Frost/Nixon Nominated for Oscar for Writing Adapted Screenplay

Earlier this month, the entire Allen-Niesen family watched “Frost/Nixon.”  It was the first official R rated movie for my kids.  I say ‘official’ because on the way to the theatre they both listed other R rated movies that they’ve watched, apparently when I’m out of town there are movie events occurring.  To put the “Frost/Nixon” story in perspective, and to refresh the memory of those of us who witnessed the events as children ourselves, we spent Saturday night watching “All the President’s Men” and discussing Watergate.  Sunday we saw “Frost/Nixon.”  (I’m guessing the movie is rated R due to the language, but as my high school freshman noted, “I hear more foul language 20 minutes into lunch everyday.”)

I read the play by Peter Morgan, who also wrote the screenplay, before seeing the movie.    I was intrigued by how the opinions about Nixon were personified by the characters.  Jim Reston voiced the deep resentment of the public for the wrongs Nixon committed and his refusal to acknowledge them or apologize for them.  He told Frost during their first meeting, “The American people need a conviction.  Pure and simple.  The integrity of our political system, or democracy as an idea, entirely depends on it.”  Jack Brennan showed the small segment of the population that continued to respect Nixon for all that he accomplished despite his flaws.  When discussing the interview, he tells Nixon “Frost is just not in our intellectual class.  You’ll be able to dictate the terms.  Rebuild your reputation. . . if enough people saw it and revised their opinions–you could move back East.  Way, way earlier than we’d expect.”  Through David Frost and Swifty Lazar, we saw how Nixon was manipulated to make a buck and that Nixon was in on that game from the very beginning.

Both the play and the movie are an intellectual boxing match.  This story is Rocky with brains.  The first half was the training of both fighters without the great music or running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  The movie did a great job building the tension with the research scenes:  Nixon was preparing with his staff and Frost dropped in on his staff while they worked.  It was hard to know at times who the underdog was, the lightweight interviewer David Frost or the McCarthy protege/Cambodia bombing/Watergate cover up politician Nixon.  In fact, Morgan humanized Nixon to the point that it was difficult not to feel sorry for him at times, but then I would remember my history.  This is an aspect of the movie that the real Jim Reston struggles with, listen to his interview on NPR.

The second half of the movie was Rocky in the ring.  Frost was battered over and over by Nixon’s slick answers and his ability to eat up time reminiscing.  He  started to look like everyone’s favorite grandfather.  Just in case the viewer missed it throughout the movie, a telephone call between Nixon and Frost before the last interview spelled out that only one of them would come out a winner.  Either Frost looks incompetent or he lands the interview of the century and Nixon either redeems himself or is finally trapped into admitting his wrongs.  Nixon tells Frost, “the limelight only shines on one man.  Only one of us can be the winner.  For the other–it’s the wilderness.”  In the end, Frost was Rocky and he delivered the knock out punch. 

Like “Doubt,”  the play is well written.  The screenplay reflects the writing and expands on it as it should moving from a stage to the screen where a broader landscape is required.  Both movies are a thinking person’s drama and both were nominated for the Oscar for Writing Adapted Screenplay.  The other nominees announced today were “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Reader,” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”  Surprisingly, “Revolutionary Road” was left out in the cold in this category along with every other major category.  I’ve posted about “Button,” “Doubt” and now “Frost/Nixon.”  I’m looking forward to seeing “The Reader” and watching and reading “Slumdog Millionaire.”