All the President's Men (1976)
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Two reporters for The Washington Post investigate the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
The story
Following the discovery of a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex, The Washington Post assigns two reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, to cover the story. Initially considered of minor importance, the investigation reveals that the burglars possessed sophisticated electronic equipment and had ties to the intelligence community. As the two reporters work together, they begin to uncover a web of connections involving high-level government officials and the Nixon administration. Guided by a mysterious, anonymous source known as 'Deep Throat,' they must navigate a maze of secrets to determine the true scope of the conspiracy and its implications for the presidency.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a security guard finds a tampered door at the Watergate complex, five burglars are arrested. Reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post are assigned to the case. They discover the burglars had ties to the CIA and were linked to a high-priced attorney. Woodward begins communicating with 'Deep Throat,' a secret source who advises him to 'follow the money.' The investigation leads them to a slush fund used by the Nixon administration to fund a 'ratfucking' campaign to sabotage political opponents. As the scope of the conspiracy grows, they uncover that the cover-up involved the entire U.S. intelligence community. The film follows their investigation through the 1972-1973 period, culminating in a montage of headlines leading to Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.
- First release year
- 1976
- Runtime (minutes)
- 138
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alan J. Pakula
- Writers
- William Goldman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Robert Redford · Woodward; Dustin Hoffman · Bernstein; Jack Warden; Martin Balsam · Howard Simons; Hal Holbrook · Deep Throat; Jason Robards · Ben Bradlee
- Genres
- biographical; neo-noir; political thriller
- Themes
- freedom of the press; abuse of power; government corruption
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful; realistic
- Premise and plot tags
- investigative journalism; political conspiracy; historical drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1974 non-fiction book by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
- Reception
- The film received near-universal acclaim from critics for its portrayal of journalism and its tense, realistic depiction of the Watergate scandal.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 76
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · won
- Production trivia
- The film introduced the catchphrase 'follow the money' which was not in the book.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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