Review of All the President's Men (1976) by James O — 26 Jun 2015

Based on the true story of the journalist duo that pursued the truth behind what happened at the Watergate hotel, All the President's Men is like catnip to aspiring journalists.

But this one feels more like a police procedural than that of crusading journalists relentlessly pursuing the truth along the lines of Walter and Hildy from "His Girl Friday." This one shows Woodward and Bernstein pursuing leads, getting doors shut in their faces and going down blind alleys in the quest for a story. It also gives a hint of the frustration of waiting for things to come in, all while the ticking clock of deadline looms above.

And yet for all of that, the film is never dull. A lot of the credit goes to director Alan J. Pakula and the script by William Goldman. Even knowing how it all ends, it's still compelling to watch how it all unfolds.

My high school journalism teacher showed this to us in class over the course of several days. Back then, we came away shocked that she'd be allowed to show us a movie that used the f-word this much. This time around, I'm impressed by the acting, writing and directing.