Narratively speaking, Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” stands apart from the rest of the Best Picture and Original Script nominees for its scope and multi-layered approach. The fact-based drama balances three story threads in a “Rashomon” fashion: the overheated courtroom drama, how the peaceful demonstrations turned violent during the ’68 Democratic Convention in Chicago, and the bitter political rivalry between Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen).
That’s a lot of history and conflict to pack into 130 minutes, which is why Sorkin cleverly wrote a sprawling 12-page prologue to set up the whole movie, calling for archival footage, tricky tonal shifts, and jumping back and forth in time. And the six and a half-minute sequence (view below) proved quite the challenge and opportunity for Oscar-nominated Alan Baumgarten to edit. “It serves several purposes,” he said. “It provides a bit of a history lesson,...
That’s a lot of history and conflict to pack into 130 minutes, which is why Sorkin cleverly wrote a sprawling 12-page prologue to set up the whole movie, calling for archival footage, tricky tonal shifts, and jumping back and forth in time. And the six and a half-minute sequence (view below) proved quite the challenge and opportunity for Oscar-nominated Alan Baumgarten to edit. “It serves several purposes,” he said. “It provides a bit of a history lesson,...
- 4/14/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Updated with full winners list: The Trial of the Chicago 7 won the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture prize, SAG’s version of Best Picture, at the 27th annual SAG Awards on Sunday night. It was one of 13 awards honoring the year’s best film and TV acting performances.
The late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis took the best leading male and female actor in a motion picture honors for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In the supporting actor category, Yuh-Jung Youn took the trophy for Minari and Daniel Kaluuya for his role as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Among the movie categories, the marquee ensemble prize is often an Oscar bellwether. Last year, Neon’s Parasite surprised with a win and it later repeated the feat by taking the Academy Awards’ Best Picture prize.The Trial of the Chicago 7 faced off against Da 5 Bloods,...
The late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis took the best leading male and female actor in a motion picture honors for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In the supporting actor category, Yuh-Jung Youn took the trophy for Minari and Daniel Kaluuya for his role as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Among the movie categories, the marquee ensemble prize is often an Oscar bellwether. Last year, Neon’s Parasite surprised with a win and it later repeated the feat by taking the Academy Awards’ Best Picture prize.The Trial of the Chicago 7 faced off against Da 5 Bloods,...
- 4/5/2021
- by Denise Petski and Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Thursday marked the 51st anniversary of the verdict featured in The Trial of the Chicago 7, and in honor of the milestone, Netflix is streaming the 2020 film for free on their YouTube for 48 hours starting at midnight. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, and Eddie Redmayne, the Aaron Sorkin-directed film follows the infamous case of eight men - Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale - who were indicted for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
"It's our honor to share their story with the world."
"Since my initial introduction fourteen years ago, my relationship to the story of The Trial of the Chicago 7 has changed significantly," Sorkin said in a statement shared by Netflix. "When we began shooting last winter, we knew the story we were telling was not only an important chapter of American history,...
"It's our honor to share their story with the world."
"Since my initial introduction fourteen years ago, my relationship to the story of The Trial of the Chicago 7 has changed significantly," Sorkin said in a statement shared by Netflix. "When we began shooting last winter, we knew the story we were telling was not only an important chapter of American history,...
- 2/18/2021
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
Updated with full list: The nominations for the 27th SAG Award were announced Thursday in a virtual ceremony featuring Lily Collins and Daveed Diggs reading off nominees in 13 film and TV categories honoring the best acting of the past year.
Much like it did at the Golden Globes the day before, Netflix led the way with 30 total nominations. The Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture ensemble race features three Netflix dramas: Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Trial of the Chicago 7 along with A24’s Minari and Amazon Studios’ One Night In Miami. Outside of Chicago 7 it is a fully new slate of films from the admittedly apples-to-oranges Best Motion Picture lists set by the Golden Globes on Wednesday.
Last year, Parasite won the film ensemble award, pushing it down the road to the eventual Best Picture Oscar.
Other notables o the film...
Much like it did at the Golden Globes the day before, Netflix led the way with 30 total nominations. The Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture ensemble race features three Netflix dramas: Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Trial of the Chicago 7 along with A24’s Minari and Amazon Studios’ One Night In Miami. Outside of Chicago 7 it is a fully new slate of films from the admittedly apples-to-oranges Best Motion Picture lists set by the Golden Globes on Wednesday.
Last year, Parasite won the film ensemble award, pushing it down the road to the eventual Best Picture Oscar.
Other notables o the film...
- 2/4/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Rennie Davis, one of the leading radicals of the 1960s who later recapped those days in numerous television documentaries on the era, has died. He was 80 years old and died Tuesday in Berthoud, Colorado of lymphoma, according to his wife. who announced the death on his Facebook page.
A leading opponent of the US involvement in the Vietnam war, Davis was one of the top people in Students for a Democratic Society and the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam.
The S.D.S., as it was usually referred to, was a key mobilizing force for numerous anti-war rallies. Their apex came in 1968 in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention, where Davis was one of the organizers of a massive protest that joined with the Yippies in an attempt to upstage the nomination of VP Hubert Humphrey as the party’s candidate.
The rally by the groups...
A leading opponent of the US involvement in the Vietnam war, Davis was one of the top people in Students for a Democratic Society and the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam.
The S.D.S., as it was usually referred to, was a key mobilizing force for numerous anti-war rallies. Their apex came in 1968 in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention, where Davis was one of the organizers of a massive protest that joined with the Yippies in an attempt to upstage the nomination of VP Hubert Humphrey as the party’s candidate.
The rally by the groups...
- 2/4/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” about protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the ensuing trial, features great work by writer-director Aaron Sorkin, who is quick to salute his below-the-line colleagues: “They’re not there to take my instructions; they’re there to top my instructions. I consider these people to be co-authors of the film.”
Alan Baumgarten, editor
“In the opening seven minutes, we wanted to do two things. One is to set the context of a nation coming off the rails, with temperatures rising on both sides. I also wanted to introduce our main characters and show that they are four distinct groups. Alan has a habit of making things look easy.
When Alan and I were done with our first cut, there were three or four places where my heart sank; the dramatic impact wasn’t landing somehow. With a few quarter turns of the screw,...
Alan Baumgarten, editor
“In the opening seven minutes, we wanted to do two things. One is to set the context of a nation coming off the rails, with temperatures rising on both sides. I also wanted to introduce our main characters and show that they are four distinct groups. Alan has a habit of making things look easy.
When Alan and I were done with our first cut, there were three or four places where my heart sank; the dramatic impact wasn’t landing somehow. With a few quarter turns of the screw,...
- 12/26/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″ has been selected for the inaugural ensemble tribute by the Independent Filmmaker Project at the upcoming Gotham Awards on Jan. 11, 2021.
The film, directed by Aaron Sorkin from his own script, follows the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters who were charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The film began streaming on Netflix in October.
The ensemble cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale, Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin, Mark Rylance as William Kunstler, Michael Keaton as Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch as defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp as defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella as presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Fred Hampton, Caitlin Fitzgerald portrays FBI agent Daphne O’Connor, Alice Kremelberg...
The film, directed by Aaron Sorkin from his own script, follows the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters who were charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The film began streaming on Netflix in October.
The ensemble cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale, Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin, Mark Rylance as William Kunstler, Michael Keaton as Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch as defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp as defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella as presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Fred Hampton, Caitlin Fitzgerald portrays FBI agent Daphne O’Connor, Alice Kremelberg...
- 12/17/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Having served as the costume designer for both of Aaron Sorkin’s directorial features, Susan Lyall has learned how to find the right outfits that serve his vision. “He responds more to images rather than a discussion. He’s more inclined to describe an emotion or what he hopes to achieve than to tell you it needs to be a yellow dress,” says Lyall in our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video above). This allowed Lyall the freedom to bring many different ideas to Sorkin which he very much appreciated. “He would say that if he costumed ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7,’ that everyone would be wearing khaki pants and a blue shirt from The Gap.”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, examines the federal trial of seven anti-war protesters who were charged with crossing state lines in order to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, examines the federal trial of seven anti-war protesters who were charged with crossing state lines in order to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
- 10/23/2020
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Photo: 'The Trial of the Chicago 7'/Netflix 'The Trial of the Chicago 7': In August of 1968, the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, and history was made. In addition to nominating Hubert Humphrey as the Democratic nominee that would replace President Johnson and ultimately lose to Richard Nixon that election year, riots broke out between police and anti-war/civil rights activists. The court case that was held to prosecute the group of men believed responsible for conspiracy against the police went down in history as it called into question the American government’s respect for the first amendment all taking place in a time on the precipice of radical revolution. After the leader of The Black Panthers, Bobby Seale, was dismissed from the case, the men ultimately tried in court were David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman, John Froines, and Lee Weiner.
- 10/19/2020
- by Christopher Davis
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,” Bob Dylan intoned on his song “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” influencing a group of young mad bombers to blow against the wind. The group at the center of Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 didn’t blow up bathrooms in federal investigative agencies; they protested bombings, and all other forms of violence, when they stood against authority at the Democratic National Convention in 1968.
The Youth International Party, or Yippies, was non-violent, even if one of the co-founders, Abbie Hoffman (played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the movie), wrote his first radical tract, Fuck the System, under the pseudonym George Metesky, a mad bomber from the 1940s. The other, Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong on screen), blew bubbles while dressed as George Washington at his Huac hearing.
Rubin would go on to beat bongos as part of John Lennon...
The Youth International Party, or Yippies, was non-violent, even if one of the co-founders, Abbie Hoffman (played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the movie), wrote his first radical tract, Fuck the System, under the pseudonym George Metesky, a mad bomber from the 1940s. The other, Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong on screen), blew bubbles while dressed as George Washington at his Huac hearing.
Rubin would go on to beat bongos as part of John Lennon...
- 10/18/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Aaron Sorkin returns to the political drama sphere with The Trial of the Chicago 7, which is based on the infamous court case involving protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It was a tense time in America as citizens were unhappy with poverty, racial inequality, and the Vietnam War. Police brutality notoriously broke out at the demonstrations. Ultimately, eight organizers were arrested on charges of conspiracy to use interstate commerce with intent to incite a riot: Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale.
The presiding judge on the case was Judge Julius Hoffman. During the trial, the eight men and their lawyer ignored decorum and provoked the judge, hoping to reveal what they saw as the corrupt values of the establishment. Judge Hoffman demanded order using troubling measures, even gagging and tying Seale, who would be severed from the case. Only...
The presiding judge on the case was Judge Julius Hoffman. During the trial, the eight men and their lawyer ignored decorum and provoked the judge, hoping to reveal what they saw as the corrupt values of the establishment. Judge Hoffman demanded order using troubling measures, even gagging and tying Seale, who would be severed from the case. Only...
- 10/16/2020
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you haven’t seen “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”)
In Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) appeared in court wearing flowing black judge’s robes to taunt the judge. Did this really happen, though?
Yes, it did. During the five-month trial of the Chicago 7, who were charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot regarding anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Hoffman, Rubin, and the other five defendants, as well as their attorney William Kunstler, disregarded all decorum of a courtroom from the very beginning, according to PBS.
Hoffman and Rubin did wear judge’s robes to the trial one day, according to PBS. When Judge Hoffman (no relation to Abbie) ordered them to remove the robes, they complied, revealing Chicago police uniforms underneath. The...
In Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) appeared in court wearing flowing black judge’s robes to taunt the judge. Did this really happen, though?
Yes, it did. During the five-month trial of the Chicago 7, who were charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot regarding anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Hoffman, Rubin, and the other five defendants, as well as their attorney William Kunstler, disregarded all decorum of a courtroom from the very beginning, according to PBS.
Hoffman and Rubin did wear judge’s robes to the trial one day, according to PBS. When Judge Hoffman (no relation to Abbie) ordered them to remove the robes, they complied, revealing Chicago police uniforms underneath. The...
- 10/16/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, which is now streaming on Netflix, has the benefit of good timing. The movie, as is clear from its title, is taking on the notorious legal battle waged against the so-called “Chicago Seven,” a disjointed crew of anti-Vietnam War activists and counterculturalists who were charged with, among other things, inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It was obviously quite a year, ’68: MLK and Bobby Kennedy dead, youth and minority movements rip-roaring their way into the American consciousness, more than...
- 10/16/2020
- by K. Austin Collins
- Rollingstone.com
(This post contains Spoilers for Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix)
Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is loaded with moments that will make you laugh, cheer or be outraged. But one of the film’s most alarming moments comes when Bobby Seale, the Black Panther party leader as portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is ordered bound and gagged in his courtroom seat by judge Julius Hoffman.
The scene is a horrifying moment of racial injustice and prejudice that finally boiled over after numerous scenes of Seale being denied his rights, representation and more. It’s such an outrageous sight in a movie that prides itself on its accuracy that it begs the question, was Seale really bound and gagged in the way the movie suggests?
The truth is, yes, Seale was tied to his chair and gagged in full view of the jury,...
Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is loaded with moments that will make you laugh, cheer or be outraged. But one of the film’s most alarming moments comes when Bobby Seale, the Black Panther party leader as portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is ordered bound and gagged in his courtroom seat by judge Julius Hoffman.
The scene is a horrifying moment of racial injustice and prejudice that finally boiled over after numerous scenes of Seale being denied his rights, representation and more. It’s such an outrageous sight in a movie that prides itself on its accuracy that it begs the question, was Seale really bound and gagged in the way the movie suggests?
The truth is, yes, Seale was tied to his chair and gagged in full view of the jury,...
- 10/16/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
You’d think that a bunch of Yippies nominating a 145-pound pig, cheekily dubbed “Pigasus,” for president would need showcasing, but Aaron Sorkin is of a different mind. The venerable writer/director’s criminally pigless picture, The Trial of the Chicago 7, focuses instead on the eponymous group’s protracted trial following its heavy involvement in anti-war protests in ’60s Chicago.
Fiery bellies and a gravitational pull toward positive change drove these men to become ardent faces of a festering distaste for the United States’ wartime priorities. And Sorkin’s searing film does a decent job driving that earnestness home. It may skimp on necessary emotional beats and become more innocuous than it intends, but there’s an undeniable relevance to Sorkin’s latest effort that ultimately makes it a worthy expenditure of cognitive juice.
As one of its respective era’s most critical moments, the 1968 Democratic Convention cranked patriotic...
Fiery bellies and a gravitational pull toward positive change drove these men to become ardent faces of a festering distaste for the United States’ wartime priorities. And Sorkin’s searing film does a decent job driving that earnestness home. It may skimp on necessary emotional beats and become more innocuous than it intends, but there’s an undeniable relevance to Sorkin’s latest effort that ultimately makes it a worthy expenditure of cognitive juice.
As one of its respective era’s most critical moments, the 1968 Democratic Convention cranked patriotic...
- 10/16/2020
- by Hayden Mears
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Over half a century has passed since the events portrayed in the outstanding courtroom drama from Netflix, The Trial of the Chicago 7, took place and, given the current politically charged times, our relationship with authority and authoritarian rule hasn’t gotten any less prickly.
When first envisioned, the protest accompanying the Democratic National Convention in 1968, was intended to be a peaceful protest of the war in Vietnam. But, as most protests of the period went, this one quickly turned violent as police and members of the National Guard used force and violence to quell a supposed riot. The accused organizers of the alleged riot—who included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Les Weiner, and Bobby Seale—were subsequently charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot, resulting in one of the most infamous trials in American history.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin,...
When first envisioned, the protest accompanying the Democratic National Convention in 1968, was intended to be a peaceful protest of the war in Vietnam. But, as most protests of the period went, this one quickly turned violent as police and members of the National Guard used force and violence to quell a supposed riot. The accused organizers of the alleged riot—who included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Les Weiner, and Bobby Seale—were subsequently charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot, resulting in one of the most infamous trials in American history.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin,...
- 10/16/2020
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” hits Netflix on Friday — 13 years after Sorkin first wrote the script for the film about the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention and the trial that followed.
That’s just one snippet Sorkin told audiences about the making of the film at a drive-in screening this week. In fact, it took so long to get this movie made, that he never thought he’d see it happen.
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” stars Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance and Michael Keaton, and chronicles a group of seven defendants charged by the government with conspiracy in 1969 and 1970 and inciting to riot related to anti-Vietnam War protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois during the 1968 Democratic Nation Convention.
Sorkin wrote and directed the film.
See below for five facts...
That’s just one snippet Sorkin told audiences about the making of the film at a drive-in screening this week. In fact, it took so long to get this movie made, that he never thought he’d see it happen.
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” stars Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance and Michael Keaton, and chronicles a group of seven defendants charged by the government with conspiracy in 1969 and 1970 and inciting to riot related to anti-Vietnam War protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois during the 1968 Democratic Nation Convention.
Sorkin wrote and directed the film.
See below for five facts...
- 10/15/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Image Source: Netflix
Director Aaron Sorkin is hopping back on the political drama train with Netflix's The Trial of the Chicago 7. Based on a true story, the period film follows the infamous case of the seven men - really eight - who were indicted for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The demonstrations drew an estimate of
10,000 participants
, many of who faced police brutality at the frontlines. Sorkin's movie spotlights the notoriously chaotic and controversial trial that followed. Its cast is stacked - the powerhouse team includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, and more. Before you add The Trial of the Chicago 7 to your queue, here's the backstory that you should know from this turbulent year in American history.
To understand how the situation unfolded, we need to look at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, which followed the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr.
Director Aaron Sorkin is hopping back on the political drama train with Netflix's The Trial of the Chicago 7. Based on a true story, the period film follows the infamous case of the seven men - really eight - who were indicted for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The demonstrations drew an estimate of
10,000 participants
, many of who faced police brutality at the frontlines. Sorkin's movie spotlights the notoriously chaotic and controversial trial that followed. Its cast is stacked - the powerhouse team includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, and more. Before you add The Trial of the Chicago 7 to your queue, here's the backstory that you should know from this turbulent year in American history.
To understand how the situation unfolded, we need to look at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, which followed the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr.
- 10/14/2020
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
One of the defendants portrayed in Aaron Sorkin’s Oscar-tipped film talks about the 1968 protest and the dramatic trial that followed
Rennie Davis had come to protest peacefully. The police had come to riot. Wielding batons, they stormed forward yelling, “Kill Davis!” he recalls. He was cracked on the head, knocked to the ground and felt lucky to escape with his life.
It could be a scene from this year’s summer of civil unrest in America. In fact it was a demonstration outside the 1968 Democratic national convention in Chicago that descended into a violent clash with police and the national guard.
Rennie Davis had come to protest peacefully. The police had come to riot. Wielding batons, they stormed forward yelling, “Kill Davis!” he recalls. He was cracked on the head, knocked to the ground and felt lucky to escape with his life.
It could be a scene from this year’s summer of civil unrest in America. In fact it was a demonstration outside the 1968 Democratic national convention in Chicago that descended into a violent clash with police and the national guard.
- 10/13/2020
- by David Smith in Washington
- The Guardian - Film News
Well, burnt-out history teachers have a new movie to kill two class periods.
That’s assuming they can get permission slips from parents to show it to students. It has some violence and a moment of sexual menace, so that might be a hurdle for some high school sophomore instructors. So how about this: They turn on the overhead projector, start the movie, and play a majority of it without video. The kids listen to it like it’s a radio play, the teacher catches up on their grading, and by Wednesday morning class is back in session as normal. Or they could, you know, read about it.
No, The Trial of the Chicago 7 isn’t terribly cinematic. It’s hardly cinematic at all, and here the idea of Aaron Sorkin at his most Sorkin-y somehow translates to him at his worst. It doesn’t confront. It doesn’t stimulate.
That’s assuming they can get permission slips from parents to show it to students. It has some violence and a moment of sexual menace, so that might be a hurdle for some high school sophomore instructors. So how about this: They turn on the overhead projector, start the movie, and play a majority of it without video. The kids listen to it like it’s a radio play, the teacher catches up on their grading, and by Wednesday morning class is back in session as normal. Or they could, you know, read about it.
No, The Trial of the Chicago 7 isn’t terribly cinematic. It’s hardly cinematic at all, and here the idea of Aaron Sorkin at his most Sorkin-y somehow translates to him at his worst. It doesn’t confront. It doesn’t stimulate.
- 9/25/2020
- by Matt Cipolla
- The Film Stage
Nothing epitomized late ’60s iconoclasm like the trial of the Chicago Seven, a high-profile courtroom showdown between vindictive government forces and the righteous men who opposed its corruption. The nearly five-month proceedings were so loaded with histrionic grandstanding they practically anticipated the movie Aaron Sorkin would make five decades later. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is exactly as advertised — , that overall makes a passionate case for the resilience of its formula more than using it as an excuse.
Of course, Sorkin practically rejuvenated that formula by writing the fiery confrontations of “A Few Good Men” almost 30 years ago, and here directs his own blunt, energetic screenplay with the convictions of a storyteller fully committed to the tropes at hand. It works well enough in part because the trial lends itself to such artifice: When the government charged an eclectic blend of stoned rebels and non-violent anti-war protesters with inciting...
Of course, Sorkin practically rejuvenated that formula by writing the fiery confrontations of “A Few Good Men” almost 30 years ago, and here directs his own blunt, energetic screenplay with the convictions of a storyteller fully committed to the tropes at hand. It works well enough in part because the trial lends itself to such artifice: When the government charged an eclectic blend of stoned rebels and non-violent anti-war protesters with inciting...
- 9/25/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), Tommy Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), John Froines (Daniel Flaherty), and Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) were the Chicago 7. Along with Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), co-founder of the Black Panther Party, these eight men captivated America from 1969-70 while on trial for inciting a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention — a bloody protest witnessing the Chicago Police Department viciously beating unarmed demonstrators, which culminated in Mayor Daley instituting his infamous shoot to kill order.
Continue reading ‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7’: Aaron Sorkin’s Courtroom Drama Provokes Your Outrage, But Often Feels Manufactured [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7’: Aaron Sorkin’s Courtroom Drama Provokes Your Outrage, But Often Feels Manufactured [Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/25/2020
- by Robert Daniels
- The Playlist
On paper, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” feels like it could be a bit of Aaron Sorkin’s greatest hits. The drama, which hits select theaters on Friday before heading to Netflix on Oct. 16, has lots of the qualities you can find in previous works that he’s written: politics, legal scenes and, most of all, smart people talking fast (pretty much everything Sorkin has done).
But if “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is indeed full of the verbal pyrotechnics that can make Sorkin such an invigorating storyteller, the film is most notable for the way it goes in directions we haven’t seen from the writer and director. With its intricate editing and full-scale action sequences re-creating the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” moves beyond Sorkin the writer of dialogue, or Sorkin the supplier of scripts to the likes of Rob Reiner,...
But if “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is indeed full of the verbal pyrotechnics that can make Sorkin such an invigorating storyteller, the film is most notable for the way it goes in directions we haven’t seen from the writer and director. With its intricate editing and full-scale action sequences re-creating the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” moves beyond Sorkin the writer of dialogue, or Sorkin the supplier of scripts to the likes of Rob Reiner,...
- 9/25/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Plot: Following the 1968 Democratic Convention, the Chicago 7 - Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen), Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), John Froines (Daniel Flaherty), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins), and Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), as well as Black Panther Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) are put on trial for inciting the riots. Review:…...
- 9/25/2020
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Aaron Sorkin always wanted The Trial of the Chicago 7 to be a movie. Ever since Steven Spielberg first broached the subject of adapting the story of how eight men were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot during the Democratic National Convention of 1968, it’s been a project Sorkin has thought about, toyed with, and rewritten over the last 14 years. But what finally led Sorkin to forego his stage play for something bigger and more cinematic is when the events of the heady days of 1968 began seeing echoes in the 21st century. What happened was Donald Trump ran for president.
“I asked DreamWorks if I could try writing this as a play,” Sorkin said Monday during an industry talk for The Trial of the Chicago 7 at the Toronto International Film Festival. By this time, the film had already gone through several drafts, with directors like Paul Greengrass and...
“I asked DreamWorks if I could try writing this as a play,” Sorkin said Monday during an industry talk for The Trial of the Chicago 7 at the Toronto International Film Festival. By this time, the film had already gone through several drafts, with directors like Paul Greengrass and...
- 9/14/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
“The whole world is watching,” we hear chanted repeatedly in the first The Trial of the Chicago 7 trailer. After riots, which may have begun due to the excessive force by the police, overtook the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the federal government tried to charge a group of counterculture activists with conspiracy in one of the most infamous trials in American history. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, and featuring an all-star cast headlined by Sacha Baron Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the Netflix film merits global consideration. Subscribers will have access to the film starting on Oct. 16
The Trial of the Chicago 7 was originally going to be released by Paramount Pictures, but the studio sold the distribution rights to Netflix due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Trial of The Chicago 7 was initially set to be released in September, but the deal between Paramount and Netflix pushed it back a few weeks.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 was originally going to be released by Paramount Pictures, but the studio sold the distribution rights to Netflix due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Trial of The Chicago 7 was initially set to be released in September, but the deal between Paramount and Netflix pushed it back a few weeks.
- 9/14/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Streaming giant Netflix has set an Oct. 16 launch date for Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded political drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7” — three weeks before the national election.
Netflix closed the deal on July 1 with Cross Creek Pictures for the drama, which recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest, including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale, were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Netlix also released first-look photos on Wednesday on Twitter, noting the “big hair energy” on several of the stars. Mark Strong’s Jerry Rubin character appears to be smoking marijuana in a classroom in one shot.
Will never get over the big hair energy in these first look photos from The Trial Of The Chicago 7.
The latest from writer/director Aaron Sorkin, detailing...
Netflix closed the deal on July 1 with Cross Creek Pictures for the drama, which recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest, including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale, were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Netlix also released first-look photos on Wednesday on Twitter, noting the “big hair energy” on several of the stars. Mark Strong’s Jerry Rubin character appears to be smoking marijuana in a classroom in one shot.
Will never get over the big hair energy in these first look photos from The Trial Of The Chicago 7.
The latest from writer/director Aaron Sorkin, detailing...
- 7/22/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Streaming giant Netflix has closed a worldwide rights deal for Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded “The Trial of the Chicago 7” from Cross Creek Pictures for release later this year.
Variety first reported on June 20 that Netflix was in negotiations for the property. The drama recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Hoffman is portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen with Eddie Redmayne as Hayden, Jeremy Strong as Rubin and Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Seale. Michael Keaton portrays Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch portrays defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp plays defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella plays presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Mark Rylance portrays attorney William Kuntsler.
Netflix is expected to release “The Trial of the Chicago 7...
Variety first reported on June 20 that Netflix was in negotiations for the property. The drama recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Hoffman is portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen with Eddie Redmayne as Hayden, Jeremy Strong as Rubin and Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Seale. Michael Keaton portrays Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch portrays defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp plays defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella plays presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Mark Rylance portrays attorney William Kuntsler.
Netflix is expected to release “The Trial of the Chicago 7...
- 7/1/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The impressive cast of Aaron Sorkin‘s historical drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 just got a little bit bigger with the addition of Silicon Valley star Thomas Middleditch and Glee alum Max Adler.
Sorkin is directing the Steven Spielberg produced film and the two actors join the already cast Michael Keaton, William Hurt, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The film recounts “the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.”
Keaton will play Ramsey Clark, who was the judge that oversaw the trial, and Hurt will play John Mitchell, the attorney general at the time. Redmayne will take on the role of Tom Hayden,...
Sorkin is directing the Steven Spielberg produced film and the two actors join the already cast Michael Keaton, William Hurt, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The film recounts “the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.”
Keaton will play Ramsey Clark, who was the judge that oversaw the trial, and Hurt will play John Mitchell, the attorney general at the time. Redmayne will take on the role of Tom Hayden,...
- 10/30/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Michael Keaton and William Hurt are the latest actors to join the ensemble cast of Aaron Sorkin’s film project The Trial of the Chicago 7. Sorkin is directing the film, Steven Spielberg is producing, and the rest of the impressive cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The film recounts “the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.”
Keaton will play Ramsey Clark, who was the judge that oversaw the trial, and Hurt will play John Mitchell, the attorney general at the time. Redmayne will take on the role of Tom Hayden, Baron Cohen will play Abbie Hoffman, Rogen will play Jerry Rubin,...
The film recounts “the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.”
Keaton will play Ramsey Clark, who was the judge that oversaw the trial, and Hurt will play John Mitchell, the attorney general at the time. Redmayne will take on the role of Tom Hayden, Baron Cohen will play Abbie Hoffman, Rogen will play Jerry Rubin,...
- 10/27/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is finally getting its day in court. Paramount Pictures has come aboard for domestic distribution, and Cross Creek has boarded as co-financier and is producing along with Amblin Partners. The collective funding infusion has the film now on track to begin production this fall.
Frank Langella has agreed to play Us District Court Judge Julius Hoffman, who presided over the trial, and Mark Rylance will play William Kuntsler, the lawyer who defended the civil rights activists. They join a killer cast that previously circled the picture: Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz, Jonathan Majors as Bobby Seale and Alex Sharp as Rennie Davis. These were the major players in the 1969 trial of anti-war activists charged by the federal government with conspiracy for their roles of fomenting protests that marred the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Frank Langella has agreed to play Us District Court Judge Julius Hoffman, who presided over the trial, and Mark Rylance will play William Kuntsler, the lawyer who defended the civil rights activists. They join a killer cast that previously circled the picture: Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz, Jonathan Majors as Bobby Seale and Alex Sharp as Rennie Davis. These were the major players in the 1969 trial of anti-war activists charged by the federal government with conspiracy for their roles of fomenting protests that marred the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
- 8/29/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
If DreamWorks still plans to make The Trial of the Chicago 7, it.s going to have to do it without Paul Greengrass at the helm. Variety reports that the Bourne director and the studio .have decided to part ways after being unable to agree on a budget. for the period piece, which would focus on the riots caused by activists during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Illinois. The man accused included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner. They were charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to protests. Part of the reason Variety says that the budget was ballooning close to $40 million . as opposed to the $30 million mark the studio sought . is because Greengrass wanted to accurately stage the riots, a costly proposition for whomever takes over the production. Someone will be plugged in soon, though, as DreamWorks...
- 9/17/2013
- cinemablend.com
Is 2013 the year of lost Steven Spielberg projects finding new life? On the heels of Christopher Nolan picking up the mantle for Spielberg on "Interstellar," a film Spielberg first started developing back in 2006, comes this Deadline.com report about Paul Greengrass taking over for the director on "The Trial of The Chicago 7," a feature Spielberg started game-planning back in 2007.
Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film will focus on the famous conspiracy trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines and Lee Weiner, all of whom were charged with inciting riots after the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Spielberg was first attached to the film in 2007, and worked with Sorkin on the project through 2008. The director also had a cast in mind, as noted by Vanity Fair in a piece on the director in February of 2008.
My glance strays to a side table, where headshots...
Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film will focus on the famous conspiracy trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines and Lee Weiner, all of whom were charged with inciting riots after the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Spielberg was first attached to the film in 2007, and worked with Sorkin on the project through 2008. The director also had a cast in mind, as noted by Vanity Fair in a piece on the director in February of 2008.
My glance strays to a side table, where headshots...
- 7/24/2013
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
During the 1968 Democratic National Convention in late August, various rallies and demonstrations took place in protest of President Lyndon B Johnson’s policies for the Vietnam War. One particular rally, The Grant Park rally, was attended by thousands of protesters and after it was over some attempted to march to the International Amphitheater—where the convention was being held—but were stopped by police.
This marked the beginning of physical confrontations between protesters and the police for five days. Hundreds of police officers as well as protesters were injured.
As a result, eight protesters were charged with various crimes, including conspiracy to incite a riot. The eight–David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale, John Froines and Lee Weiner–were reduced to seven when Seale was severed from the case and sentenced to four years for contempt of court. The trial lasted for months and...
This marked the beginning of physical confrontations between protesters and the police for five days. Hundreds of police officers as well as protesters were injured.
As a result, eight protesters were charged with various crimes, including conspiracy to incite a riot. The eight–David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale, John Froines and Lee Weiner–were reduced to seven when Seale was severed from the case and sentenced to four years for contempt of court. The trial lasted for months and...
- 11/29/2010
- by Cynthia
- ShadowAndAct
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