Jeremy Renner is one of Hollywood’s most intense, underrated actors. So when he signed up to star in the journalism thriller “Kill the Messenger,” movie mavens figured the film had both critical and commercial potential.
The 2014 movie earned mostly positive reviews and snared an Oscar-friendly release date, Oct. 10, 2014. So what happened? The film ended up earning $2.4 million, less than half its budget, a pittance by every possible measure. Awards season glory went to other films.
[lz_ndn video= 26270687]
So maybe we’re not interested in seeing journalists as heroes on the big screen. Is it any wonder, given the profession’s willingness to bend the truth, cover up inconvenient facts and otherwise stain the trust we once held for the profession?
Americans need only recall last week’s GOP debate on CNBC featuring moderator questions that nearly all sides agreed were ugly and biased, to understand why.
A 2015 study by Gallup found that only 4 in 10 Americans have either a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the news coming into their homes. That matches the historical lows reached in both 2012 and 2014 on the subject. Those figures have been generally shrinking since 1998. The study notes that since 2007, most Americans say they have “little or no trust” in the mass media. So why would we pay north of $10 for a ticket to see a journalist in a heroic context?
So why would we pay north of $10 for a ticket to see a journalist in a heroic context?
The film’s public disavowal falls in line with the reception for “Truth,” the new Robert Redford movie chronicling the RatherGate scandal from a decidedly biased angle. That film had been bombing during its limited theatrical run earlier this month. Over the weekend, “Truth” expanded to 1,122 theaters and hauled in a meager $900,000, despite the presence of Redford and Oscar winner Cate Blanchett.
Earlier this year, the gritty drama “True Story,” about a journalist’s uneasy ties with a man accused of killing his family, only managed to earn $4 million despite starring Jonah Hill and James Franco.
This year’s “Nightcrawler” fared far better, earning $32 million. The story featured a less than noble journalist, though. Jake Gyllenhaal’s character was an amoral type eager to feed off the misfortune of others.
[lz_ndn video= 29461916]
Our distrust for the mainstream media puts “Spotlight” in a tricky position. The film, opening in select theaters Friday, features an all-star cast (Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and more) in the fact-based tale of the Boston Globe’s coverage on the Boston Archdiocese’s child sex scandal. The film has earned early huzzahs from most critics and could be a contender for a Best Picture Oscar nomination.
Will audiences line up for a gritty tale of journalists using their resources to expose the church’s wrongdoings? Or will their disdain for the media keep them away from theaters this weekend?
Join the Discussion
Comments are currently closed.