Network (1976)

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Sidney Lumet Director previously directed Dog Day Afternoon

Network is a satire comedy from 1976 that details the rise of a 4th rate television network due to a focus on sensationalist news at the expense of hard journalism. Since release the movie has taken on prophetic overtones for predicting things decades ahead of time.
Trivia:

There is no music or traditional score in Network. All music comes from the television.

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Quote: Howard Beale

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!

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Writers
Cast
Faye Dunaway Diana Christensen
William Holden Max Schumacher
Peter Finch Howard Beale
Robert Duvall Frank Hackett
Wesley Addy Nelson Chaney
Ned Beatty Arthur Jensen
Arthur Burghardt Great Ahmed Kahn
Bill Burrows TV Director
John Carpenter George Bosch
Jordan Charney Harry Hunter
See Full Credits

Overview

Network is an extremely influential and biting satire released in 1976, detailing the rise of a bottom-dwelling news network at the cost of journalistic integrity and accuracy. After a strong showing amongst that year's award ceremonies, the film continued to stand out, and is still hailed as a prophetic and culturally relevant film. 
 
The film was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress into the National Film Registry in 2000.

Plot

The UBS Evening News's ratings have continued to decline, forcing the network to give its longtime anchor Howard Beale ( Peter Finch) two week's notice. Distraught at the news and already in the midst of depression, alcoholism, and the knowledge that he's been incompetent at his job, he announces on air the following night that he will shoot himself in the head during Tuesday night's broadcast. Frank Hackett ( Robert Duvall) and several other executives demand he be fired immediately. However, Max Schumacher ( William Holden), one of Howard's closest friends and the president of the network, gets him one final broadcast under the assumption that Howard could go out with some dignity. Howard originally agrees to apologize for his suicidal tirade, but goes into another tirade about how life is unfair once he is on air. 
 
This causes the network's ratings to skyrocket.
 
Max wants Howard off the air, but the other executives disagree, instead planning to exploit Howard's sudden outbursts for the ratings. Howard continues to rant and rave on the air, eventually leading up to shouting out the iconic phrase, 'I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore', and convincing his viewers to open their windows and to shout the phrase outside, despite there being a thunderstorm. Eventually, Max is given a new show, The Howard Beale Program. His ratings continue to climb until he is hosting one of the most popular programs on television. Beale himself becomes a sort of celebrity, filming his show in front of an audience that chants his 'mad as hell' line on cue. 
 
Meanwhile, Diana Christensen ( Faye Dunaway), an entertainment producer, desires so much to create a hit show that she signs a deal with radical left-wing terrorists called the Encumenical Liberation Army (A parody of the Symboniese Liberation Army, a real-life American left-wing militant group). She films them robbing banks, planning to use the footage for an opening for a new TV show about the terrorists themselves. 
 
As Howard's mad speeches continue to deliver ratings, Diana goes to Max and offers to help with the show. While Max refuses, the two hit it off and begin to have an affair. Max finally attempts to end Howard's broadcasts in favor of something calmer, Diana goes behind his back and gets her boss Frank to give the show over to the entertainment division, placing the show under her watch in the process. This leads directly to Max being fired.
 
The show continues to do well, but the romance between Max and Diane is floundering. Nonetheless, the two stay together, even causing Max to leave his wife after twenty-five years of marriage. This does not last however, as Diane is devoted more to her job than the relationship and is cold towards Max, causing Max to go back to his wife. As he leaves her, he warns that she will be her own undoing. 
 
Howard eventually discovers that CCA, the company that owns UBS, is about to be bought by a larger company from Saudi Arabia. This launches Howard into another of his rants, telling his viewers to send telegrams to the White House to stop the deal. This act of resistancec finally worries the remaining executives, since CCA will go under thanks to its debts if the deal with the Saudi Arabian company falls through. Howard is asked to meet with the chairman of the company, Arthur Jensen ( Ned Beatty).
 
Inside the dark meeting room where the meeting takes place, Arthur explains to Howard his world view: that he is a very powerful man thanks to the world economy becoming closer-linked and that the differences between nations is nothing but a facade. This speech of Aruther's finally calms Howard down, causing him to lose sight of what had brought him fame and ratings. The newly-calmed Howard doesn't sit well with his audience however, and ratings decline. 
 
UBS executives are now panicking, and finally want Howard off the air. Arthur refuses to let this happen. In an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, Diane arranges for Howard to be assassinated on-air by the Encumenical Liberation Army. This leads to high ratings of the season premiere of 'The Mao Tse-Tung Hour'. As the movie comes to a close, a voiceover tells us that this is the first time someone was killed for bad ratings.
 

Critical Acclaim

The film received rave reviews from film critics of the time, being hailed at the time for being topical and an excellent parody, though at least one critic rebuked the film for an abundance of loud, preachy monologues. 
 
Network was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and won four awards (Peter Finch for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Faye Dunaway for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Beatrice Straight for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Paddy Chayefsky for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). 

Prophetic Tendencies

One of the key reasons Network has managed to remain in the public consciousness is because the target of its satire is not only relevant, but has become moreso in the present day. Amongst the things that the movie has managed to predict:
 
  • The existence of reality TV (Diane's show about the Encumenical Liberation Army)
  • Fox News, and its preference for sensationalist news over journalistic integrity (The Howard Beale Program and UBS)
  • The rise of sensationalist hosts like Glenn Beck, who compares himself to Howard Beale (The Howard Beale Program)
  • The quote 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore' has actually been used by said sensationalist hosts like Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly, who ironically are echoing Howard Beale's words more than they think they are.

12 AWARD NOMINATIONS

Network 13 images
review Good but dated (4 out of 5) MrWright
review Network Review (5 out of 5) Norton
review Network (4 out of 5) Adrenaline
blog Screenedcast Summary 01-25-2011 ep#37 CrazyCraven
blog Screenedcast Summary - 11-22-2010 Ep #29 CrazyCraven
review The most prophetic film ever created. (5 out of 5) gb
blog Copyrights, or "Now I Done Did It", or "Accepted or Rejected!"? zachwlewis
Write a Review
88 votes, 4.5 avg.

  • 90

  • 8.1

  • B+
General Information Edit
Name Network
US Release Oct. 27, 1976
UK Release
AUS Release Feb. 17, 1977
Runtime 121
Language(s)
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English
Genre(s)
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Drama
Comedy
Theme(s)
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obsession
financial
loss
love
parody
Rating R
Alias(es)
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  • In today's dollars
    Domestic $23,689,877
  • = total worldwide gross $23,689,877
  • - a reported budget of $3,800,000
  • = a 523.4% net profit of $19,889,877
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