SNEAK PREVIEW SCREENING: US Election Special – Frost/Nixon

Frontline is pleased to present a sneak preview of Frost/Nixon – the film adaptation of Peter Morgan’s hugely successful stage play. Oscar winning director Ron Howard brings this remarkable story to the screen, not only recreating the on-air interview, but also showing the motivations of both men, and the around-the-world, behind the scenes maneuvering and machinations at play. Frost/Nixon will be officially released in the UK in January 2009.

For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent.  But in 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the unanswered questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency.  Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and reclaim his status as a supreme statesman in the hearts and minds of Americans.

Likewise, Frost’s team harbored doubts about his ability to hold his own against Nixon.  As cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits ensued.  Would Nixon evade questions of his role in one of the nation’s greatest disgraces?  Or would Frost confound critics and bravely demand accountability from the most skilled politician of his generation? 

The encounter would reveal each man’s insecurities, ego and reserves of dignity–as both ultimately set aside posturing in a stunning display of unvarnished truth.

Peter Morgan is widely hailed as one of Britain’s leading screenwriters having won major accolades for his work on stage and screen. His previous works include The Last King of Scotland and The Queen, for which he received an Academy Award nomination. We are pleased to announce he will join us for a post screening Q&A.

Length: 122 mins
Directed by Ron Howard