It was the 1970s, the United States was at war with Vietnam, Nixon was president and rumors of scandal were about to sweep the nation. The infamous Pentagon Papers were about to be released and chaos was to follow. Newspapers across the country would be faced with the decision to uncover the secrets being hidden by the government and risk everything or protect themselves and the future of their papers. Award-winning director Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” explores the journalistic side of the notorious classified papers.

Instead of focusing on the scandal itself, “The Post” takes an interesting twist on the story. Following the newspaper publisher of the then up-and-coming Washington Post, Kay Graham played by Meryl Streep, the viewer is taken behind the scenes of one of toughest decisions in the field of journalism. Forced to choose between destroying the integrity of her paper or potentially destroying the paper and her family’s business, Graham has everything to lose. The story behind the decision to print the Pentagon Papers is fascinating and the acting is phenomenal. Streep and fellow actor Tom Hanks, playing the role of editor Ben Bradlee, live up to their reputations in their latest movie together.

Despite the captivating storyline, the movie was slow and even boring in some places. Irrelevant scenes withdrew from the plot and lost the viewers attention at times. Additionally, as a historical drama, more explanation of the events taking place would have made the movie easier to understand and follow. Little background is given and pieces of the story are often left unspoken, which can be confusing for any viewer without a degree in American History.

However “The Post” does not solely focus on the Pentagon Papers. Graham is smart, powerful, and the first woman to run a major newspaper. Yet she is still doubted by many of the men in her time. Throughout the movie, Graham must work to believe in herself and follow her gut rather than the misogynistic board members. Streep illustrated that despite being equal to men, women still had to fight every day to be respected.

The role of journalism is also explored throughout the movie. As their freedom of speech is being compromised, each character must fight to protect their fundamental rights and discover how much they are willing to sacrifice. Graham and Bradlee must fight to protect freedom of speech and the integrity of journalism. Graham’s husband, former Post publisher Phil Graham said, “News is a first rough draft of history.”

The acting and engaging storyline, despite the slow-moving pace and frequent opportunities to lose interest, earns the movie three stars. Though it’s not a must-see movie, it was definitely worth the watch as the story is a crucial moment in American history. “The Post” was nominated for multiple awards at the 2018 Golden Globes, including best motion picture, however, did not win any. It is playing at AMC theaters and rated PG-13, mainly for profanity.