Good Night, and Good Luck.: The Screenplay and History Behind the Landmark Movie (Newmarket Shooting Script) [Paperback]

George Clooney (Author), Grant Heslov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2006 | Series: Newmarket Shooting Script

The only official companion book to the award-winning new film, complete with the original shooting script, extensive historical material and commentaries.

Good Night, and Good Luck. takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950s America. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) and Senator Joseph McCarthy. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow and his dedicated staff—headed by his producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) and Joe Wershba (Robert Downey Jr.) in the CBS newsroom—defy corporate and sponsorship pressures and examine the lies and scare-mongering 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. Despite the climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on, and their tenacity eventually pays off when McCarthy is brought before the Senate and his lies and bullying tactics are finally uncovered.

In a format similar to the Newmarket Press books on Hotel Rwanda and Kinsey, this in-depth companion delves into the history behind the acclaimed film. In addition to the complete screenplay by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, this informative volume features historical materials and articles, original contributions from the actual figures featured in the film (Joe and Shirley Wershba, Milo Radulovich and others), and an exclusive Q&A with the screenwriters Clooney and Heslov. 40 b/w photos.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Clooney won the Special Achievement in Film award from the National Board of Review for his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. His acting credits include the blockbuster hits Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Eleven, the critically acclaimed Three Kings, the Oscar®-nominated Out of Sight and the Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou?, for which he won the Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) Golden Globe. Grant Heslov served as the director and producer of the critically acclaimed series Unscripted, and co-executive producer of K Street, both for HBO. In his long career as an actor, he has had roles in the TV shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The X-Files, and the feature films The Scorpion King, Enemy of the State, Dante's Peak, The Birdcage, Congo and True Lies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Newmarket Press (March 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557047146
• ISBN-13: 978-1557047144
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than pages in a book..., March 23, 2006

By 

James Hiller (Beaverton, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Good Night, and Good Luck.: The Screenplay and History Behind the Landmark Movie (Newmarket Shooting Script) (Paperback)

Edward R. Murrow, trailblazing journalist, produced a series of groundbreaking television shows in the 1950's, daring... just daring to suggest that a rampaging Congressman from Wisconsin was wrong. His courage, in the face of a not always supportive supervisors, in the face of politicians who would rage war against his characters, is tenable. This book is a salute, both to the award winning film, "Good Night, and Good Luck", and to the comparable Murrow and his re-visioning of news in America.

The book is a perfect companion piece to the film. Offering several retrospective articles, they are brief and illuminate the life and times during this paranoid period in history. An extensive question and answer session from George Clooney and Grant Heslov share their experiences with making this film.

The true work of art is the script. Spare, sparse, and wonderfully vibrant, the script glistens with the actual words of Murrow, and a taut drama to bring them on to television. My favorite scene in the movie translates to my favorite scene in the script, when Murrow, so eloquently, so precisely proclaims, "We're gonna go on with the story because the terror is right in this room." Bingo.

Some proclaim "Good Night, and Good Luck" to be a fluff propaganda piece designed to promulgate the liberal politicial fascinations of George Clooney, et. al. It seems no matter what the subject matter is, as long as Clooney is involved, that labeled is quickly slapped on it. However, this film resonates with a clear message, what's past is prolgue. Those who don't heed the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.

The fact of the matter is, Murrow's words, spoken 50 years ago, are equally as true today. Fact is, we need the Murrows of the world, to stand, speak the truth, and fight for what is right. This film, this book, is a celebration of that.

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, August 2, 2011

By 

Linda Stevens "oracle" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Good Night, and Good Luck.: The Screenplay and History Behind the Landmark Movie (Newmarket Shooting Script) (Paperback)

I purchased the book for the wrong reason. I thought it would teach me how to write a Screenplay, instead it delivered what it promised...the facts behind the making of a really great movie.