Pentagon Papers DVD

This dramatic true-life account follows Daniel Ellsberg (James Spader), the Harvard graduate and ex-Marine who disclosed information from the Pentagon Papers in 1971, exposing secrets about the U.S. involvement in Vietnam that contributed to Richard Nixon's resignation from the presidency. The made-for-cable film is based on Ellsberg's biography, tracking his actions from his early days as a soldier to his position as military analyst for the Pentagon, where he discovers a top-secret document chronicling the government's deliberate misinformation about the Gulf of Tonkin incident that led to the Vietnam War. Ellsberg suffers through a crisis of conscience as he comes to grips with the importance of the papers and debates whether or not to leak them to the New York Times--a move that could be punishable as treason. Directed by Rod Holcomb, THE PENTAGON PAPERS is a thrilling recreation of a pivotal moment in American history when citizens were forced to confront the idea that their own government had deceived them.

THE PENTAGON PAPERS premiered on the FX cable network March 9, 2003. The film garnered Alan Arkin an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series or Movie. Dan Ellsberg was never contacted during preproduction or production of the film. He was, however, able to obtain an advance copy of the film before it was broadcast. He then commented on the film, both positively and negatively, on the weblog Ellsberg.net.

This is the only James Downing video.

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