It takes a special type of journalist to monitor Justin Bieber’s tattoos, know which model Leonardo DiCaprio is dating and keep up with the Kardashians. Less talented media members are forced to do menial tasks like expose government coverups. Now their story is finally being told, and Deco’s Peabody Award-winning reporter Chris Van Vliet is here with that.
Actually, it was an award given to me by Mr. Peabody — my eighth grade english teacher…but that’s neither here nor there. If you want a movie to be a surefire Oscar contender, you need a few things, and “The Post” has all of them. Meryl Streep — check. Tom Hanks — check. Stephen Spielberg — check. And a historic tale about the little guy fighting the system — also check.
Meryl Streep (as Kay Graham): “Do you have the papers?”
Tom Hanks (as Ben Bradlee): “Not yet.”
The papers they’re talking about are known as the Pentagon Papers — 7,000 pages of a massive government coverup detailing how they knew the United States was losing the Vietnam War for years, but kept sending more troops anyway.
The movie centers around the Washington Post’s publisher, played by Meryl Streep, and its editor, Tom Hanks, who have to decide whether or not to print these classified documents.
Meryl Streep: “Every single person has risk attached to the decision that they make, and that, more than anything, is what people will feel.”
The movie pits journalists against the government.
Tom Hanks: “There’s no reason to have a First Amendment if we can’t do this, and so it was an extremely dangerous call.”
Tom Hanks (as Ben Bradlee): “If we don’t hold them accountable, who will?
Meryl Streep (as Kay Graham): “We can’t hold them accountable if we don’t have a newspaper.”
Chris Van Vliet: “When you sign on to do a movie that’s directed by Steven Spielberg and has Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in it, are you like, ‘We’re probably gonna get nominated for some Oscars here?'”
Matthew Rhys: “You have the two words ‘we are’ there.”
Chris Van Vliet: “Well, you’re part of it!”
Matthew Rhys: “They are.”
While the cast as a whole is incredible, Meryl Streep steals the show. I mean, even Steven Spielberg was in awe.
Steven Spielberg: “I don’t know how Meryl did it, and I’m the director — I was there everyday, I was there for every shot, but I was absolutely agog at the truth Meryl was telling.”
Spielberg apparently wanted the same from Tom Hanks and even gave him some acting tips.
Tom Hanks: “He would also then periodically come by and say, ‘Don’t be so sure of yourself,’ and I said, ‘Wow. Wow. I love that.'”
Even though you know what happens in the end, since, you know, it’s based on history, the story keeps you on the edge of your seat and reminds you that…
Meryl Streep: “Ordinary people can move the needle in history and change the course of history.”
I really liked “The Post.” It’s in my top three of the year. But after the Golden Globes, I don’t think it’s going to win nearly as many awards as people first thought.
“The Post” is currently playing in theaters.
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