A Beautiful Mind

 SPOILER ALERT! The plot will be discussed.

 

The title of the film, A Beautiful Mind (2001), takes on depth as the story of mathematician John Nash unfolds. His mental abilities produced Nobel Prize winning insights. But, he also was schizophrenic, so the same mental powers that engendered brilliant rational breakthroughs also created damaging hallucinations. He was someone who was searching for insights in the abstract realm of numbers to be applied to the real world, but he also many times had no connection with reality. 

 

The opening speech from Professor Helinger (Judd Hirsch) at Princeton University in 1947 to new graduate students places a great deal of pressure on the entering class. There is a focus on using the science of mathematics to fight enemies, breaking codes and building the atomic bomb. Nash sits in the back of the room, his eyes avoiding contact, already establishing himself as an outsider. Helinger’s outlook may have contributed to what John Nash (Russell Crowe, excellent here) thought was his purpose and which fueled his paranoia about foreign adversaries targeting him. 

 At the outside reception, Nash observes patterns in what he sees as lines forming geometric shapes light up as he perceives them. This camera imagery is often used by director Ron Howard (winning the Oscar for Best Director here) and his fellow filmmakers to highlight mental epiphanies, according to IMDb. They are flashes of light, showing how his creativity is drawing things together. The scene also illustrates Nash’s witty humor when he says to a fellow student that “there could be a mathematical explanation for how bad your tie is.” Martin Hansen (Josh Lucas) asks Nash to get him a drink, saying Nash presented himself as a waiter, probably because he is wearing a bow tie. Again, Nash’s sarcasm surfaces as he says, “Imagine you’re getting quite used to miscalculation.” He goes on to say that Hansen’s publications lack anything noteworthy. Rivalry obviously exists between these two winners of the Carnegie Scholarship. Nash has nervous, quirky hand movements which show his awkward social skills. Nash also meets Sol (Adam Goldberg) and Bender (Anthony Rapp) here who become Nash’s friends. 

 

In his room, Nash encounters his supposed English major British roommate, funny (“Officer, I know who hit me, it was Johnny Walker) Charles Herman (Paul Bettany), who is suffering from a hangover. While he cracks jokes, Nash writes mathematical equations on his dorm window, a sort of metaphor for how his mental powers shed light on his numerical exploits. In answer to Charles’s questions about him, Nash says he is “well-balanced” because he has “a chip on both soldiers.” It is comical, but it also reveals Nash feeling that he must battle adversity. Charles points out that Nash is better with “integers” than people. Nash adds that he had a teacher who said he had “two helpings of brain but only half a helping of heart.” This discussion points to Nash’s lack of emotional connection to others. He admits that he doesn’t like people and they don’t care for him. He is impatient to bypass personal relationships so he will not waste time on his quest to map out “the governing dynamics” of existence and find a “truly original idea” so, as Charles says, he will “matter.” The two are drinking on a roof, which is fitting as Nash looks down literally and figuratively on the other students, calling them, “lesser mortals.” 

 

Hansen challenges Nash to a board game, and he is astonished that he loses to Hansen. Nash feels his “play was perfect.” Competition is at the center of Nash’s drive to succeed. It is here that he starts to investigate “game theory,” which will lead to the idea of those “governing dynamics” that will be applied to economics and for which Nash will be most known. 

 

Nash approaches a blonde at a bar and is unsocial to the point of insensitivity. He says he is not sure what he is supposed to say so that they can have sexual intercourse, so maybe they should skip right to having sex. She slaps him and walks out. He must learn to try a different tactic, as we soon discover. 

At present, Nash hasn’t been attending classes, which he sees as being just derivative, and not aiding invention. He doesn’t have a topic for his doctoral dissertation, and hasn’t published anything. Helinger tells him that he can't be recommended for placement in a post-graduate position. Nash sees recognition and accomplishment as the same thing, showing his need for validation as the talented outsider. 

 Nash becomes upset, telling Charles he must follow “their” rules in order to get ahead instead of taking the road less traveled. This idea is symbolized by his pushing his desk away from the window, on which he scribbles his equations, where the light of inspiration shines upon him. Charles counters that argument by telling Nash he must follow his passion outside the walls of the educational institution, and he pushes the desk through the window, watching it fall to the ground. The act shows the need for Nash to break through traditional restrictions on his “beautiful mind.”

 Nash is in the bar again. But now he employs a version of game theory when he tells the other math men that if they avoid making a play for the blonde who is present, then they will not have to compete for her, and the other women there will not consider themselves as second choices. That way, they can all “get laid,” and thus win. He says that economist Adam Smith's idea of everyone doing what’s best for himself will automatically be good for the group is “incomplete.” Crowe does a hand gesture with the fingers of one hand curled up touching his forehead. It seems to signify that he has some idea to communicate, but it also shows his shyness, a way of not looking directly at someone. Nash says that the individual must do what’s good for himself and take into account what’s good for the group. He is devising a plan that allows for participation in a goal-oriented strategy that does not have to produce a loser but instead allows each person in the group to win. He goes back to his desk, restored to its spot near the illuminating window, and he begins writing his equations, revising 150 years of economic theory. Helinger is impressed with Nash’s work and gives him the go-ahead to develop his theories on “governing dynamics.” He chooses his pals, Sol and Bender, to be part of his team.

 

When we catch up with Nash later he has his doctorate and has gained that recognition he sought, appearing on the cover of Fortune magazine. The Pentagon calls him to attempt to decipher code they believe the Russians are transmitting. After looking at a wall of numbers, the digits illuminate for Nash, and he says that there are latitudes and longitudes among the figures that relate to routing places in the United States. When he asks about what the Russians may be planning, he is basically told to leave as he is not authorized access to further information. He looks up and he sees a man on a walkway, but the others there do not acknowledge this person. 

 

While in a car, Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s voice is heard, the man who promulgated the “red scare,” and paranoia about communism. The belief that the enemy was among us plays into Nash’s personal feelings of persecution and the urgency being promulgated that mathematics must be used to fight political adversaries. Nash now works at the defense labs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He complains to Sol and Bender that the Russians have the hydrogen bomb, the Nazis found sanctuary in South America, and the Chinese are gaining force. But he complains that he is being underused by being assigned to study stress problems in a dam. He has taken Helinger’s mission that he first heard as a graduate student very much to heart.

 

Nash must still teach classes as part of the deal to keep his research projects going. At the class, he throws the textbook into the trash, showing his disdain for tradition. He sees the class as a waste of his time. He puts an equation on the board as a kind of test to weed out who is worthy of his teaching efforts. In the class is Alicia Larde (Jennifer Connelly, winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this role). By using her attractive attributes, she is able to persuade the construction workers outside to be quiet during the class, winning Nash’s admiration for problem solving.

 Just as Nash has complained that he isn't getting a chance to show his abilities to fight America’s enemies, the man who Nash called “Big Brother” at the Pentagon observing from above shows up to give Nash a chance at more recognition. He calls himself William Parcher (Ed Harris), and he says he supervised security over J. Robert Oppenheimer’s atomic project. When Parcher brings up how many lives can be lost in the pursuit of weapons, Nash is rather cold, saying progress requires the need for sacrifice. Parcher says Nash’s “lone wolf” life will be advantageous, most likely for performing covert activities. Thus, Parcher’s existence justifies Nash’s anti-social nature and his desire for recognition. As they walk into a “secure” area, Parcher says they know him there, so he doesn’t have to show credentials. Therefore, he does not interact with the guard. The above details become important later.

 

Parcher takes Nash into what were supposed to be abandoned warehouses. Inside, he sees many men in white coats operating rows of computers. Parcher tells Nash he now has top secret clearance, and calls him the best natural codebreaker around. Parcher’s function then is to bestow the acknowledgement of Nash’s talents that the mathematician believes he deserves. Parcher says that the Russians took a portable atomic bomb that the Nazis had developed, and the locations that Nash identified earlier at the Pentagon are places the Russians are exploring to explode the bomb. Parcher says that the Russians are placing coded messages in newspapers and magazines, and that’s why they need Nash’s help. Parcher makes an interesting observation when he says, “Man is capable of as much atrocity as he has imagination.” His comment adds irony to the title of the film by showing the underside of a brilliant “beautiful mind.” Parcher’s team supposedly puts an implant in Nash’s arm so he will have access to a drop point where he can deliver his findings.

 

Alicia comes to his office with what Nash calls an “elegant” proof of the problem he wrote on the board, but she made assumptions which didn’t solve the problem. She asks him to dinner, but he says he usually eats alone, and he says he is like Prometheus with a bird circling above. His humorous image reveals that he sees himself as a rebel, like the mythological personage, who gave fire to earthlings. Nash sees himself as a godlike entity who will endure tribulations to bring mental illumination to those incapable of such achievement. 

 Nash takes Alicia to a formal university affair. She is able to navigate his social awkwardness by engaging in his peculiar humor. He draws objects in the night sky by connecting stars with his hand. He sees patterns, maybe where there are none except what we impose on them. The exercise again shows his desire to find form and insights in the universe. However, at the event, he believes men there are observing him, which shows how imagination can warp reality into something ominous. He later drops his sealed classified findings into a lockbox at a gated house by using the changing codes on his implant that are illuminated under a black light. It is done at night and there is a dangerous feel to the place as a car slows down to observe him there.

 

Nash tells Alicia that his directness has not been socially successful, so it is an effort for him to adapt to the rules of society. She encourages him to say what he wants to say. He concedes that even though he finds her attractive and wishes to have intercourse as soon as possible with her, he feels he must go through “platonic” romantic rituals to reach that outcome. He then says he expects a slap across the face, as he experienced earlier at the bar. Instead, she kisses him passionately, showing that with her his honesty is rewarded, and how the two are compatible.

 

Charles reunites with Nash and brings his niece, Marcee (Vivien Cardone), who Charles says he has taken custody of since the death of his sister. Charles says he is close by at Harvard. IMDb notes that when Marcee runs through a field full of birds, they do not scatter, suggesting that she doesn’t exist. Nash tells Charles about Alicia and wonders how he can be sure that asking her to marry him is the correct move. Charles says, “Nothing’s ever for sure, John. That’s the only sure thing I do know.” That unpredictability comes from a person who supposedly studies literature, an art form, and it offsets Nash’s longing for mathematical certainty.

 

Nash meets Alicia at a restaurant and says he needs “proof” and “verifiable data” that would indicate that they can be in a long-term relationship. He says this while bending on one knee. It is like a mathematical marriage proposal. In response, Alicia says she must modify her notions of romance to accommodate his data-driven inquiry. She asks how big the universe is, and he says it is infinite. But, he concedes that impression can’t be proven, so he just believes it. She says it’s the same with love, one can’t prove it, but somehow just believes it. Alicia is able to show that not all things, such as emotions and ideas, can be proven, but they still exist within people.

 The two get married, but on his wedding day Nash sees Parcher with a disapproving look, since the lack of attachments to others supposedly justified his service. This image shows the conflict within Nash. When Nash drops a report off, Parcher drives by, tells Nash the spot is compromised, and they are being followed. They speed away as Parcher fires on the approaching vehicle. The terrified Nash sees the enemy vehicle eventually end up in the water. Nash is distant when he goes home to Alicia, and locks the door of his room behind him, as he is now suspicious of everyone, which reinforces his detachment from others. He looks at his students and out through windows and doors as if everyone is a threat. His warped view of reality paints him as a victim of other forces which are trying to destroy him. 

 

Parcher visits Nash in his office, and his presence is there to prevent Nash from rejecting his immersion into his world of paranoia. Nash asserts that he has a wife and will soon be a father, and wants to quit so as to shift his focus to positive things, away from his preoccupation with fear. But Parcher is here to assert that feeling of dread by threatening Nash, saying if he doesn’t continue his work, Parcher will not protect him from the Russians. 

 

There are shadows on the walls of Nash’s house as he keeps watch through his blinds. They appear to be real, but shadows are just optical illusions, like Nash’s fears. Alicia begins to realize there is something wrong with her husband as he acts irrationally, suspicious of why she turned on the light at night, and then ordering her to leave for her sister’s place. She looks at the telephone and it seems she is about to seek help for Nash.

 

As Nash gives a lecture he sees men entering from the back of the room that he thinks are enemy agents who are after him. He says to his students that one can’t assign values to variables, which shows that Nash can't even find sanctuary among the predictability of mathematics. He runs out of the lecture hall and he is pursued, but not by enemy agents. Dr. Rosen (Christopher Plummer) approaches him and says he is a psychiatrist. Nash punches Rosen and tries to flee. Rosen injects him with a sedative as Nash sees Charles and his niece observe what transpires.

 

Nash has been admitted to a psychiatric facility where he is in restraints. Nash addresses Charles who he sees there, and he believes that Charles betrayed him by delivering him to the Russians. But, Rosen says there is no one there. If we haven’t already deduced it, Nash has hallucinations. Rosen informs Alicia that Nash is schizophrenic, which many times involves paranoia, and her husband’s belief that he is working to discover conspiracies is a symptom of his mental disorder. Moreover, Nash’s occupation allowed these delusions to go on without being discovered. Rosen gets Alicia to admit she never met Charles, saw a photo of the man, or talked to him on the telephone. Nash said that Charles was his roommate, but Rosen discovered that he lived alone at Princeton. Rosen says he must make Nash distinguish between what is real and what are illusions generated by his otherwise beautiful mind.

 When Alicia gets into Nash’s college office she sees how extreme his activity has been, cutting up magazines and placing pictures and articles all over the walls. Sol and Bender, knowing how offbeat Nash is, gave him a great deal of leeway and did not question his covert activities. Sol followed Nash once to the drop site and now Alicia goes to the estate where Nash was supposed to deliver his findings. The place has been abandoned for some time, with the drop box a broken mailbox and the gate opener busted. 

 

At the hospital, Nash adapts the “facts” as he sees them to fit his beliefs, as most conspiracy obsessed people do. He says the Russians can’t kill him because he is too well known, so they are confining him. Alicia tells her husband that she found out there is no Parcher and no conspiracy. She shows him all the unopened envelopes he placed in the mailbox. Of course, he walks out on her because the truth will upend his universe, and he can’t tolerate that. 

 He tries cutting out the implant in his arm, but says that it is already gone. Nash starts to get a glimmer of what has been plaguing him. As Rosen prepares Nash for drug therapy, Rosen says how horrible it is to realize that people an individual thought one knew never existed, and that beliefs one held were completely false. It’s as if the “fake news” that one accused others of propagating was real, and one’s own beliefs were the false ones. 

 

Back at Princeton, Alicia tells Sol that the delusions have passed, but Nash will not show up at Princeton, possibly feeling shame, where his academic competitor Hansen is now department chairperson. She feels an obligation to take care of the man she fell in love with, making sure he takes his medications and encourages him to be active. Sol visits Nash, who tells him not to sit on Harvey, the imaginary rabbit from the film. Nash has kept his sense of humor, saying what’s the point of being “nuts” if one can’t have some fun. But when he hands his indecipherable scribblings to Sol, it is obvious that Nash isn’t capable of functioning efficiently, as he says, due to the effects of the medications he is taking. He still feels that his work is the most important part of his life at this stage. He holds his child while in a stupor, despondent, devoid of any emotional attachment to his family.

 

Alicia has her own paranoia concerning what Nash states, assuming what he says is influenced by his schizophrenia. He tells her he was talking to the garbage collectors, but she says they don’t pick up trash at night. Then she sees the men working outside. They both giggle, and she apologies, probably realizing she too must adjust to what is really happening. But that light moment is followed by a heartbreaking one as Alicia makes sexual overtures in bed and he resists. He admits it’s the medication, which can decrease the libido drastically. She looks devastated, so the implication is that there has been no intimacy for a long time. She goes into the bathroom and throws a glass of water at the mirror, shattering both, and screams her frustration. When Nash takes the shards out to the trash, it is a metaphor for what is broken in their lives.

 

Nash secretly stops taking his pills, most likely so he can provide the intimacy that Alicia wants. But, that brings back his condition as he is confronted by Parcher who has armed soldiers with him. He takes Nash to a large shed on Nash’s property that he staffed with personnel and electronic equipment to pinpoint the location of the nuclear weapon the Russians want to detonate. Nash tries to deny the existence of what he sees, but then submits to the fantasy. The film seems to be saying that delusions which feed our preconceptions are difficult to let go.

 

Alicia hears a radio transmission coming from the dilapidated building on their property, and when she enters she sees that her husband has reproduced his office and plastered the place with newspaper clippings and push pins with thread which try to depict an imagined conspiracy. She runs back into the house where Nash has left their baby alone in a tub filling up with water. He says that Charles was watching over the child, but she can't see him because Charles has “been injected with a cloaking serum.” His own arm implant “dissolved” allowing him to see Charles. The storm that is raging outside mirrors the mental one that is devastating Nash’s mind, tearing down all the sturdy logical ideas that once thrived there. 

 

Parcher appears and tells Nash that he must get rid of Alicia because she is a national security risk. After Alicia sees Nash talking to nobody, Nash then conjures up Charles and his niece, and Charles tells him to do what Parcher said. Nash is mentally at war with himself, wanting to believe what he sees but also protective of his family. Then, his mathematical rationality bursts through with an epiphany that will not allow a delusion to extinguish. He stops Alicia and says that he realizes that Charles’s supposed niece, Marcee, never ages; therefore, she can’t be real. 

 

With Rosen present, Nash still sees Charles and his niece, and Rosen says he must return to the hospital for more treatment. Nash says the medication stops him from working, taking care of his child, and responding to his wife. He says he is a problem solver, and he needs time to figure out the solution. But Rosen points out the dilemma, since Nash’s condition is not like a mathematical mystery, and Nash’s mind can’t be the tool to fix things since the defect is in his brain. 

 

Nash does not want to return to the institution, but fears for how his condition threatens Alicia’s safety. So, he tells her to go to her mother’s place where the baby is already. But, she refuses to leave him, and touches him, saying what’s real is in his feelings, not in his mind. In this way, she expands his sense of reality.

 

Two months later, Nash visits Hansen at Princeton University. Hansen says he is an old friend, and he no longer seems to be a foe. As opposed to feeling that being apart from others allowed him to excel without distractions, Nash now sees being part of a community will help him become mentally healthy. He just wants to be able to hang out in the library. But, he appears outside, fighting his demons, as Parcher resurfaces and harasses him, while others watch as Nash argues with an illusion.

 

But, with Alicia supporting his fight to overcome his symptoms without resorting to extreme medical treatment, Nash goes back to the college library each day, writing equations as he once did, on the windowpanes, letting the real and figurative light shine upon him. He now refuses to speak to his imaginary creations. 

 

Time passes, their son grows up, and there is now a gray-haired Nash in 1978 still working on equations at the Princeton University library. He eventually engages with some students and expresses a desire to teach again. He admits to Hansen that he still sees Parcher, Charles and Marcee, but since he has ignored them, they don’t intrude anymore. Hansen says that they still haunt him, but Nash says. “They are my past. Everyone is haunted by their past.” The problem he must deal with, though, is that Nash’s past just happens to feel like it has more substance in the present than that of others. 

 

The next jump is to 1994 and Nash is an elderly man, but he is back to teaching and working on his math projects. Someone from the Nobel Prize committee visits him, saying he is being considered for the award based on his bargaining theories that have numerous economic applications and eventually even biological evolutionary considerations. Nash realizes that the visit is to make sure he doesn’t embarrass the prestigious awards ceremony by acting crazy. He admits to the possibility that he may act out because he still sees things that aren’t there. He takes newer medications, and says he is on a sort of mental “diet” where he does not indulge his fantasies. While entering the faculty dining area for the first time in years the other professors pay Nash tribute, as he saw they did many years ago for another professor, by giving him their pens. He has received the recognition he once sought.

 The story concludes with Nash’s Nobel Prize speech where he says all of his mental explorations have brought him to the conclusion that, “it is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reasons can be found.” Love, a supposedly irrational area, has provided him the most meaning concerning existence. He directly thanks Alicia for all that he has come to really understand about life as a whole.

The next film is Zorba, the Greek.

Frost/Nixon

SPOILER ALERT! The plot will be discussed.

As the title implies, Frost/Nixon (which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar) suggests a prize fight between two boxers. However, the movie deals with a verbal battle. The film tells the story surrounding televised interviews between two seemingly very different opponents who, nevertheless, are alike in having difficulty dealing with the reality of their situations. This Ron Howard directed film resonates with today’s political climate because it deals with the issue of whether a U. S. President is above the law by nature of his office.

The movie starts by playing back some of the White House tapes that implicated President Richard M. Nixon in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in of the Democratic Party campaign office. The words heard show Nixon to be vindictive, talking about wanting to kick out someone’s teeth, and calling what he considered his enemies “sons of bitches.” The tapes note him “Wanting to hang that Kennedy clan.” There is footage of the Watergate news coverage which shows people attached to Nixon’s campaign being found guilty of crimes. Nixon also had an enemies hit list of journalists who he saw as being against him and who he planned to target politically. Testimony indicated that there was wiretapping of news people. In front of Congress a lawyer states, “The misuse of power is the very essence of tyranny.” Even though the White House refused to turn over the recordings that showed Nixon’s involvement, the Supreme Court, in a nonpartisan, unanimous decision concluded that President Nixon had to supply the evidence. The judicial decision was symbolic in showing that the country should be united when there is a threat to its democracy. Impeachment was imminent.

The film then transitions from actual news coverage to its take on the events by inserting Frank Langella (recreating his stage performance, and getting a Best Actor Oscar nomination) as Nixon. He is first seen informing the nation that he is resigning the presidency in 1974. An angry and disappointed Jack Brennan (Kevin Bacon), Nixon’s Chief of Staff, stands by as Nixon addresses the country. There are quick comments supplied in interviews throughout the movie, which give the film a documentary feel, provide information, and which reveal the characters’ personalities. These interviews mirror the main event exchanges between Frost and Nixon, and initiate dramatizations of events. Those who worked with Frost are Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt), who was Bureau Chief of ABC News, James Reston, Jr. (Sam Rockwell), a political writer, and John Birt (Matthew Macfadyen), a program director for London Weekend Television. Reston says there was no satisfaction from the resignation, only anger because Nixon gave no apology when leaving office. Zelnick says, in retrospect, that it seemed unlikely that Frost would be the one to actually get that satisfaction of exposing Nixon’s thought processes, since Frost had no political convictions, and probably never voted. (Frost did host the excellent TV show “That Was the Week That Was,” which was a biting political satire). But, Zelnick says, Frost had the advantage of understanding television, which means Frost knew the power of its impact. Just as in Howard’s Apollo 13, we know the ending beforehand, but Howard is able to sustain interest through his dramatization of the incremental parts of the story leading up to its conclusion.

The first view of Frost (Michael Sheen) shows him to be a superficial celebrity. He is on TV in Australia, talking about the theft of some sausages, and making a silly joke about the felons escaping in a “long, thin getaway car.” This frivolous broadcast is followed by Brennan, at a later time, being condescending toward Frost, saying that the Nixon camp knew little of him, other than he had a reputation as a playboy. He concedes that the man had a talk show in the U.S., and “had won some awards.” Brennan then says dismissively that Frost’s show was dropped and he relocated to Australia. In fact, Frost had done some in-depth, ninety-minute episodes that showed he knew how to interview celebrities. But the film, and the play on which it was based, wanted to show, as movie producer Brian Grazer said, a David versus Goliath story.

Frost observes Nixon on television as he leaves the White House after his resignation, smiling and flashing his double victory sign with his hands (which was out of touch with the era since the youth had adapted the gesture to mean “peace”). Frost sees that there is a moment which reveals an angry scowl on Nixon’s face after the smiling as he went into the helicopter, which suggests the other side of the man. Frost, showing his insight into the power of mass media, notes the resignation speech was broadcast at a time that was too early for those to witness it on the West Coast of America. His comment implies that Nixon missed an opportunity to reach more people and make more of an impact with his exit. Frost, assessing the magnitude of Nixon’s leaving the White House, asks for viewing numbers concerning the broadcast, as he is curious as to how well it played as a TV programming event.

Brennan recounts that he observed Nixon’s face as the man flew away while a “liberal America cheered, gloated. Hippies, draft dodgers, dilettantes, the same people who’d spit on me when I got back from Vietnam.” Brennan provides an insight into how many soldiers, caught up in the very unpopular and pointless war in Vietnam, were unjustly blamed for the government’s tragic military mistakes. But, his experiences, and those of Nixon’s, who had a paranoid personality, limited their ability to see that the war was denounced by an overwhelming majority of the nation, not just those lumped under what Brennan considered derogatory labels.

Frost approaches TV programmer Birt after contacting Nixon’s people about a retrospective style interview with Nixon. Birt pushes for getting a confession out of the former president, and Frost acts like he will get that, too, but he seems to just say that so he can get a network to sign up for the gig. Meanwhile, President Gerald Ford grants Nixon, who was not even subjected to a trial, “a full, free and absolute pardon … for all offenses against the United States.” Ford felt the negativity of the impact of legally punishing Nixon outweighed holding him accountable for his actions, and decided that he would nip any prosecution in the bud. The polls said they disapproved of the pardon by a two to one margin, but somehow nobody challenged whether President Ford was able to issue a pardon without a person being first tried and convicted.

Irving “Swifty” Lazar (Toby Jones), Nixon’s literary agent, visits the ex-president, who is working on a book. Nixon had a phlebitis attack and is in a wheelchair, saying that the “unhappiest people of the world are retired.” He said in his resignation speech that leaving office went against everything in his nature, showing he was not a quitter, and he still has no desire to be on the political sidelines. He says one needs a challenge or purpose in life. He states he wanted to testify in a Watergate trial, but his health prevented it. In Nixon’s mind, being so self-righteous, he didn’t see that he did anything wrong. He wants to do the book to set the record straight, but he is obviously very pleased that Lazar convinced the publishers to advance 2.3 million dollars. Nixon was not one of the very rich politicians and money was important to him. Frost had already proposed doing the interviews, which were originally rejected by Nixon. Lazar tells him that he wouldn’t get grilled by Frost the way Mike Wallace of CBS might go after him. Lazar adds enticement by saying there might be more cash and better ground rules with Frost, which now draws interest from Nixon.

Frost was doing a pure entertainment program about escape artists, along with other shows. This information implies that for Frost, doing a show about Nixon isn’t that much different, since the former chief executive escaped prosecution. Lazar tells Nixon he was offered an unprecedented half a million dollars for the interviews. The agent assures Nixon that Frost will be so grateful for landing Nixon, “he’ll pitch puffballs all night.” Nixon, seeing how much he can cash in on his own infamy, asks for another fifty grand, and Lazar actually is able to up it another hundred thousand dollars. Nixon is shown as being unashamedly mercenary, because he felt that if he couldn’t get the respect of others, he would at least get their money.

Birt tells Frost that making Nixon richer when the American people are angry with the former chief executive is not going to make Frost popular. And, the competing networks will call it “checkbook journalism,” which they probably see as setting a bad precedent that would inhibit the free flow of information by having to pay for it. Frost is already doing well financially, but he is like Nixon, by being ambitious and wanting to increase his sphere of influence. Frost admits to Birt that he experienced what success is like in America, and describes it like a very intoxicating high. He says once it is gone, there is “the sickening thought that it may never come back.” He is confessing to being a fame junkie.

Frost meets a beautiful woman named Caroline Cushing (Rebecca Hall) on the plane to California to meet Nixon. He immediately begins to flirt with her. She recognizes him, says she heard an interview he gave on the phone from his Rolls Royce (this era is way before cell phones, so it was a big deal to have a car phone). He corrects her by saying he was in his Bentley, making sure she precisely identifies his level of wealth. She says that the perception of Frost as expressed by the radio newsman was that he “defined the age we live in,” along with hairdresser Vidal Sassoon. So, the implication is that Frost reflected a world that was only interested in superficiality, such as the appearance of a hairstyle. Caroline reports that the conclusion of the program was that Frost achieved fame “without possessing any discernible quality.” The point of the movie is that possibly all of this lack of respect for what he accomplished may have pushed Frost to be more aggressive in his interview with Nixon. She says there was another statement that he flies around a lot, which he concedes is true. He says he likes to keep busy because it is “more interesting than keeping still.” This statement shows how he is like Nixon, who said retired people were unhappy. Frost divulges that he is going to meet Nixon, possibly to impress her with the fact that he is doing something important. To show that he would like to win her over, he offers to have her come along and meet the ex-president.

Caroline says in an interview that Frost made everything seem fine on the outside, but he was not getting any offers from the networks. Their executives said they didn’t pay for interviews, thought that Frost was a good entertainer, but they didn’t have a policy of paying an entertainer to do a news story. Caroline says that Frost was not one who could accept failure. Frost and Caroline visit Nixon. The former president immediately and slyly uses Caroline to do a tour of his home which includes items which show memorable historic events, like meeting the Russian leader Leonid Brezhnev. He is trying to awe the visitors by telling interesting anecdotes to show his intimacy with world leaders and divert them by telling amusing stories. Nixon says, “I wouldn’t want to be a Russian leader. They never know when they’re being taped.” If he is trying to be funny, he doesn’t show it and it may indicate that he is incapable of facing his own situation. His ironic statement also defeats his trying to make a distinction between a tyrannical Russia and a democratic United States. While Frost is a delighted visitor, he exchanges glances with Brennan who is not smiling, and Frost can see that the Nixon aid sees Frost as a threat.

On the way out, Nixon says he was never invited to a duel, and Frost wants to reassure him that his interview will not be that adversarial. Instead of accepting that concession, Nixon is provocative by saying that it will be confrontational and there should be “no holds barred.” He says he likes it that way. He enjoys the battle, but he probably feels that Frost is too easy an opponent. Nixon wants his victory to be earned, so he tries to prod Frost into being more combative. Lazar makes sure that his client gets his upfront money of $200,000. He starts to tell Frost to make it out to him, as the go-between, but Nixon interrupts and says make it out to himself instead, eager to get the cash. Nixon says he hopes that the money isn’t coming out of Frost’s own funds, and Frost is not forthcoming by saying he doesn’t have deep pockets. Nixon reveals his cold, calculating personality when he says that Frost should marry Caroline, not because, as Frost says, she is “lovely,” but because she lives in Monaco where there are no taxes.

Afterwards, Nixon, who noted that Frost used a personal check, correctly says to Brennan he bets that Frost used his own money to pay him. Brennan is aware of the networks balking at airing the program. Nixon is condescendingly funny saying if he knew Frost was taking a two hundred grand hit he would have offered the Britisher some tea. The joke about offering only the beverage shows Nixon would not have felt any sympathy for Frost, since he would have enjoyed ripping him off. Nixon comments on Frost’s expensive, laceless Italian shoes, saying his staff couldn’t get those for him. Brennan is there to always bolster his boss, and says the shoes are effeminate. Nixon agrees with Brennan, since his aid’s comment justifies Nixon being deprived of the extravagant footwear. In the movie, Nixon is always keeping score, wanting to rack up more points than anyone else.

After all the major television networks give Frost a final thumbs down, he decides to pay for the show and syndicate it. It’s 1976 and he meets for the first time with Reston and Zelnick. Reston, who wrote a book on Nixon’s abuse of power, is not satisfied with Frost’s idea of success being just landing Nixon for a TV program. He will be giving up possibly a whole year on the project, and he wants to give Nixon the trial that he never had. Frost says that there will be tough questions, but wonders whether being too aggressive would just generate sympathy for the man. Frost at this point is only concerned with scoring TV ratings points, not doing a historical takedown. Reston doesn’t see how anyone can feel sadness for Nixon since he sent many soldiers to die, “devalued” the presidency, and left the country “in trauma.” He says that if Frost’s show allows Nixon to exonerate himself, “that would be the worst crime of all.” Reston says many consider Frost’s project a joke, which again stresses the general impression that Frost is fighting out of his journalistic weight class.

Birt admits that Mike Wallace is doing a TV segment that Frost assumes will be about how inadequate he is to take on Nixon. Frost acknowledges that he is feeling a bit insulted by Wallace doing such a critical piece on him. Even though Birt advises getting rid of Reston, to his credit, Frost says he likes the man’s passion and realizes that it might benefit Frost to be pushed out of his comfort zone. Nixon and now Reston want Frost to up his game, and Frost is starting to value the project more seriously.

Nixon is upset that he has to be a speaker at events telling “banal anecdotes” which are supposed to be humorous, but are really boring, about his time in office. The Q&A that followed one such outing included some inquiries about Watergate, which Nixon thought he prohibited. Nixon is upset that Watergate eclipses everything else he did. Of course, he doesn’t acknowledge the enormous impact that results from a criminal act and a breach of the whole country’s confidence committed by the President. Brennan, trying to help his boss be more positive, informs him that Frost acquired the money to do the show. Nixon sees it as his chance to vindicate himself since only 25% of the show is to be dedicated to the issue of the Watergate incident. Nixon comes off admirably in not wanting pity for his early difficult life which involved the death of his two brothers and a neglectful father. Brennan says if Nixon can rebuild his reputation he will be able to move back east, which is where Nixon wants to go because that is where “the action” is. He admits that he still has the “hunger” to be an actor on the public stage. He is in denial about how much he has damaged the democracy, and unfortunately, he has Brennan, although a loyal supporter, just enabling Nixon’s desire not to take responsibility for his negative actions. He says he wants to know more about Frost’s strategy and suggests maybe he should get in touch with some Cubans who were trained by the CIA to get the information. Brennan looks worried, and Nixon scoffs at him, saying it was just a joke, and it is a good one, although on the dark side.

In January, 1977 Frost’s team moves into the Beverly Hills Hilton and starts to do research. Frost seems unaware of the roles of former top White House officials John Ehrlichman and Bob Haldeman. His staff did most of the work and they didn’t see much of Frost, which shows he, also, is still not accepting the historical importance of the interview. The team wants to hammer at Nixon’s giving a stamp of approval to dirty tricks, including illegal wiretapping of individuals and opening their mail, breaking and entering, slush funds, etc. Reston questions the overreaching power of the presidency by wanting to ask the question, “How far do you take executive privilege before it becomes an undemocratic event?” Zelnick is pretty funny playing Nixon in the mock interview rehearsals, actually making good points about the power of a person who knows how to work the mass media. Zelnick, in his parody impersonation of the ex-president, shows insight into Nixon’s personality by saying how he would say that John Kennedy was handsome and had a charming personality, but was promiscuous, and that the Kennedy family participated in shady election practices. Yet, he says, the public loved Kennedy, but not sweaty Nixon. This comment points to how television makes how one looks and sounds more important than what one stands for.

Frost downplays Reston’s request to do further research in Washington, D. C., saying that they will accomplish their goals without it. Brennan calls Frost and says that anything negative about Nixon must only be covered in the 25% segment dedicated to Watergate. Frost finally plays hardball, and says that was not part of the agreement, and threatens a twenty-million-dollar lawsuit. He says that Nixon doesn’t get to “drone” on for 75% of the program about how “presidential” he was. Brennan is outraged by the lack of respect from Frost, and says that 60% of the time Nixon did what was right, and 30% he may have been wrong but thought he was right. Frost rightly counters that 10% of the time Nixon knew what he was doing was wrong and did it anyway. Brennan ends with a general disgust for the media and says he will make Frost pay for an attack against Nixon. His attitude is in tune with what caused Nixon trouble in his career, that is, not abiding any criticism and designating anyone who criticized him as a person to be targeted as an enemy.

Frost does not share how he stood up to Brennan with the others who still question his ability to take on Nixon. He probably didn’t want them to feel the pressure exerted by Brennan on their enterprise. He goes off with Caroline to a movie premiere of a film he produced the night before the start of the Nixon interviews. Birt tries to reassure Reston and Zelnick, but actually produces the opposite effect, by saying that Frost is a top-notch performer and will do a terrific job. After Birt leaves, the other two are upset by the word “performer” as opposed to “interviewer” or “journalist,” which shows how they want the program to be a news event as opposed to a diverting ratings blockbuster.

In contrast to the glitzy escapism exhibited at Frost’s movie premier, Nixon is working diligently with his team preparing for the next day’s interview. They do look at the TV as Frost steps out in front of the theater. Someone asks Frost if he is the right person to deal with Nixon’s resistance to probing questions. Frost says that he expects a “cascade of candor.” The reporter asks if Frost really expects that, and Frost says no, but he shows his understanding of the media by saying he used the phrase because the press would find it catchy. Nixon ponders what kind of fellow Frost is, and one person says he almost married the singer Diahann Carroll. When Nixon remembers she is African American, he utters a snort of disgust, revealing, at least in this film, a bigoted attitude. 

It is March 23, 1977, the first interview day. Both men receive good luck kisses before the battle from their respective significant others, but Pat Nixon (Patty McCormack), has a look of concern for her already beleaguered husband. Frost wants to grab the audience’s attention by starting out by asking why Nixon did not burn the tapes. Zelnick says that it’s too risky because it would violate the agreement to relegate the talk of Watergate to the last interview. Also, Nixon could walk, and then sue. Reston says he did four books on Nixon, but never met the man. This fact may help with objectivity, but it also possibly prevented him from really getting a firsthand look at what kind of man Nixon is. Zelnick asks if Reston will shake Nixon’s hand when introduced, and he says of course not. But, when offered a handshake, the laws of manners, and the fact that Nixon was the President, compel Reston to shake his hand, and address him as “Mr. President,” Zelnick quickly makes fun of Reston’s inability to stand up to the man in person as opposed to his challenges at a safe distance in print.

Before the first session, Frost is cordial, saying how pleased he was that Mrs. Nixon’s health was improving. Nixon on the other hand shows his lack of social finesse by asking how much it cost to get the program produced, and wonders if it was all paid for. Frost says not all of it, since some were deferring their fees. But Nixon, showing how he believes he has the upper hand, says he knows of one who was not, meaning he wasn’t giving Frost an extension on getting paid. Nixon wants to make sure he will keep a handkerchief where it will not be seen to wipe his lip between questions, since his infamous wet upper lip in the TV debate with Kennedy cost him the presidency according to some. He is accurate in saying that those who heard the debate on the radio thought Nixon had won the verbal contest, which shows how powerful visual appearance is in the media. Nixon shows he understands that TV images create “their own meaning,” which can alter reality as compared to how average people perceive it. In a sense, Nixon is seeing that same contest with Kennedy playing out again, as he must confront a television personality who knows how to play to the camera. Nixon points out that Frost was “born to be on the tube” since he does not have to trim his eyebrows, has nice skin, and doesn't perspire. Nixon shows his lack of tact by commenting directly to Frost about those Italian laceless shoes, asking if he thinks they are effeminate, and condescendingly says that in his field, Frost can get away with wearing them, and thus appearing unmanly.

Frost does open with the question about burning the tapes, but instead of storming off, Nixon calmly comments that the question should have been left for the last interview, but since Frost said that it is what the audience wants to know, Nixon says he will address it. He does so by dissipating the question’s impact by going on about how the taping system was implemented by Johnson, and Nixon wanted it dismantled but it would have been a big project. It was meant to accurately keep a record of all presidential discussions. He says once it was known that the tapes existed they became public knowledge and they couldn’t be tampered with. In an interview, Brennan makes the overt comparison to a boxing match where Frost, being the challenger, felt “the impact from the champ’s first jab,” and realized after the first exchange that his preparation did not anticipate the ability of his opponent.

After Nixon evenly, without being rattled, lessens the impact of the question, Frost’s team wants to regroup and stops recording. In a continuation of Brennan’s boxing metaphor, Frost and Nixon appear to retire to get advice from, as director Howard put it, their “corner men.” Birt tells Frost to ask the former president about the lowest point of his presidency, the night before he resigned. Brennan provides encouragement to Nixon by telling him that the former president came off “statesmanlike,” and encourages him to “control the space,” which sounds like what a fighter might do. After taping resumes, Nixon downplays rumors about the night in question by referring to other emotional events in his life and past decisions with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He also minimizes reports of him forcing a prayer session with Kissinger by saying it was a simple request that the two men share a brief, silent moment praying together. They run out of time as Nixon wins round one by limiting the number of questions with his extended replies.

Frost runs out after the session to try to get sponsorship from an outfit that manufactures a weed destroying product, and later even seems to be losing that company as a backer. Frost then makes desperate calls to acquire financial support. Birt tells Zelnick and Reston that they do have a dog food company as a sponsor, but admits that the “blue chip” investors dropped out because of what Reston assumes is the lack of faith in the “credibility of the project.” So they have raised only 30% of the funding, and Frost is paying for most of the enterprise. Birt urges the other two men to go easy on Frost because he has more than his reputation at stake. Zelnick makes the point that so do they, implying that he and Reston have invested a great deal of time and put their careers on the line to participate in what should be an important political moment.

Birt, sounding like a fight manager, tells Frost to keep his distance and don’t be so social with Nixon before the interviews, which allows the ex-president to manipulate Frost. He tells Frost to stop Nixon from giving long, “self-serving” responses by jumping in with more questions, sort of like how a boxer uses quick jabs to interrupt his opponent’s rhythm. In the next meeting, Nixon seems to be distracted by the beautiful Caroline, and Brennan tells his fighter to focus. Frost limits the talk before the taping, but Nixon tries to rattle him, and also reveals his preoccupation with Caroline, by crudely asking if Frost, on the prior night, did any “fornicating.”

Frost questions Nixon about betraying his promise to put an end to the Vietnam War. Nixon says he inherited a bad situation, and could have won a Nobel Peace Prize by immediately pulling troops out. But, he believed in the cause upon which the war was based and felt it was important to show that America could see it through. He makes himself sound noble by saying that following a “harder path” results from pursuing what one believes in. Of course by shifting the conversation, he doesn’t answer the question about not keeping the promise he made in his campaign. Nixon says he was probably the last victim of the war, outrageously equating his problems with, as Reston says off-camera, with the “paraplegics.”

Frost follows up with questioning the extension of the war into Cambodia despite the CIA and the Pentagon advising against it. Nixon counters by noting the large number of weapons they seized by going into Cambodia that would have been used against American troops. Frost is now on the offensive by interrupting Nixon, saying that the headquarters for the South Vietnamese Communists was not in Cambodia as claimed. He argues that Nixon bombed innocent people in that country, turning them against America, and facilitating the takeover of Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge, one of the most brutal regimes in history (as depicted in the movie The Killing Fields). They run a tape of the horror that resulted in Cambodia. Nixon says it was never the intention of the United States to harm civilians, which is the apologetic cliché of all leaders, and which has no connection to the reality of war. But, Nixon effectively counterpunches with an anecdote about a man who told him that he wished Nixon had gone into Cambodia earlier because he might have acquired the rifle that killed his boy. Nixon forcefully says he has no regrets about the attacks in Cambodia, and, with a louder voice, declares that he wished he would have gone in “earlier, and harder.”

While Nixon seems confident, smiling as he exits the interview, Frost’s satisfied feeling is deflated by his team’s defeated attitude. They feel Nixon came off well on the topic of the very unpopular Vietnam War, where he should have appeared very vulnerable. They do not look positively to the session about Russia and China, where Nixon was considered to have made major accomplishments. Zelnick is angry that Nixon stated that force was needed against revolutionaries in America. Zelnick essentially says that Nixon mislabeled those that were against the Vietnam War, who were mostly peaceful protestors objecting to the country’s war policies, and were not trying to topple the government. Reston says Nixon was making it look as if wiretapping journalists was a necessary step given the circumstances. Reston objects to what he calls Frost’s “trivia” questions, which are the kind a “talk show” host would pose. Frost, the man who does not handle failure well, tries to eliminate pessimism by giving them an ultimatum. He says that depressing and negative comments will infect the operation, and says anyone who doesn’t believe in the success of the project should leave. He invites them to celebrate with him and Caroline at a dinner, but Zelnick sees no reason for such a celebration. Frost informs them that it is his birthday, and despite the attacks on his handling of the interviews, he nobly says, “I’d like to celebrate my birthday with a few friends.” His conciliatory personality sets him apart from Nixon, who seeks vengeance against those who question him, a dangerous attitude in someone who wields immense power.

Another bit of contrasting scenes follow that delineate differences and similarities between Nixon and Frost. Frost’s lavish party has celebrities such as Neil Diamond, Hugh Hefner, and others, where even Reston and Zelnick are starstruck. Frost is brooding a bit despite Birt saying the tapes will be around for future historians and Caroline telling him nobody else could have pulled off making the interviews happen. Frost is probably reflecting how he worries the program will not be broadcast because of a lack of backing, and he likely is feeling defeated despite his outward optimism. Nixon’s venue is much quieter as he plays subdued, music on the piano with a small group of family and loyal friends, reflecting his outsider disposition. Brennan, again making a sports analogy, tells Pat Nixon that her husband is working on a shutout game, and she says she is glad all is going “according to plan.” But Nixon’s face reveals some concern, that maybe he does not feel as triumphant as others around him think he should feel, since the final installment deals with Watergate.

After the party, Frost gets news that his Australian show has been canceled and his one in England may follow. He has invested so much of his energy and resources into the Nixon interviews that the entertainment part of his work, for which he was known and allowed him to prosper, is failing. He reveals to Caroline grave self-doubts about what he has risked, and sees his choice to pursue the Nixon show as a huge mistake.

But right at that moment, he receives a call from an inebriated Nixon (which did not really occur, but works here for dramatic purposes). The former president, probably feeling envious of Frost’s younger age and celebrity bachelor lifestyle, wonders if Frost is entertaining anyone, which is code for having a woman with him. But Frost admits, at the moment, that he, too, is alone. He says that he is getting ready for their final session, which is not true, but perhaps even in his despair, Frost is trying to make a show of strength. Nixon rightly concludes that how Frost handles the issue of Watergate will determine the success or failure of Frost’s enterprise. Nixon wonders if he should be worried. Frost says he will give it his best shot, and to Nixon’s credit, a man who is a veteran of many public battles says, “Quite right. No holds barred.” They are like two verbal gladiators preparing to square off against each other. Nixon just now has read over a research profile on Frost, which shows that he didn’t originally consider him to be much of an adversary. He notes that Frost came from a “modest” background and went off “to a grand university full of richer, posher types.” Nixon always had an inferiority complex when it came to those who were wealthier, who felt they were part of a cultured upper class. It is on this point that he feels he and Frost are similar, and offers that he knows that there must have been snobs who treated Frost badly at college. Nixon says, “No matter how high we get, they still look down at us.” Frost says he doesn’t know what Nixon is talking about, but he was certainly experiencing that condescension from Reston and Zelnick recently. Nixon says that rejection is “why we work so hard now, why we fight for every inch.” Nixon says that both their struggles are “undignified” because they must scratch and claw to climb up out of the shadows into “a way back into the sun,” which was automatically assigned to the privileged. And the fact that they have no safety net, there is always the danger that they can slip back into the “dirt” which is where the snobs felt they should reside. Nixon fiercely promises that they will continue to fight, win awards, and gain power to defy those who would relegate them to defeat. But Frost says that only one of them can win their battle. Nixon, seeing this interview as his last stand, says that is correct. He promises to be Frost’s worst adversary, because given the circumstances, one of them must be defeated because “the limelight can only shine on one of us.” Nixon grasps the way games of competition must play out. He says with great insight that the loser will be sent to “the wilderness, with nothing and no one for company.”

With the gauntlet being thrown down, Frost now does work on the last confrontation, listening to the Watergate tapes and going over the research. He gets Reston to follow up on the latter’s idea of researching a meeting between Nixon and Charles Colson, his special counselor when he was President. There is a cut to Nixon on a treadmill, looking like an athlete working out to get in shape for a contest. Nixon marches into the session with no cordial greetings. Frost mentions the phone call, but Nixon doesn’t even remember it, which is difficult to believe since how could he be that drunk and still speak so logically during the conversation.

Frost starts out by asking Nixon if he felt he participated in obstruction of justice. Nixon condescendingly says Frost probably hasn’t read the statute on this point, but Frost counters by saying he has, which makes Nixon hesitate for a moment. This exchange of blows is the opposite of what Brennan noted after the first interview, when it was Frost who seemed unprepared. Nixon says that the law states obstruction not only requires an act but it must be coupled with a “specific corrupt motive.” He says that he was only interested in political containment. Frost points out that Nixon tried to stop the investigation, giving the go-ahead for further criminal inquiries when the fallout from the burglary couldn’t be contained. Frost says that obstruction doesn’t have a time period limitation; it’s obstruction even if it’s for a short period. Nixon says there is no evidence that there was an attempt during the period in question to obstruct justice. Frost notes that eighteen minutes of taping were erased, and Nixon says there remained Bob Haldeman’s notes. Frost then reveals what Reston discovered, that there is an unpublished transcript that was in the archives of a conversation between Nixon and Colson. Nixon seems taken aback by this revelation, as if Frost hit him with an unexpected punch. The conversation with Colson shows Nixon knew about the crime three days earlier than he claimed. Frost then quotes later transcripts that talk about dealing with the consequences of the break-in with exorbitant amounts of money. Frost here confronts Nixon directly for the first time with the evidence that caused impeachment hearings to be considered. Nixon says that he thought the money was going for the humanitarian defense of unfortunate people, who turned out to be the burglars. Nixon maintains that Ehrlichman and Haldeman were the culprits, but Frost said why not alert the authorities once he knew about their crimes, and by not doing so, that was part of a cover-up. Nixon says he knew these men and their families and erred on the part of compassion for them. Nixon says that sometimes in his position he had to do things that were not strictly legal because they were “in the greater interests of the nation.” Frost asks if he is saying that the President can do something illegal when he thinks it’s what best? That question is the knockout punch because Nixon then says, “I’m saying that when the President does it, that means it’s not illegal.” Nixon’s staff reacts with shared pain at this self-incriminating remark. Frost then tries to put the nail in the coffin by asking for Nixon to admit that he was part of a cover-up and did break the law. Nixon seems flustered and unable to respond.

Brennan stops the interview and Zelnick and Reston angrily tell him that he can be sued for preventing the interview from continuing. Frost also seems frustrated that he couldn’t get the answer to his question. In another room, Nixon asks Brennan if he “threw in the towel,” (another boxing metaphor), and felt pity for him, which Nixon does not seek. Brennan says that maybe the former president should take a beat before making an “emotional disclosure” that could have devastating consequences. Nixon now looks defeated, admits to being worn down by all of his denials, but thanks Brennan for his efforts. He is basically saying that he wants to continue with the interview.

Frost resumes by saying that the people want to know if there were more than mistakes made, that there was wrongdoing, that Nixon abused the power of the presidency, and he put the American people through two years of unnecessary agony. Frost says that Nixon must apologize because the people need to hear it and if he doesn’t, Watergate will continue to “haunt” him. Nixon admits he made “horrendous” mistakes, unworthy of his office, but still doesn’t call them illegal acts. He does admit to the cover-up, but refuses to “grovel.” He seems tortured trying to come up with what to say to the American people. He finally says that he let the American people down and “our system of government.” He finally concedes that his political life is over. So, he finally seems to understand that his plans noted at the beginning of the movie of moving back east and being involved in the political scene again will not happen, and probably never had a chance. He sits in the chair, looking thoroughly vanquished.

Reston says that Zelnick and Birt celebrated that Frost accomplished what no judiciary committee, no prosecutor, and no journalist had accomplished in getting Nixon to admit his role, and apologize. But, he notes that TV tends to oversimplify “complex” issues, reducing them to a single snapshot. He says the image of Nixon on the TV screen showed his face to be “swollen and ravaged by loneliness, self-loathing and defeat.” That one image would blot out everything else, all of the shades of gray between the blacks and whites of what is purely wrong and right, the complexities that this movie is trying to depict.

The program was a huge ratings success. Frost was on the cover of major magazines and received accolades for the interviews. Frost did visit Nixon before going home with Caroline. Nixon seems to take it all in his pre-admission of guilt stride again, and congratulates Frost for being a “worthy” opponent. He treats the interviews like they were just a contest, lightly dismissing any journalistic fallout perpetrated by those “sons of whores.” Frost did bring him a pair of Italian shoes, showing some class. Nixon says he admires Frost for being able to be such a people person, which he is not, and finds it ironic that he chose a profession that relied on having people like him. He was more adapted to a life of “debate” and “intellectual discipline.” Interestingly, Nixon says they maybe should have switched jobs, which reflects on the current state of how celebrity brings success in politics. Nixon asks if they really did talk on the phone, but Frost says they only talked about cheeseburgers, (since Frost thought Caroline was calling to ask what he wanted to eat). Frost spares Nixon the embarrassment of knowing he revealed his mental anguish.

The postscript says that Frost (the David in the tale) was welcomed back into broadcasting while Nixon (the Goliath) remained pretty much out of the public picture until his death. Reston comments again about that media oversimplification process by noting the former president’s political epitaph. He says that “His most lasting legacy is that today any political wrongdoing is immediately given the suffix - gate.”

Next time, movies studied at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.