
The Press Box The April Issue: The 50th Anniversary of 'All the President’s Men' With Sean Fennessey
Apr 9, 2026
Sean Fennessey, journalist and film critic, discusses the 50th anniversary of All the President’s Men. He explores how the film reads in today’s political climate. They trace Robert Redford’s role in shaping the story and William Goldman’s screenplay choices. Conversations dive into Alan Pakula’s direction, Gordon Willis’s cinematography, casting, and the film’s lasting cultural legacy.
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Why The Movie Feels Nostalgic Today
- All the President's Men feels nostalgic now because 1970s institutions like the Washington Post were larger-than-life players in politics and culture.
- Sean Fennessey explains modern media fragmentation and Trump's durability make that institutional power feel impossible today.
How Robert Redford Reframed The Book
- Robert Redford discovered Woodward and Bernstein early and pushed them to make the story about the reporters, not Nixon.
- He met Woodward in 1973, told him "you're writing the wrong book," and effectively performed a top edit steering the project toward a filmable buddy story.
The Movie Invented Reporter-As-Character Storytelling
- Redford's move to make the reporters protagonists anticipated modern parasocial storytelling where journalists become characters.
- Sean Fennessey calls it an early signal event in media personalities building personal brands.






