{"id":1157300,"date":"2023-05-04T09:52:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T16:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/?p=1157300"},"modified":"2023-05-04T09:52:29","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T16:52:29","slug":"18-movies-about-journalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/18-movies-about-journalists\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Movies About Journalists, From All The President’s Men to Never Been Kissed"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s no denying that Hollywood loves journalists. From\u00a0Spotlight<\/em> to\u00a0All the President’s Men<\/em>, journalists are everywhere in movies. Whether it’s a profession held by the romantic lead, like Drew Barrymore’s copywriter character in Never Been Kissed<\/em>, or a central plot point in a story about an all-consuming investigation, as in The Post, <\/em>there’s no denying that journalists look good on the silver screen.<\/p>\n

Writers as main characters are a favorite storytelling device that has been used time and time again for decades, and that’s not going to change any time soon. Read on for 18 of our favorite movies that revolve around journalists.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

She Said<\/em> (2022)<\/h2>\n

\"Movies<\/p>\n

This Universal Pictures biographical drama She Said <\/em>stars Zoe Kazan and Carrie Mulligan as real-life New York Times<\/em> journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Their 2017 bombshell report about Harvey Weinstein exposed decades of sexual abuse allegations and illuminated the unpleasant underbelly of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, effectively launching the #MeToo movement. Directed by Maria Schrader and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, this is a ripped-from-the-headlines drama that chronicles a true story just five years after it took place.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Vengeance\u00a0<\/em>(2022)<\/h2>\n

\"Vengeance\"<\/p>\n

This mystery thriller follows writer, director, and star B.J. Novak as a New York City podcaster who travels to Texas to investigate the death of a woman he hooked up with. Novak gave MovieMaker<\/em> the perfect explanation as to why he believes there are so many journalists in movies, including his own.<\/p>\n

“It’s a great structural sort of cheat because it means that the protagonist is discovering the story along with you. And the discovery of the story can be the plot. So you have this amazing head start if you have a journalist character,” Novak said. “There are so many writers in movies \u2014 it’s way overrepresented. But I think Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City<\/em> is actually the best example of why. If you have a writer character who can talk and type about everything they’re experiencing and how they’re feeling, it’s perfect.”<\/p>\n

Novak decided to apply this popular trope to\u00a0Vengeance<\/em>, but modernized it by making his writer-character a podcaster.<\/p>\n

“And because it was so common, that’s what made me decide to make him a podcaster. At first, he was just a freelance journalist for The New Yorker<\/em> as he still is in the movie, but when I thought of a podcaster, I thought, ‘Well, that is charmingly pathetic. Here’s a guy who is an aspiring podcaster. It makes me want to make fun of him more,'” he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Spotlight\u00a0<\/em>(2015)<\/h2>\n

\"Spotlight\"<\/p>\n

One of the best known movies about journalists, Spotlight<\/em> follows the true story of Boston Glob<\/em>e journalists Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James), and Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton) who, at the assignment of editor-in-chief Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber), investigate child sexual abuse allegations made against a Roman Catholic priest in 2001. Their investigation led to the exposure of a disturbing pattern of worldwide child abuse within the Catholic church.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Post\u00a0<\/em>(2017)<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Similar to\u00a0Spotlight<\/em>,\u00a0The Post<\/em> follows the true events of a famous newspaper. Set in 1971, the film follows the true story of journalists at The Washington Post<\/em> and their attempts to publish the Pentagon Papers, a set of classified documents detailing the U.S. government’s involvement in the Vietnam War and the French Indochina war. Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, The Post<\/em> stars Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, and Bob Odenkirk.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All The President’s Men\u00a0<\/em>(1976)<\/h2>\n

\"All<\/p>\n

All The President’s Men<\/em> is like the grandfather to\u00a0The Post<\/em>. Concerning the true events of the 1972 Watergate scandal involving President Richard Nixon’s re-election,\u00a0All The President’s Men<\/em> follows\u00a0Washington Post<\/em> journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they investigate and bring to light corruption within the White House, the FBI, and the CIA.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Night Crawler\u00a0<\/em>(2014)<\/h2>\n

\"Nightcrawler\"<\/p>\n

This psychological thriller follows Jake Gyllenhaal as a different kind of journalist than the previous movies on this list. Instead of a traditional reporter, Gyllenhaal plays a stringer, which is a freelance journalist who sends written reports, photos, or videos to a news organization and who is paid for their work on a case-by-case basis rather than with a salary. Gyllenhaal’s fictional character Lou Bloom chases down violent events that occur at night in Los Angeles and sells his videos to a local news station. Written and directed by Dan Gilroy as his directorial debut, the film takes a disturbing look at capitalism and unemployment.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Never Been Kissed\u00a0<\/em>(1999)<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This romantic comedy takes a much less realistic approach to journalism. Starring Drew Barrymore as Josie Geller, a 25-year-old copywriter at the Chicago Sun-Times,\u00a0Never Been Kissed<\/em> follows Josie as she goes undercover for the newspaper, posing as a high school student for a report designed to help parents understand their children’s lives. Of course, going undercover and pretending to be someone you’re not involves misrepresenting yourself, which is a big, unethical no-no for real-life reporters. But it makes for an amusing movie plot.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Almost Famous\u00a0<\/em>(2000)<\/h2>\n

\"Almost<\/p>\n

This semi-autobiographical story written, directed and produced by real-life Rolling Stone<\/em> reporter Cameron Crowe follows the story of a teenage journalist who gets a gig writing for Rolling Stone in the ’70s, which finds him on tour with fictional rock band Stillwater and witnessing all manner of rock star and groupie antics. Peter Frampton served as a consultant on the film and co-wrote some of the songs on the soundtrack, alongside Crowe and his then-wife, Nancy Wilson of Heart. Starring Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Almost Famous<\/em> was not a success at the box office but was critically acclaimed as well as receiving four Oscar nominations.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Shattered Glass\u00a0<\/em>(2003)<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This biographical drama tells a story of a journalist gone bad. Starring Hayden Christiansen as real-life reporter Stephen Glass,\u00a0Shattered Glass<\/em> tells the true story of Glass’s scandal at The New Republic\u00a0<\/em>when it was discovered that he had been fabricating his stories. Glass was ultimately fired, and it was revealed that he had made up details in 27 of his 41 stories for The New Republic<\/em>. The film is based on a 1998 Vanity Fair<\/a><\/em> article of the same name by H. G. Bissinger.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Last Letter From Your Lover\u00a0<\/em>(2021)<\/h2>\n

\"Last<\/p>\n

Based on Jojo Moyes’ 2012 novel of the same name, Netflix’s The Last Letter From Your Lover<\/em> stars our Summer 2021 cover star<\/a> Felicity Jones as Ellie, a London journalist who discovers decades-old love letter in the newspaper’s archives between a “J” and “Boot.” In the film, a flashback to the 1960s tells the story of the love affair that Ellie devotes herself to uncovering the truth about. Shailene Woodley plays Jennifer Stirling, or “J”, an Callum Turner plays Anthony O’Hare, or “Boot,” Jennifer’s lover. Joe Alwyn plays Jennifer’s stern businessman husband, Laurence Stirling.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The French Dispatch\u00a0<\/em>(2021)<\/h2>\n

\"French<\/p>\n

This Wes Anderson movie follows three different storylines stemming from French foreign bureau of the fictional newspaper Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun, which is publishing its final issue. It features a huge, star-studded ensemble cast including
\nOwen Wilson, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Henry Winkler, L\u00e9a Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, Christoph Waltz, Rupert Friend, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, and Anjelica Huston.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy <\/em>(2004)<\/h2>\n

\"Anchorman\"<\/p>\n

If you want to see a movie that makes fun of certain forms of journalism, look no further than this satirical comedy, which was Adam McKay’s directorial debut. It follows Will Ferrell as the title character, a bumbling news anchor at a San Diego news station who clashes with \u2014 and lusts after \u2014 his new female co-anchor, played by Christina Applegate. It’s a modern comedy classic with hilarious gags, including a bit about Burgundy’s bad habit of reading every word directly from the teleprompter, despite obvious, glaring mistakes in the text.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Private War\u00a0<\/em>(2018)<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Another true story based on a Vanity Fair<\/em> article<\/a>,\u00a0A Private War<\/em> stars Rosamund Pike as real-life American journalist Marie Colvin, who travels to some of the world’s most dangerous countries in order to report on their civil wars for The Sunday Times<\/em>. After losing her eye in the field, Colvin continues to chase war stories. She was ultimately killed in 2012 when she was caught in the crossfire of a conflict in Homs, Syria. The film also stars Jamie Dornan, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Tom Hollander, and Stanley Tucci.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

13 Going on 30\u00a0<\/em>(2004)<\/h2>\n

\"13<\/p>\n

Directed by Garry Winick, this classic rom-com is beloved by many for its fantasy storyline that finds main character, 13-year-old Jenna Rink, suddenly transported into the body of her 30-year-old self after wishing to be older on a bag of magic dust. Mark Ruffalo plays her childhood best friend, Mattie, with whom Rink desperately tries to repair her friendship after discovering that she left him in the dust to join the popular kids in high school. The journalism part comes in when Rink finds out that her job as a 30-year-old is at her favorite magazine, the fictional teen mag Poise<\/em>, and that her high school enemy, Tom-Tom (Judy Greer) is now her best friend and co-worker.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

My Best Friend\u2019s Wedding\u00a0<\/em>(1997)<\/h2>\n

\"My<\/p>\n

This one’s a twofer: Here, Julia Roberts is a food critic names Jules Potter, and the object of her affection, Michael O’Neal (played by Dermot Mulroney) is a sports writer. It would be a match made in journalist heaven if not for Cameron Diaz’s character Kimmy Wallace, a college girl whose father owns the Chicago White Sox. When Jules realizes that Michael is the love of her life and that he’s soon to be married to Kimmy, Jules rushes to his wedding with the intention of breaking up the happy couple so that she can finally be with Michael. But that’s not exactly where this story ends. This P.J. Hogan-directed rom-com is so good that it made it to No. 71 on Variety<\/em>‘s list<\/a> of the 100 Best Movies of All Time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days\u00a0<\/em>(2003)<\/h2>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

In this beloved rom-com directed by Donald Petrie based on the idea from a picture book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long, Kate Hudson plays Andie Anderson, a How-To writer at the fictional women’s magazine Composure.\u00a0<\/em>She challenges herself to write a story called “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” which would act out the results of dating “don’ts” for her readers. For her research, she preys on Matthew McConaughey, who she believes will dump her if she uses all the dating “don’ts” on him. Unbeknownst to her, he’s taken on a bet that he can make any woman fall in love with him.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sleepless in Seatle\u00a0<\/em>(1993)<\/h2>\n

\"Sleepless<\/p>\n

In this Nora Ephron classic rom-com, Meg Ryan stars as a journalist who falls in love with a recently-widowed architect played by Tom Hanks. Even though Ryan’s character just got engaged to another man, she can’t help but fall for Hanks when she hears his son call into a talk radio show looking for a girlfriend for his father after the death of his mother. As you well know if you’ve seen he movie, the whole thing results in an absolutely unforgettable scene atop the Empire State Building in New York City.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Devil Wears Prada\u00a0<\/em>(2006)<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Rounding out our list at No. 18 is this Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway-led classic comedy drama. Set at the fictional Runway Magazine<\/em>, it was based on the book of the same name by Lauren Weisberger, who worked for a time as an assistant to the editor at Vogue Magazine. Streep’s Miranda Priestly character in the movie is rumored to be based on Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, though Weisberger has never confirmed this. Whatever the truth may be,\u00a0The Devil Wears Prada\u00a0<\/em>is among the most quoted movies among Millennials on the internet, from Streep’s cerulean monologue to Emily Blunt’s thorny assistant character who tells Hathaway’s Andrea Sachs, “You sold your soul to the devil when you put on your first pair of Jimmy Choos.”<\/p>\n

Main Image: Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate in Applegate in <\/em>Anchorman.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There’s no denying that Hollywood loves journalists. From\u00a0Spotlight to\u00a0All the President’s Men, journalists are everywhere in movies. Whether it’s a […]","protected":false},"author":1734,"featured_media":1162265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"disable_comments":false,"tpd_featured_posts_arr":"","hide_featured_img_single_post":false,"msn_featured_video":[],"_msn_custom_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,5845],"tags":[6991,40612,13946,37381,2471,9911,13834,39981],"feeds":[],"class_list":["post-1157300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-other","tag-all-the-presidents-men","tag-journalism","tag-never-been-kissed","tag-she-said","tag-spotlight","tag-the-devil-wears-prada","tag-the-post","tag-vengeance","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"primary_category":{"term_id":11,"name":"Movie News","slug":"news","taxonomy":"category","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/category\/news\/"},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=428,height=208,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/anchorman.jpg","fimg_url_thumb":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=428,height=208,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/anchorman.jpg","featured_img_medium":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/anchorman.jpg","author_name":"Margeaux Sippell","author_avatar":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=100,height=100,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image_6487327.jpg","author_link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/author\/margeaux-sippell\/","post_categories":["Movie News"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"18 Movies About Journalists, From All The President’s Men to Never Been Kissed","url":"http:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/18-movies-about-journalists\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/18-movies-about-journalists\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=428,height=208,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/anchorman.jpg","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=1076,height=524,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/anchorman.jpg"},"articleSection":"Movie News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Margeaux Sippell"}],"creator":["Margeaux Sippell"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"MovieMaker Magazine","logo":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mm_site_logo-2.svg"},"keywords":["all the president's men","journalism","never been kissed","she said","spotlight","the devil wears prada","the post","vengeance"],"dateCreated":"2023-05-04T16:52:00Z","datePublished":"2023-05-04T16:52:00Z","dateModified":"2023-05-04T16:52:29Z"},"rendered":"