The Pentagon Papers

"His greatest act of patriotism was an act of treason."

2003 1h 32m EN

😐

5.8

MID

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★5.8TMDB · 40★6.5IMDB · 1,562

DramaThrillerHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

This compelling political drama is based on the true story of high-ranking Pentagon official Daniel Ellsberg, who, during the Nixon era, strove to preserve American democracy by leaking top-secret documents to the New York Times and Washington Post. The documents in question would eventually become famous as the Pentagon Papers, which revealed the true reasons for U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

“His greatest act of patriotism was an act of treason.”

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Cast

James Spader
Daniel Ellsberg
Claire Forlani
Patricia Marx
Paul Giamatti
Anthony Russo
Alan Arkin
Harry Rowen
Kenneth Welsh
John McNaughon
Maria del Mar
Carol Ellsberg
Aaron Ashmore
Randy Kehler
Jonas Chernick
Neil Sheehan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rod Holcomb
Writers: Jason Horwitch
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rod Holcomb, shot by Michael Mayers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Normand Corbeil. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Christopher Nelson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

James Spader and Claire Forlani and Paul Giamatti carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "His greatest act of patriotism was an act of treason.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0330760 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rod Holcomb directs. Michael Mayers behind the camera. Normand Corbeil scores. Christopher Nelson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 23 years ago.
2Directed by Rod Holcomb, shot by Michael Mayers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Normand Corbeil. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Christopher Nelson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Spader and Claire Forlani and Paul Giamatti carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "His greatest act of patriotism was an act of treason.".
7IMDB entry: tt0330760 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.