The Post: Movie Guide
Fill in Questions- Answer the following questions as you watch the movies, some
questions may require outside research.
1. The
... [Show More] film The Post revolves around the journalistic publishing of the
Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers— often referred to as the
McNamara Study—were a detailed historical study of the Vietnam War
commissioned by the United States Department of Defense.
a. What years did the Pentagon Papers cover?
b. The Pentagon Papers discussed four different presidential
administrations. Name the four presidents that held office during this
time.
c. What was the name of the person who leaked the Pentagon
Papers?
d. What year was the full Pentagon Papers finally declassified?
2. What country and year is the opening scene?
3. How does Ellsberg respond when the Secretary of Defense asks him if the
status of Vietnam is better or worse?
4. What does McNamara say to the reporters waiting at the airport?
5. Which four presidents are identified in the Pentagon Papers?
6. How much money did Truman give to Indochina?
7. What did Johnson say in his speech?
8. Why is Katherine (Kay) Graham taking the company public?
9. At breakfast Kay Graham tells Ben Bradlee that Nixon has decided not to
give Judith credentials to cover what?
10.Ben Bradlee gives an intern $40 dollars and tells him to take a train to New
York. What does he want him to do when he gets there?
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11.Finish Bradlee’s quote: “No, it will be an act of solidarity. They’ll be
defending the _____ _______________________We will tell them only way to
protect the right to ______________ is to ____________.”
12.How many reporters would it cost them to go with the price of $24.50 a
share? ___________
13.What three words does Fritz use from Kay’s notes in his discussion?
14.According to Arthur Parsons, why is Kay running the paper?
15.How did Kay’s husband Phil die?
16.In the event of a catastrophic event, how long do the bankers have to
pull their investment from the Washington Post?
17.At the dinner party, what do the women do once the men start talking
about the China Embargo? Why?
18.A big story is going to run the next day in the NY Times. Who tells Kay
about it?
19.According to the front-page story in the New York Times, what year did
McNamara know that the U.S. could not win in Vietnam? How long was
that before the Pentagon Papers were published?
20.What type of crime did Nixon say was committed with the release of this
information?
21.Finish this quote: “If the public ever saw these papers, they would
_____________ _________________ the __________.”
22.A woman walks into the Washington Post and leaves a shoe box on a
reporter’s desk. What is in the shoe box?
23.What does Nixon say about The Times?
24.Kay Graham’s dinner with the Rosenthals is interrupted by a reporter with
a message from the Attorney General to the New York Times. What is the
message?
25.According to Daniell Ellsburg what was 70% of the reason the U.S. stayed
in Vietnam when they knew they were losing?
26.Ben Bradlee tells a story about being there for someone famous during a
tragic time in her life. Who was it and what had happened?
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27.Ben states that he never thought of Jack [Kennedy] as a source; he
thought of him as a friend. He then indicated that Jack knew something
all along. According to Ben, what did Jack know?
28.Approximately how many pages were in the McNamara study?
29.According to Kay, McNamara’s study had said that the U.S.
decision-making process in Vietnam was what?
30.What type of people does Nixon have around him and what will they do?
31.What does Kay decide to do at the end of the phone call with Fritz and
Ben?
32.Pay attention to the scene in the newsroom. What is written in red as the
newspaper title?
33.How does Ben Bagdikian reply when he is asked how likely it is that his
source is the same source that the New York Times used?
34.Who could possibly end up in jail for collusion?
35.What complication does Ben Bradlee tell Kay about?
36.When Kay asks Ben if he can guarantee her that if they go to print that
they would not endanger U.S. soldiers, how does he ultimately respond?
37.Finish this quote: “I always wanted to be a part of a _____________
_____________________.”
38.What is in the paper bag that Ben Bradlee takes from Ben Bagdikian to
show Kay? Why does it matter?
39.What was the vote breakdown from the Supreme Court decision? What
was the decision?
40.Finish this quote: “The press was to serve the __________________, not the
_____________________.”
41.What did Nixon say about The Post?
42.Where does the final shot of the movie take place and why is that
relevant? [Show Less]