The Newspaperman

Last updated
The Newspaperman:
The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee
TheNewspapermanPoster.png
Directed by John Maggio
Produced by
  • Sheila Nevins
  • Richard Cohen
  • Jacqueline Glover
  • Peter W. Kunhardt
  • George Kunhardt
  • Teddy Kunhardt
Starring
CinematographyClair Popkin
Edited bySeth Bomse
Music byGary Lionelli
Production
company
Kunhardt Films
Distributed by HBO
Release date
  • December 4, 2017 (2017-12-04)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee is an American documentary film that premiered on December 4, 2017 on HBO. Directed by John Maggio, the film explores the life and legacy of journalist Ben Bradlee.

Contents

Premise

The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee is "an intimate portrait of Bradlee that traces his ascent from a young Boston boy stricken with polio to one of the most consequential journalistic figures of the 20th century." [1]

The documentary includes interviews with:

Release

Marketing

On November 13, 2017, HBO released the first trailer for the film. [2]

Premiere

On November 29, 2017, the film held its New York premiere at the HBO Screening Room in New York City. [3]

Reception

Critical reception

The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee has been met with a positive response from critics. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8 out of 10, based on 16 reviews. [4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [5]

In a positive review, The Hollywood Reporter 's Frank Scheck said, "Chronicling its subject's life and career in fascinating detail, The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee will prove catnip to journalism and political buffs, not to mention anyone who cares about the free press and its role in our democracy." [6] Similarly complimentary, The Wall Street Journal 's Dorothy Rabinowitz said, "As any rational person would expect, the subject of HBO’s The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee--the executive editor who presided over the Washington Post’s coverage of the Watergate scandal that drove Richard Nixon from office--quickly emerges as a heroic figure. What’s not so expected, what comes as something bordering on shock, of a gratifying kind, is how much else the film takes on in this buoyant and mercilessly frank look at Bradlee’s life and career." [7] In a more mixed review, Verne Gay of Newsday gave the film two and a half stars out of four and said, "In the argot of Bradlee’s glorious trade, “The Newspaperman” is a puff piece. That’s OK. Bradlee deserves one. He was the greatest editor of one of the world’s greatest newspapers who supervised a story that will forever grace the Valhalla of journalism. But the problem with puffery, however well-meaning, is that it obscures subtler, more complicated, perhaps less complimentary truths." [8]

Accolades

Date of ceremonyAward ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
January 20, 2018 29th Annual Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures Teddy Kunhardt and George KunhardtNominated [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Capturing the Friedmans</i> 2003 film by Andrew Jarecki

Capturing the Friedmans is a 2003 HBO documentary film directed by Andrew Jarecki. It focuses on the 1980s investigation of Arnold and Jesse Friedman for child molestation. The film premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival where it received critical acclaim as well as the Grand Jury Prize: Documentary. The film went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

<i>Public Speaking</i> (film) 2010 film directed by Martin Scorsese

Public Speaking is a 2010 documentary film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, about the American author Fran Lebowitz.

<i>The Sunset Limited</i> (film) 2011 American television film based on the play by Cormac McCarthy

The Sunset Limited is a 2011 American drama television film directed by Tommy Lee Jones, who also stars with Samuel L. Jackson. It was the duo's second collaboration, after the 2000 film Rules of Engagement. The screenplay was written by Cormac McCarthy, based on his 2006 play of the same name.

Girls is an American comedy-drama television series created by and starring Lena Dunham, executive-produced by Judd Apatow. The series depicts four young women living in New York City. The show's premise was drawn from Dunham's own life, as were major aspects of the main character, including financial isolation from her parents, becoming a writer, and making unfortunate decisions. The series is known for its post-feminist commentary and conversation around body politics and female sexual subjecthood.

<i>Affluenza</i> (film) 2014 American film

Affluenza is a 2014 American drama film directed by Kevin Asch and written by Antonio Macia. It is loosely based on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The first leading role for Ben Rosenfield, it also stars Gregg Sulkin, Nicola Peltz and Grant Gustin.

<i>Search Party</i> (TV series) 2016 American dark comedy series

Search Party is an American dark comedy television series created by Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter. Primarily set in New York City, the series follows a group of friends who become involved in the search for a missing young woman and the events that result from their involvement.

<i>Spielberg</i> (film) 2017 documentary film

Spielberg is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Susan Lacy, and is centered on the career of film director Steven Spielberg. It premiered at the 2017 New York Film Festival and aired on HBO on October 7, 2017.

<i>The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling</i> 2018 documentary by Judd Apatow

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling is an American documentary film that premiered on HBO in two parts on March 26 and 27, 2018. Directed and produced by Judd Apatow, the film explores the life and legacy of comedian Garry Shandling.

<i>If Youre Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast</i> 2017 American film

If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Danny Gold that premiered on May 19, 2017 on HBO.

<i>Everything Is Copy</i> 2015 American film

Everything Is Copy — Nora Ephron: Scripted & Unscripted is an American documentary film that premiered on March 21, 2016 on HBO. Directed and written by Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker, the film explores the life and legacy of legendary writer and film director Nora Ephron.

<i>Sinatra: All or Nothing at All</i> 2015 American film

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All is an American documentary film that premiered in two parts on April 5 and 6, 2015 on HBO.

The Last Resort is a documentary film about Miami Beach directed by Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch. It features photographs taken between 1976 and 1986 by photographers Andy Sweet and Gary Monroe.

<i>Silicon Valley</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the American comedy television series Silicon Valley premiered in the United States on HBO on April 23, 2017. The season contained 10 episodes, and concluded on June 25, 2017. This is the final season to feature T.J. Miller as Erlich Bachman.

<i>Roll Red Roll</i> 2018 American film

Roll Red Roll is a 2018 American documentary film, directed and produced by Nancy Schwartzman. It follows the Steubenville High School rape case.

<i>Rodents of Unusual Size</i> 2017 American documentary film

Rodents of Unusual Size is a 2017 documentary film funded by ITVS and directed by the team of Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer about giant invasive swamp rats, nutria, threatening coastal Louisiana. The film is narrated by Wendell Pierce with an all original musical soundtrack by the Cajun band Lost Bayou Ramblers.

<i>Jane Fonda in Five Acts</i> 2018 American film

Jane Fonda in Five Acts is a 2018 American documentary film, directed by Susan Lacy. It revolves around the life and career of Jane Fonda.

<i>Olympia</i> (2018 documentary film) 2018 film directed by Harry Mavromichalis

Olympia is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Harry Mavromichalis, about the career of Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. The film premiered at Doc NYC in 2018 and was released in the United States on July 9, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Maggio (director)</span> American documentary director, writer and producer

John Maggio is an American documentary film director, writer and producer. He is best known for his films The Perfect Weapon (HBO), Panic: The Untold Story of the 2008 Financial Crisis (HBO) and The Newspaperman (HBO) as well as his work with the PBS series American Experience and Frontline.

<i>Navalny</i> (film) 2022 American film

Navalny is a 2022 American documentary film directed by Daniel Roher. The film revolves around Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and events related to his poisoning. It was produced by HBO Max and CNN Films. The film premiered on January 25, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received critical and audience acclaim and won the Audience Award in the US Documentary competition and the Festival Favorite Award. It also won the Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, won the award for Best Political Documentary at the 7th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards and picked up best documentary at the 76th BAFTA awards ceremony.

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Greg (September 25, 2017). "HBO Sets Premiere Date For Ben Bradlee Doc 'The Newspaperman'". Deadline. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  2. ↑ Rich, Katey (November 13, 2017). "Exclusive Trailer Premiere for The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  3. ↑ Ciampaglia, Dante A. (December 15, 2017). "Legendary 'Washington Post' editor Ben Bradlee defends the free press in the documentary 'The Newspaperman'". Newsweek. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  4. ↑ "The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  5. ↑ "The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  6. ↑ Scheck, Frank (December 1, 2017). "'The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  7. ↑ Rabinowitz, Dorothy (December 1, 2017). "'The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee' Review: Ink-Stained Idol". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. ↑ Gay, Verne (December 4, 2017). "'The Newspaperman': Ben Bradlee portrait is puffery". Newsday. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  9. ↑ "The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee: Nominations and awards - The Los Angeles Times". The Los Angeles Times. April 6, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.