It takes some work to watch this movie. I would recommend
seeing it in a theater, because it demands all your attention. But
wow, is it good.
A strong argument can be made that Paddy Chayefsky was the
best screenwriter of all time, simply based on the risks he took
and the issues he tackled. Ned Beatty's "There is no God -- only
Business" speech in Network is an absolute tour de force of
writing and social commentary, and it's truer today than it was
twenty-five years ago.
NETWORK actually becomes more contemporary as it gets older.
It is a truly prophetic work -- only Chayefsky was willing to take the
culture of media to its logical endpoint. To say that life and the way
we experience life through the media are two separate things is
preposterous. Just as we think of politics in terms of Democratic
and Republican, we experience a world that has been crafted and
shaped for us by CNN, NBC, HBO and CBS. Mafiosos watch "The
Sopranos." Pop stars are addicted to "American Idol." We define
our own self worth by saying, "At least I'm better off than Anna
Nicole Smith."
Faye Dunaway's character remains one of the best roles ever
written for a woman.
I'm glas that this movie remains on the Top 250 list for IMDb. One
question: why in the world is it listed as a comedy? Yes, it's funny
at points, but if this is a comedy, we're all in trouble.
seeing it in a theater, because it demands all your attention. But
wow, is it good.
A strong argument can be made that Paddy Chayefsky was the
best screenwriter of all time, simply based on the risks he took
and the issues he tackled. Ned Beatty's "There is no God -- only
Business" speech in Network is an absolute tour de force of
writing and social commentary, and it's truer today than it was
twenty-five years ago.
NETWORK actually becomes more contemporary as it gets older.
It is a truly prophetic work -- only Chayefsky was willing to take the
culture of media to its logical endpoint. To say that life and the way
we experience life through the media are two separate things is
preposterous. Just as we think of politics in terms of Democratic
and Republican, we experience a world that has been crafted and
shaped for us by CNN, NBC, HBO and CBS. Mafiosos watch "The
Sopranos." Pop stars are addicted to "American Idol." We define
our own self worth by saying, "At least I'm better off than Anna
Nicole Smith."
Faye Dunaway's character remains one of the best roles ever
written for a woman.
I'm glas that this movie remains on the Top 250 list for IMDb. One
question: why in the world is it listed as a comedy? Yes, it's funny
at points, but if this is a comedy, we're all in trouble.