WOMEN JOURNALISTS RULE

Here’s a fun list of movies that feature women as journalists.  It includes screwball comedies, docudramas and super hero films.  And while it’s reasonably comprehensive, it does omit some notable portrayals.  I am actually happy about two of the omissions.  First, there’s Sally Field in “Absence of Malice.”   There are at least two problems with this film in my mind.  First, the media lawyer in the movie is fat, bald and pretentious.  As a media lawyer, I resent this.  I am neither fat nor bald.  Second, Field’s character is an easily manipulated dimwit, who sleeps with the subject of her investigation.  Coupled with her phony smoking (she looks like she’s never touched a cigarette much less smoked one) this is just a bad look.

The other omission is Meryl Streep in “The Post.”  In it she portrays Katherine Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post.  The film recounts the Post’s efforts to publish the Pentagon Papers.  There’s nothing wrong with Streep’s performance – it is excellent. It’s just that the movie kind of gives the credit for the Pentagon Papers story to the Washington Post, instead of to The New York Times, which actually broke the story.

I’m also puzzled why Rachel McAdams is nowhere to be found on the list. She played a reporter in “State of Play” and “Spotlight” and she was excellent in both.  Maybe the maker of the list was holding a grudge over “Mean Girls.”

Some of the very best journalists I’ve worked with are women, so it’s nice to see Hollywood showing some love.  In any event, check out some of these movies.  Some are truly excellent.