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All the President's Men
A paranoid political thriller that pulses with relentless tension, where the rhythmic clatter of typewriters and suffocating shadows become the cinematic battleground for uncovering the truth.
All the President's Men
All the President's Men

"The most devastating detective story of this century."

09 April 1976 United States of America 138 min 7.7 (2,018)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Cast: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook

Drama Thriller Mystery Freedom of the Press and Journalistic Integrity Paranoia and Secrecy Institutional Corruption The Power of Diligence and Process
Budget: $8,500,000
Box Office: $70,600,000

All the President's Men — Movie Quotes

Memorable Quotes

Follow the money.
— Deep Throat

Context

Spoken during a tense, shadowy meeting in the underground parking garage, Deep Throat refuses to give Woodward direct answers, instead giving him this cryptic but crucial directive to track the CREEP slush fund.

Meaning

This iconic line encapsulates the fundamental strategy of investigative journalism: complex political conspiracies can usually be unraveled by tracing the financial trails of corruption.

Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country.
— Ben Bradlee

Context

Bradlee says this to Woodward and Bernstein late at night on his front lawn, warning them of the dire consequences if their story is wrong, while ultimately giving them his full support to proceed.

Meaning

A dark, sarcastic, but entirely accurate summary of the immense stakes of their reporting. It underlines the sheer weight of responsibility the journalists carry.

I don't mind what you did; I mind the way you did it.
— Bob Woodward

Context

Woodward confronts Bernstein after discovering that Bernstein took his notes from his desk and rewrote his story without asking for permission.

Meaning

This line establishes Woodward's moral boundaries and demands professional respect, forming the foundation of the reporters' eventual partnership.

These are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.
— Deep Throat

Context

Deep Throat explains the origins of the Watergate break-in and the subsequent massive cover-up during one of his clandestine meetings with Woodward.

Meaning

It demystifies the aura of the government, portraying the conspirators not as evil geniuses, but as arrogant, incompetent men corrupted by power.

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