THE REWATCHABLES · November 8, 2018
A 1976 drama / mystery directed by Alan J. Pakula, covered in the complete Rewatchables archive.
ON THIS EPISODE
FROM THE CONVERSATION
WHY IT WORKS
WHAT DID NOT WORK
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
The cat-and-mouse newsroom exchange neatly reveals their different temperaments and dependence on each other.
About 32 minA long one-take call scene showcases Redford's composure, flub and all, as Woodward works the story.
About 32 minBradlee's red-pen critique dramatizes newsroom authority and the balance between ego and reporting.
About 40 minHoffman's flirtation and Alexander's skepticism make the source interview feel lived-in and tense.
About 32 minThe late-night garage exchanges with Holbrook are treated as an all-timer source-reveal sequence.
About 40 minRobards delivers the famous pressure speech that the hosts quote repeatedly and admire as pure inspirational energy.
About 40 minThe endgame briefing at Bradlee's house serves as the emotional payoff and last-step confirmation of the story.
About 40 minBill flags the suspense device as slightly too neat and artificial compared with the rest of the movie.
About 1:20The hosts identify this as a made-up or overly contrived scene that stands out from the film's otherwise grounded approach.
About 1:20WHERE THEY DISAGREED
Bill SimmonsRedford should lead the movie because he pushed it into existence and owned the Woodward role.
Sean FennesseyHoffman is an equally important power piece, and the film works because of the contrast.
Bill SimmonsThe final Bradlee speech and story confirmation are the true ending.
Chris RyanThe last Deep Throat garage meeting and then Bradlee's house scene together create the ending.
Bill SimmonsYes, the mystery was more fun when Felt was unknown.
Sean FennesseyIn a real-world sense the reveal was inevitable and emotionally necessary.
Bill SimmonsThe film heroically narrows the story but leaves out the Times' role.
Sean FennesseyIt is still mostly an accurate and effective dramatization of the essential reporting.
Bill SimmonsJason Robards wins because his Bradlee performance dominates every scene he's in.
Sean FennesseyRobards is also the right choice, even though Redford/Hoffman are the stars.
Calls it a classic that has only gained relevance and feels like a perfect election-week movie.
Opening minutesSays it is his Watergate phase and appreciates how familiar its newspaper world feels.
Opening minutesSays the film introduced him to Watergate and set journalism up as an aspirational craft, even if that's not the whole message.
Opening minutesArgues Redford helped invent the modern star-producer template and did it better than later attempts.
About 8 minTreats Hoffman as one of the greatest actors in movie history, especially in his 1974-79 run.
About 8 minLoves the scene because it instantly defines both characters and their working styles.
About 32 minHighlights the one-take phone-call sequence as proof Redford can act at a very high level.
About 32 minRanks the Bradlee editing scene among his favorites because it captures newsroom hierarchy and tension.
About 40 minAdmires the recreation of the Washington Post newsroom and the physical ephemera of print journalism.
About 56 minTreats Willis as one of the greatest cinematographers ever and says he defined the look of the 1970s.
About 56 minUltimately names Robards the movie's winner and treats his performance as the emotional and managerial heart of the film.
About 1:20Places Pakula's 1970s run among the great directing careers and argues this is likely his apex.
About 1:12Argues the film is still relevant because it celebrates doing the work, checking facts, and not trusting first impressions.
About 1:12The episode emphasizes patient reporting, verification, note-taking, and source cultivation as the film's core drama.
About 16 minThey connect Watergate to later eras, arguing the movie still resonates because politics remains conspiracy-prone.
Opening minutesThe episode uses Redford and Hoffman to discuss how 1970s stars shaped projects as producers and creative forces.
About 8 minThey debate what the movie gets right, what it simplifies, and how later viewers may misread events without context.
About 1:12The conversation frames journalism as a check on government power and links the film to broader institutional accountability.
About 40 minWarner Bros. bought the book rights for $450,000.
About 16 minThe film cost $8.5 million and grossed $70.6 million.
About 16 minThe production rebuilt the Washington Post newsroom as a 33,000-square-foot replica on the Warner Bros. lot.
About 56 minThe movie won an Oscar for sound mixing.
About 56 minBill claims Redford and Hoffman memorized each other's lines to create a natural flow.
About 1:20Bill says Redford is left-handed but appears to perform many actions right-handed in the film.
About 1:20Bill recalls Goldman missing Oscars because he was watching the Knicks.
About 1:20The film uses a largely invented Florida office scene.
About 1:20Used in the opening banter about The Rewatchables corner and another podcast stepping on their turf.
Opening minutesUsed to establish how old All the President's Men is in the Rewatchables canon.
Opening minutesCited as a possible double-feature and as another Redford political film that still feels current.
About 8 minMentioned as part of Redford's star-making run.
About 8 minUsed to describe one of Redford's signature acting modes and his run of hits.
About 8 minIncluded in Redford's list of 1970s films, noted as the most flawed of the run.
About 8 minAnother Redford film used to illustrate his 1970s momentum.
About 8 minReferenced as a comparison point for modern reporting films and journalism ethics.
About 40 minUsed as a later film that more accurately depicts the broader press competition around Watergate.
About 1:12Mentioned as another Gordon Willis/Alan Pakula film and part of the paranoid 1970s aesthetic.
About 56 minMentioned in connection with Jane Alexander and as a future Rewatchables possibility.
About 16 minReferenced as another key Jane Alexander film and a favorite of the hosts.
About 16 minMentioned because Jack Nicholson later played Carl Bernstein in that film.
About 16 minUsed as a comparison for how films can distort history and shape public memory.
About 1:12Mentioned as a 2013 Redford documentary the hosts do not recommend.
About 1:20The hosts repeatedly reminisce about newspaper smell, legal pads, copy desks, and the physical culture of print journalism.
About 16 minEach host describes a personal phase of Watergate obsession or entry point into the story.
Opening minutesThe hosts keep imitating and praising Bradlee's measured, weary, late-night managerial style.
About 40 minBill introduces trivia and development notes under this recurring segment label.
About 16 minThe group debates which careers peaked with this film, especially Redford, Hoffman, Robards, Pakula, and Goldman.
About 1:20A recurring Rewatchables bit used to pick the standout performer, which here becomes Jason Robards.
About 1:20“Follow the money.”About 1:20
“Nothing's riding on this except the First Amendment”About 40 min
“You've done worse than let Haldeman slip away.”About 40 min
“If you're going to do it, do it right.”About 32 min
“Is there any way you don't smoke?”About 1:20
MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Three movies to watch before All the Presidents Men, and three to watch next.
ON THE MIC
Bill SimmonsThe Rewatchables
Chris RyanThe Rewatchables
Sean FennesseyThe RewatchablesREWATCH FAVS
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