USA

Synopsis

GOOD NIGHT. AND, GOOD LUCK. takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950s America. lt chronicles the real-life conflict between television news pioneer Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, the ground-breaking Murrow, and his dedicated staff - headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom - defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist `witch-hunts'. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries an regardless and their tenaciousness eventually pays off when McCarthy is brought before the Senate and made powerless as his lies and bullying tactics are finally uncovered. Yet Murrow and his team have paid a high price and the show is shifted to a lesser time slot. Their legacy, however, has remained intact and even reverberates today as the standard for high quality broadcast journalism.

Director's Biography

George Clooney has gone from acclaimed television actor to blockbuster movie star to flourishing executive producer and director. He made his directorial debut in 2002 with CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, for which he won the Special Achievement in Film award from the National Board of Review. He was also an executive producer and directed five of the episodes of UNSCRIPTED, a reality-based show that debuted on HBO and executive producer and cameraman for K-STREET.

George Clooney starred in the blockbuster hits OCEAN’S TWELVE and OCEAN’S ELEVEN. He also starred in the Coen brothers' 0 BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? and won the 2000 Golden Globe Award as Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He earned critical acclaim in the award-winning drama THREE KINGS and in the Oscar-nominated OUT OF SIGHT. His previous feature films include THE PEACEMAKER, BATMAN & ROBIN, ONE FINE DAY and FROM DUSK TILL DAWN.

Prior to playing lead roles in blockbuster features, Clooney starred in several television series but is perhaps best known to TV audiences for his five years on the hit NBC drama ER. His portrayal of Dr. Douglas Ross earned him Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, People's Choice and Emmy nominations.
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: George Clooney

Written by: George Clooney, Grant Heslov

Produced by: Grant Heslov

Cast: David Strathairn (Edward R. Murrow), Patricia Clarkson (Shirley Wershba), George Clooney (Fred Friendly), Jeff Daniels (Sig Mickelson)

Nominations and Awards

  • Screen International Award (for a non-European film) 2005