The Paper
Directed by Ron Howard
Written by David Koepp and Stephen Koepp
Starring Michael Keaton and Glenn Close
Reviewed by Karen Fletcher
This is a film about "one of those days", when a thousand deadlines converge, nothing goes as it should and you need an endless supply of excuses and apologies to deliver to the people inevitably stuffed around by your own impossible schedule.
Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is the metropolitan editor of the New York Sun, a high-circulation tabloid on the verge of financial ruin. It depends on grisly "art" (photographs) and sensational headlines for its continued existence. Hackett evidently works long days, but on this day (the film covers a 24-hour period) "overcommitted" is an understatement.
On this day Hackett must deal with a job interview at a rival paper, a botched lead story, dinner with his wife's parents, the birth of his first child, hysterical fisticuffs with his bean-counting managing editor, the apex of his editor's (Robert Duvall) mid-life crisis and a bout of paranoid schizophrenia potent enough to keep his number one investigative journalist (Randy Quaid) confined to his office for most of the day.
A rather pathetic attempt at philosophy is made in the opening and closing sequences. "One day can change your whole life", say various characters (seemingly gratuitously) to each other. "The decisions you make today could affect the rest of your life in ways you could never foresee", they intone gravely.
But there is nothing in the film to illustrate this dubious homily. Hackett's day was always going to be hell, and his decision-making ability was always going to be substantially impaired. Nevertheless, in true Hollywood style, he summons superhuman strength (is it all that Coca-Cola he drinks so ostentatiously?) to save the day, tell the truth and keep the spirit of democracy alive.
Meanwhile, the women in the film do what stereotypes do best. His wife (Marisa Tomei), hugely pregnant, hassles him about their financial security; his managing editor (Glenn Close, in a virtual reprise of her infamous role as the certifiable "Alex" in Fatal Attraction) beats him up in the printery; and a hapless young photographer botches the front page photo, but everyone knew she would.
This is not a deep, nor meaningful, film, but it would be unfair to say it is without commitment. It is deeply committed, mainly to the twin values of Coca-Cola consumption and gender segregation at work. I laughed here and there.