suspected of communism. It also causes McCarthy himself to step out from hiding in the shadows of his representatives and expose himself in a televised rebuttal to Murrow that will make history.

"Good Night, and Good Luck" is not about the life of Edward R, Murrow, but the defining moment in which he became a important figure in history. Rather than frame the film with back-story involving the lead characters, Clooney and co-writer Grant Heslov drop us right into the story and cut away any fat that may have weighed it down. Clooney, the son of a news caster, has managed to show not only restraint, but the ability to capture the 1950's, not in a perfect re-creation, but with the subtle details that have been imprinted in the minds of those who lived it. Rather than give us every detail and facet of the time and story, he's left the audience wanting more, and inviting questions -- you're still thinking about the issues the picture raises long after it's over which is why it's perfect for today's students. He and Heslov also have a penchant for dialogue that establishes the rapport between his intelligent characters. Murrow and Friendly have the most symbiotic relationship -- Friendly sits at his feet and taps his leg with a pencil to let him know he's on camera. When they discuss Friendly's meeting with the military about the Navy pilot's story Murrow claims: "We're going to get audited next month," Friendly: "Not me, you. I told them I didn't want to do the story." Murrow: "I always knew you were yellow." Friendly: "Better than red!"

The film contains minor subplots involving Patricia Clarkson and Robert Downey, Jr. as Shirley and Joe Wershba, two of Murrow's crew who kept their marriage a secret because it violated company policy, even though everyone knew. "Name me a wife who tells her husband to remove his wedding ring before going to the office?" she asks one morning. "Ava Gardner," Downey replies. It’s one of several brief scenes that Downey, Jr. and Clarkson have in the picture, but then again, this is not their story. Probably the most important subplot is that involving Ray Wise's Joe Hollenbeck, a good friend and colleague of Murrow who hosted the evening news. Wise, best known as Laura Palmer's murdering father on "Twin Peaks" provides a sympathetic performance as a good man who found himself under attack for his left-wing activities by right-wing columnist Jack O'Brien. After Hollenbeck endorses Murrow's report on McCarthy he finds himself under greater attack, but Murrow refuses to help him because if he takes on both McCarthy and newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst he'll certainly lose. The tragic result is Hollenbeck killing himself by turning on the gas stove in his apartment while sitting in front of the news.

At the center of this impressive production is a wonderful performance by David Stathairn as Murrow. Rather than try to fully capture the man or imitate him, Strathairn's work comes across more like his own interpretation. Forget, the recreation of Murrow's thinning hairstyle, the way he held a cigarette or turned profile, Strathairn is able to interpret Murrow's sense of decency and commitment to the truth. You really believe him when he says he's searched his conscience and can't find any justification for McCarthy's actions and why he shouldn't publicly question them. What are also evident are Murrow’s rare moments of self-doubt -- moments where the feeling he may be in over his head is in his eyes and he fears what the consequences may be. Strathairn really shines in the moments where he stands up to authority, particularly the conflicts between Murrow and Langella's Paley. Langella has become more of a menacing force for evil in the roles of the latter part of his career, but as Paley, there is true sincerity behind his words and the cold hard fact that he has to make the final decisions, even if they aren't nice ones.

With his second feature, George Clooney has not fallen into the pit of a sophomore slump and has eclipsed the work he did on "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind". Gone is the stylistic camera movement of that film, the sharp editing and mesmerizing color and with the simplicity of this film, he has proven himself as a directing talent. Whether that is due in part to co-writer/producer Grant Heslov remains to be seen. As an actor, the entertaining Heslov may have not stood out as he deserved, but he has proven that not only do he and Clooney make a great team, but they are committed to bringing realistic stories to the public and presenting them in informative and entertaining ways. "Good Night, and Good Luck", not only succeeds as an entertainment piece, but a history lesson that even today's jaded student may find refreshing.