Journalism Driven Pictures

03 November 2009

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Journalists can be seen as two things either sneaky and underhand only interested in digging the dirt or the purveyors of the truth.

Despite the lack of trust that the general public seem to have in the journalist it's amazing the number of movies that have a roving reporter at it's core, with The Men Who Stare At Goats becoming the latest film to be added to the list.

Reporter Bob Wilton is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady, a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit. According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought.

A legion of "Warrior Monks" with unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy's thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it.

Now, the program's founder, Bill Django, has gone missing and Cassady's mission is to find him. Intrigued by his new acquaintance's far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides to tag along.

When the pair tracks Django to a clandestine training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper, the reporter is trapped in the middle of a grudge match between the forces of Django's New Earth Army and Hooper's personal militia of super soldiers.

So with the movie on the verge of release we take a look at some of the best journalist driven movies that have graced the big screen.

All The President's Men brought together acting greats Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in the 1976 movie that was based on Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's book from two years before.

The movie focus is on the 1972 investigation of the break-in to the Democratic Party headquarters, otherwise known as the Watergate burglary.

Through a complicated web of intrigue and secrecy that eventually involves the highest levels of government, hungry young journalists Woodward (Robert Redford) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) of the Washington Post aggressively examine the incident, uncovering information that ultimately leads to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Although we all knew the outcome of the investigation All the President's Men is still incredibly gripping as it delves deep into the corruption of power.

This still remains the best movie made about journalism.

But more recently the journalist driven movie has been very popular, and done very well at the box office.

For 2004's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy it wasn't the hustle and bustle of the newspaper offices but the cut throat world of live TV news that was under the spotlight.

Will Ferrell  stars as Ron Burgundy, the top-rated anchorman in San Diego in the ‘70s. When feminism marches into the newsroom in the form of ambitious newswoman Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), Ron is willing to play along at first as long as Veronica stays in her place, covering cat fashion shows, cooking, and other "female" interests.

But when Veronica refuses to settle for being eye candy and steps behind the news desk, it’s more than a battle between two perfectly coiffed anchor-persons...it’s war

Bringing together some of the best comic talent Anchorman was one of the best comedy movies of 2004.

Another comedy that looked at the world of journalism came in 2008 with How To Lose Friends and Alienate People, based on the memoir by Toby Young.

Sidney Young, a smalltime, bumbling, British celebrity journalist, is hired by an upscale magazine in New York City. In spectacular fashion Sidney enters high society and burns bridges with bosses, peers and superstars.

After disrupting one black-tie event by allowing a wild pig to run rampant, Sidney catches the attention of Clayton Harding, editor of Sharp, and accepts a job with the magazine in New York City.

Clayton warns Sidney that he'd better impress and charm everyone he can, if he wants to succeed. Instead, Sidney instantly insults and annoys fellow writer Alison Olsen. He dares to target the star clients of power publicist Eleanor Johnson.

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