All the President's Men

This film had a no-fail story. The story of how the eventual final draft of the screenplay happened is a story itself. William Goldman was the first screenwriter hired to write the screenplay and it was his final draft that appears on the screen. However, as it is in Hollywood, tinkering and other hands stirring the pot created an interesting soup before the final meal. Rewrites (and numerous rewrites) usually have a negative impact on a film. Too many cooks in the kitchen bog down an otherwise straightforward story.

With All The President’s Men, the final product is superlative, so it is a minor miracle that the screenplay survived through Goldman’s first draft through to his final draft. It took a writer as special as William Goldman to make it happen. This film could have easily gotten bogged down in political detail, but the writing flowed so naturally that the film chugs along at a crisp pace. Goldman deservedly won the Oscar for Best Screenplay.

Along with the great screenplay, a word of mention must be made about the great job done by actor Jason Robards. I’ve always admired his work. He delivers in every performance he gives. Here, he is no less great. Concerning the end of the film ending with Nixon’s inauguration in 1973 rather than ending with him leaving office, the ending was appropriate. The story was “the story”, not Watergate.