The Paper

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The Paper

R

Released Mar 18, 1994

1h 50m

Drama

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is an editor at the New York Sun, a tabloid paper facing financial cuts. His pregnant wife, Martha (Marisa Tomei), pleads with him to get a more respectable job so he can spend more time with his family. Hackett is considering an offer from another paper, with fewer hours and higher pay, when he gets his hottest story in years. When this scoop leads to a burst of violence and a conflict with his new boss, Alicia (Glenn Close), he faces a startling moment of truth.

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Critics Consensus

Fast and frenetic, The Paper captures the energy of the newsroom thanks to its cast and director on first-rate form.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

The inside-baseball feel of the newsroom material (co-writer Stephen Koepp did time in the trenches) is what makes 'The Paper' sing.

May 3, 2016

Full Review

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

The picture starts to fall in love with its subject -- head- over-heels in love, until the acid drains from the wit and there's nothing left but sentimental ooze.

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

It's all slick, fizzy fun. But the film's fighting spirit gets snatched.

Jun 6, 2001

Full Review

Jon Negroni

InBetweenDrafts

If you go in expecting the second coming of Michael Scott, you might end up asking for a retraction.

Rated: 6/10

Sep 3, 2025

Full Review

Jeff Simon

Buffalo News

A smart and entertaining movie, not an important one.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 29, 2024

Full Review

Eleanor O'Sullivan

Asbury Park Press (NJ)

A brilliantly brittle and funny movie about a New York tabloid.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 29, 2024

Full Review

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Janice S

Absolutely loved this show! Well written and with heart! Domhnall Gleeson is the perfect lead for this role.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/21/25

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Wayne F.

Esmeralda and Ken ruin this show and make it feel like a cartoon version of the office. The show would be so much better if they dumped those two.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

Valbonne V

As a die-hard fan of "The Office", who keeps watching reruns on Comedy Central all these years later, I tuned in expecting similar smart writing and wonderful performances by actors portraying engaging characters. What a mistake. The characters are uniformly awful and beyond stupid, every one of them. The cast is so-so at best and the writing is execrable. I thought I'd give it a 5-episode watch after reading Matt Rausch, who I tend to agree with. I cannot imagine what pharmaceutical he was on when he wrote about this unfunny, sloppy fiasco.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/06/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 50 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $36,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

Full Review

Carlos I

Much like Broadcast News, Ron Howard's The Paper immerses viewers in the chaotic world of journalism, albeit with a slightly less "important" feel. However, this doesn't detract from its endless entertainment value, largely due to a stellar ensemble cast that elevates the fast-paced newsroom drama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/25

Full Review

Anne C

One of my all time favourite films- it is fast, energetic and hilarious. Michael Keaton is perfect and Glenn Close is superb. I rewatch more than almost any other film. Always delivers for me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

Full Review

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Ron Howard

Director

Michael Keaton

Henry Hackett, Metro Editor New York Sun

Glenn Close

Alicia Clark, Managing Editor New York Sun

Robert Duvall

Bernie White, Editor New York Sun

Marisa Tomei

Martha Hackett

Randy Quaid

Michael McDougal

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Synopsis

Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is an editor at the New York Sun, a tabloid paper facing financial cuts. His pregnant wife, Martha (Marisa Tomei), pleads with him to get a more respectable job so he can spend more time with his family. Hackett is considering an offer from another paper, with fewer hours and higher pay, when he gets his hottest story in years. When this scoop leads to a burst of violence and a conflict with his new boss, Alicia (Glenn Close), he faces a startling moment of truth.

Director: Ron Howard
Producer: Brian Grazer, Frederick Zollo
Screenwriter: David Koepp, Stephen Koepp
Distributor: Argentina Video Home, Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 18, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 28, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $36.6M
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Stereo, DTS

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