Back in 1976, no one could have known how prophetic NETWORK really was in its view of how news and entertainment would blur in the decades ahead. With Reality TV now dominating the airwaves, NETWORK appears more visionary but still holds up as a 70's classic as well.
Peter Finch is Howard Beale, a network anchor losing his mind on national TV much to the horror of the news director and long time friend Max (William Holden).
Entertainment execs Faye Dunaway and Robert Duvall ride Beale's madness all the way to the top of the ratings, ignoring the personal damage for the network profits.
Brilliantly written by Paddy Chayefsky, who won an Oscar for the film, Network is hilarious, tense, dramatic and as good as it gets.
The whole cast is excellent, with Peter Finch as the mad anchor, Dunaway at her sexy, horrifying boss best and Beatrice Straight as Holden's long suffering wife all Oscar winners for their roles.
Network has a lot to say, and with so much of it coming true nearly 40 years later, we should all pay attention.
An intelligent, funny and razor sharp A.
Comments