The Post - 2 nominations

Best Picture, Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger
Actress in a Leading Role, Meryl Streep

"The press was to serve the governed, not the governors."  One can hardly think of a more timely quote from the famous opinion of the majority upholding The Washington Post's decision to publish the Pentagon papers against the express wishes of the Nixon White House.  This dramatic telling of the history of the media and their difficult decision about whether to publish is the heart of the The Post.

Interestingly, the working title (almost until release) of this film was "The Papers" and not "The Post."  I applaud the decision to change the title and here's why - it's almost irrelevant WHAT they were struggling to publish, and absolutely critical to understand that for Kathryn Graham, a wrong decision could mean the ruining of her family's prized possession, The Washington Post publication.  Not only that, but should the courts have ruled against them, that could have made the editors and owners guilty of a felony, a classification which means that her company couldn't own tv stations - the very product that was bringing in a vast income for her family's business.  So the consequences of a wrong decision was very real.  With the now famous words, "let's go," (that's real according to both Bradlee and Graham in interviews when they were alive) Kathryn Graham demonstrated the kind of leadership and courage rarely credited to women in the early 70's, and Graham herself credits this moment in her own history as one that brought her to the women's movement (among many others, including being sued by women reporters at another of their publications, Newsweek.) 

Meryl Streep (deemed an overrated actress by our President), earns her 21st Oscar nomination with this film, and as usual, she deserves it.  By the way, that is the highest number of nominations for ANY actor, man or woman, by 9 nominations.  (Jack Nicholson in second place with 12 nominations.)  For me, watching her evolution from the woman thrust into a power position she didn't want for which the men in her business gave her little respect, to a woman who tells Bob McNamara, "I'm seeking your advice, not your permission," (perhaps a real quote, perhaps not) is one that made me cheer in my seat.

Then, we see the excellent portrayal of Ben Bradlee by Tom Hanks.  To learn more about Bradlee, I highly recommend the documentary, "The Newspaperman: Ben Bradlee," which portrays a dogged editor who desperately wants to improve the quality of the newspaper, and who lives the Kathryn Graham philosophy that quality breeds profit.

The Post is another "Apollo 13" film - we know the outcome, and yet the film has us at the edges of our seats.  I thought it was not only one of the best films of this year, but was also one of the most important as we strive to learn from our own history.  If you watch the film and aren't compelled to have at least one conversation about how it applies today, I think you've perhaps missed the point.