Network

Satires aren't supposed to have much of a shelf life. Kitch value aside, three years is about the most one can hope for, and even that's being generous. There's a reason for this expectation, however: Satires poke fun at conditions that exist during the time that they are created. They trade staying power for a sharper attack. They're meant to make an immediate impact and then go away.

Network, however, is still a very effective satire, despite the fact that it was released in 1976. And while that's remarkable for the creators of the movie and for anyone watching it now, it's bad for the rest of the world: It means that the problems that the movie exposed are still with us today. All the more reason for you to go and rent this film, if you haven't already seen it.

Here's the plot: Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is the news anchor for the (fictional) UBS network. At the beginning of the film, we are told that he has been fired because his ratings are down, effective in two weeks. During his next broadcast, when he announces to the world that he is being let go, he also announces that--since he has nothing left to live for--he's going to kill himself on national television in one week.

Of course, that shocking announcement causes the network to forego the two-week waiting period and sack him immediately, but Beale manages to convince his old friend and head of the news division Max Schumacher (William Holden) to let him at least go on one more night for a moment to apologize for the previous night's faux pas. Beale does apologize on the air, adding, "I just ran out of bullshit."

The resulting outcry is predictable, and Beale is once again summarily dismissed. But before a day passes, a young, brash programming director named Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) notes that the ratings for Beale's last two shows shot up significantly, and convinces Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall), a hotshot within the (fictional) CCA--which is in the process of buying out UBS--to keep Beale on the air.

The show, predictably, is a hit, especially after Beale has an invigorating spiritual revelation and becomes known as the "mad prophet of the airwaves." Hackett and Christensen become stars within the CCA, while Schumacher--who objects to his friend being paraded around like a circus freak--is dismissed.

Whew. And that's just the first half hour or so. The film is dense with plot twists, and can certainly be confusing if you're watching it half-asleep at midnight on a Friday night. But it's worth staying awake through, for a couple reasons. One is that it's pretty darn funny. But another is that it speaks to 2006 just as much as it spoke to 1976, in two ways in particular.

One: Networks are no longer independent, they're controlled by huge corporations. That's even more true now that it was in then: Disney owns the Disney channel, obviously, but it also owns ABC, ESPN, and Lifetime, and holds substantial interest in A&E, and E! Viacom owns MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, BET, and before last year, CBS. AOL Time Warner owns CNN, HBO, TBS, and TNN. And so on. Why is this problematic? Well, in an era where very few people read newspapers or books, these few companies control what most people know. So, in effect--as Network points out--these companies have an oligopoly on truth.

Two: These companies are all in competition for the almighty dollar, which in the entertainment industry means ratings, which means they want as many eyes viewing their programming as possible, which means they'll show you any fool thing you want to see. In the age of reality TV, most of us have figured this out already, but it's worth noting that Network figured it out 30 years ago.

However, while the movie may be perfectly prescient, it's not perfect. Much of the movie revolves around an affair between Schumacher and Christensen (who is about 30 years his junior), which is rather unbelievable and not all that compelling. (Though it wins points for Schumacher's awesome line: "Why is it that a woman always thinks that the most savage thing she can say to a man is to impugn his cocksmanship?") Also, those who know me won't believe I'm saying this, but the movie also loses a few points for being a bit too bombastic. Even granted that all its characters are educated individuals working within a communications industry, the way they speak isn't the way an educated person speaks. It may be the way an educated person writes, but it's not the way they speak.

But whatever points the movie loses in bombast, it gains back with Beale's absolutely amazing speech midway through the movie. You may have seen it or heard of it before, as it's been rather frequently reproduced. It's the speech where he implores his audience to get out of their seats and shout out their windows: "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Even just writing about it gives me the chills. If nothing else, see the movie for this.

Network won a slew of Oscars in the 1977 Academy Awards. Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway won best actor and actress awards, respectively, while Beatrice Straight (who plays Mrs. Schumacher) won best supporting actress. On top of that, William Holden was nominated for a best actor award, and Ned Beatty (who plays the head of the CCA) was nominated for best supporting actor. So I shouldn't have to tell you that the acting was top-notch.

Had I seen this movie in 1976, I probably would have given it a 15. Had I seen it in 1976 and known how prophetic it was going to be, I might have given it an 18. Still--as much as Network has remained relevant--films tend to lose a bit of steam after thirty years. So if you're looking for a number that describes how much you'll enjoy seeing this movie today, plan on somewhere around a 9.