“The only way to asert the right to publish…is to publish.” — Ben Bradlee (The Post)

To Publish or Not to Publish…

The Post is a 2017 American political thriller directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. The film dramatizes The Washington Post’s pivotal role in exposing the Pentagon Papers — classified government documents that revealed decades of U.S. political and military deception in Vietnam and French Indochina, dating back to the 1940s.

Set in 1971, the film stars Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham, the trailblazing publisher of The Washington Post, and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee, the paper’s hard-nosed executive editor. The ensemble cast also includes Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon, Alison Brie, and Matthew Rhys.

Principal photography took place in New York City between May and July 2017. The Post premiered at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on December 14, 2017, followed by a limited U.S. release from 20th Century Fox on December 22. It expanded to wide release on January 12, 2018, ultimately grossing $179 million worldwide.

Critics praised the film for Spielberg’s direction and the performances — particularly by Streep, Hanks, and Odenkirk. It was also lauded for its timely resonance, drawing pointed parallels between the Nixon administration’s efforts to suppress the press and contemporary concerns during the Trump presidency. Named the Best Film of 2017 by the National Board of Review, it was also listed among the year’s top ten films by Time magazine and the American Film Institute.

The Post earned two Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Streep, and received six Golden Globe nominations: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Actress – Drama (Streep), Best Actor – Drama (Hanks), Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

The Post is the is the Featured Film Blog of the month for June, for its theme of Press, Power, and Political Truth. You can expect to read a critique of the 2017 film that looks at the Pentagon Papers. You can also read a recommendation for the film that looks at the real journalists from The Washington Post portrayed in the film. There is also a review of the film that looks at Katharine Graham, one of the first 20th-century female publishers of a major American newspaper and the first woman elected to the board of the Associated Press. For the interview, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks sit down with CBS Mornings to discuss The Post. There is also a Top Ten List to commemorate the film being a Featured Film Blog of the month, and for The Post, the topic of the list is My Top Ten Meryl Streep Movies! And finally, as a Featured Film Blog of the month, you can watch the Official Trailer for The Post, and then plan on renting it tonight!

SCROLL DOWN AND WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER!

The Post is available now to rent on all streaming platforms…