''The Final Days'' is a 1989
television movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
adaptation of
the 1976 book written by
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for '' The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the title of associate editor.
While a young reporter for ''The Washingt ...
and
Carl Bernstein
Carl Milton Bernstein ( ; born February 14, 1944) is an American investigative journalist and author. While a young reporter for ''The Washington Post'' in 1972, Bernstein was teamed up with Bob Woodward, and the two did much of the original n ...
. The movie is directed by
Richard Pearce and follows the events in the
Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
after the ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
s
Watergate revelations.
Plot
J. Fred Buzhardt inadvertently reveals the existence of a taping system to the
Watergate Committee minority counsel. After the committee's majority counsel discovers the information,
Alexander Butterfield
Alexander Porter Butterfield (born April 6, 1926) is a retired United States Air Force officer, public servant, and businessman. He served as the deputy assistant to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. He revealed the White House tapin ...
is interviewed and confirms the taping system's existence.
Four days after the
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by E ...
, Vice President
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second vice president to resign the position, the other being John ...
resigns. Nixon turns over the tapes after the
resignations of Elliot Richardson and William Ruckelshaus.
Later at his
Key Biscayne home, Nixon holds his "
I'm not a crook" press conference.
James D. St. Clair is hired as Nixon's defense lawyer.
Featured cast
Awards and nominations
1990 Casting Society of America (Artios)
*Nominated – Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week:
Susan Bluestein
1990 Emmy Awards
*Nominated – Outstanding Cinematography For A Miniseries Or Movie:
Fred Murphy
*Nominated – Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special:
Richard Pearce
*Nominated – Outstanding Made For Television Movie:
Stu Samuels,
Richard L. O'Connor,
Susan Weber-Gold
*Nominated – Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special:
Hugh Whitemore
Hugh John Whitemore (16 June 1936 – 17 July 2018) was an English playwright and screenwriter.
Biography
Whitemore studied for the stage at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he was taught by Peter Barkworth, then on the staff at RADA ...
1990 Golden Globe Awards
*Nominated –
:
Lane Smith
Walter Lane Smith III (April 29, 1936 – June 13, 2005) was an American actor. His well-known roles included newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', Walter Warner in '' Son in Law'', co ...
See also
* ''
All the President's Men
''All the President's Men'' is a 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, two of the journalists who investigated the June 1972 break-in at the Watergate Office Building and the resultant political scandal for ''The Washingto ...
'', 1976 film
External links
*
1989 crime drama films
1989 films
1989 television films
1980s political drama films
ABC Motion Pictures films
American political drama films
American television films
Cultural depictions of Leonid Brezhnev
Cultural depictions of Henry Kissinger
Films about Richard Nixon
Films based on non-fiction books
Films directed by Richard Pearce
Films scored by Cliff Eidelman
Watergate scandal in film
1980s American films
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