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Newsfront

Play trailer Poster for Newsfront PG 1978 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 55% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
As the onset of television threatens his livelihood, newsreel cameraman Len Maguire (Bill Hunter) tries to bolster his failing company as his co-worker and brother, Frank (Gerard Kennedy), leaves to work for a competing outfit. Len finds a new source of frustration in his rigid wife, Fay (Angela Punch), whom he marries after realizing that fellow employee Amy (Wendy Hughes) loves Frank. As ambitious Frank looks to new forms of electronic journalism, Len remains committed to traditional ways.

Critics Reviews

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Elliott Stein Film Comment Magazine 12/12/2017
3/4
It is fascinating material, reasonably exotic. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 12/06/2005
2.5/4
Newsfront is, in any case, a pleasant and nostalgic movie, told in a key a little too low to constantly involve us. Go to Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film 03/07/2023
Mixing true events gives the impression of being in history with the narrative following these lives of news chasers. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 04/17/2009
B+
The way the newsreels are woven into the fictionalized story is seamless. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 07/25/2005
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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06/03/2017 Philip Noyce made his feature film debut with this true story of an Australian newsreel company. See more 02/19/2016 Excellent drama, with great attention paid to historical authenticity. See more 06/20/2014 uses both colour & blk n white to tell the story of 2 brothers year s/b 1978 See more 03/07/2014 A quiet epic on both the making of a nation, and the craft of those who documented it. See more 12/31/2010 A fascinating movie about by-gone era. See more 08/21/2010 A very specific of topic for a film, covering the history of Australian newsreel cameramen and reporters from their inception through their eventual decline, largely due to the advent of television. Not at all being familiar with Australian newsreel history, I didn't have any kind of nostalgia for this topic, which the filmmakers clearly did, but the film is absolutely engrossing. Directed by the underrated Phillip Noyce before he hit it big with "Dead Calm" and then moving over to the US to direct Hollywood pictures, he seamlessly incorporates vintage newsreel footage with the fictional lives of the newsreel reporters, brilliantly editing together color and black & white footage of the reporters' lives. The film is an absolute love letter to this period, and although I have not experience with this particular bit of OZ history, it was fascinating none-the-less. See more Read all reviews
Newsfront

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Phillip Noyce

Director

Bill Hunter

Len Maguire

Chris Haywood

Chris Hewitt

Angela Punch McGregor

Fay

Gerard Kennedy

Frank Maguire

Wendy Hughes

Amy Mackenzie
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Newsfront

Newsfront (1978) Newsfront (1978) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis As the onset of television threatens his livelihood, newsreel cameraman Len Maguire (Bill Hunter) tries to bolster his failing company as his co-worker and brother, Frank (Gerard Kennedy), leaves to work for a competing outfit. Len finds a new source of frustration in his rigid wife, Fay (Angela Punch), whom he marries after realizing that fellow employee Amy (Wendy Hughes) loves Frank. As ambitious Frank looks to new forms of electronic journalism, Len remains committed to traditional ways.
Director
Phillip Noyce
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 5, 2020
Runtime
1h 51m