FILM I JOURNALISM
Are All Journalists Narcissistic A-Holes?
That’s what Ron Howard’s 1994 comedic drama ‘The Paper’ suggests. But I secretly hope it’s not true.
I wouldn’t call it an agenda — or a consciously made decision — but a few months ago, I began working my way through Michael Keaton’s early filmography. I wanted to see Clean and Sober ever since I heard a reference to it in a movie I can’t remember now. So, after I finally did, I was hunting down old Keaton flicks for better or worse.
That’s when I found The Paper. Then I read Roger Ebert’s review he wrote nearly three decades ago, and I knew it had to be on my watchlist. You know, for times when I’m feeling nostalgic — which is every third hour of every day — and fancy to see something old-school I haven’t before.
Although Keaton’s résumé is full of long-forgotten, goofy comedies, I always thought he’s been somewhat overlooked as a comic actor once his comedic stardom ended. After that, he was Batman twice, and most of the world has decided to only remember him for that and forget everything else he’s ever done. And maybe when you’re high or just old, you vaguely recall a foggy memory of him playing a strange creature in another Tim Burton movie. But that’s it. Then he made Birdman seven years ago…
