Good Night, and Good Luck.

Starring: George Clooney, Mac Brandt, Will Dagger, Christopher Denham, R. Ward Duffy, Glenn Fleshler, Joe Forbrich, Ilana Glazer, Clark Gregg, Paul Gross
Directed by: David Cromer
Written by: George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Genre: Drama
2025

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Edward R. Murrow (George Clooney) confronts Senator Joseph McCarthy on air, seeking to stop the spread of McCarthyism, which is badly damaging America.

Review:

Tim: I feel so fortunate I was able to be in New York City and get tickets to see Good Night, and Good Luck. I loved George Clooney's film, and so I was quite interested in seeing him make his Broadway debut, in a play he wrote, adapting his film for the stage. Interesting, he shifts roles, stepping into the protagonist role as Edward R. Murrow. I was obviously familiar with this story, both from history books and from the movie. Getting to see it performed live would undoubtedly be a treat.

I thought the play was good- it's a success and it delivers a powerful message that sadly feels poignantly relevant in 2025. We may be experiencing even darker times now than Murrow did in the 1950s. For this reason, it feels like an important, timely play- a reminder that unless good people stand up, darkness and evil will spread. I have to admit, though, that the story makes a much better film than play. I thought the film was outstanding, a great movie (my favorite film of 2005). The play is good. It's effective, interesting, but it's never really great. For this story, you have to understand the characters- you need to see the tension, the turmoil on Murrow's face as he risks so much to do what is right. You simply can't get close enough in the theater. The Winter Garden Theater is impressive and I had decent seats, but there's no close ups in theater. I felt a distance from the characters and their emotions. This is simply a story that is a more compelling film than theater. That doesn't mean the show is bad, but I felt somewhat removed from it.

It's also interesting to me that George Clooney steps into Murrow's role, but it feels impossible not to compare him to David Strathairn. Now, Clooney is a great actor- we all know this, it's not really a debatable topic. However, Strathairn gave a brilliant, stunning performance in the film. Clooney- as good as he is- can't quite replicate it on stage. Strathairn was able to convey so much emotion, simultaneously portraying both strength and fragility in his role. Clooney is a bit too charismatic, a bit too confident in his performance. So, you have this odd scenario when I applaud Clooney and admire the work he did on stage- he's quite good. And yet, you also have to admit that you've seen another actor do the role even better. Again, it's just an odd experience.

The rest of the cast is solid. I loved getting to see Clark Gregg on screen, but like always, I didn't feel like he got enough time. His performance is effective, emotional, and I wish he had more to do. Still, for an actor I really like, I'm glad he got the scenes he did and it was great fun seeing him on the stage. Ilana Glazer also gave a strong supporting performance. I really enjoyed her character and the dialogue she had. Glenn Fleshler was excellent, too. He makes a different, but very engaging Fred Friendly. He worked well opposite Clooney.

As far as the play itself, I thought it was good, but never quite packed the punch it needed. The stage design was solid- they didn't skimp on the production. The movement, the use of audio and video from actual interviews- it's all done quite well, to put you into the newsroom and the time period. It feels like it moves fairly quickly through events (the play is only 1 hour, 40 minutes, with no intermission) but it never wastes your time. I enjoyed it. One last comment- there is a powerful moment at the end when it breaks out of the time period and behind Clooney, it shows a series of clips that fast forward from the 1950s to today. The montage ends with Elon Musk's NAZI salute, which is a startling final image. One woman gasped in the crowd. It was a sobering reminder that we're currently facing a Constitutional crisis unlike anything we've seen before in American history. McCarthyism was bad, but we are likely facing even darker days today. Clooney has been as much of a problem as a positive in this struggle (I'm still bitter about how he approached the takedown of Biden), but I do think his heart is in the right place. The play has a message, and I'm looking around the country and right now, I don't see an Edward R. Murrow. I'm hoping that enough good people will stand up, or we'll soon be in a future where plays like this will not be shown in this country. It's sad and frightening, and this play is yet one more reminder.

Somber note, but context matters. For that reason, I'm really glad I saw the play. It's very good, never great, but definitely worth our time. I wish it would have more of an impact, but it'll likely be preaching to the choir. The people who go see this already understand the threats and dangers of fascism and the peril of oligarchies. I guess the best we can hope for is that at some point in the future, we can see a play about how we made it through these current dark times.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



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