Trumbo

Plots: In 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood’s top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs. In 1947, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was Hollywood’s top screenwriter until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs. This movie recounts how Dalton used words and wit to win two Academy Awards and expose the absurdity and injustice under the blacklist, which entangled everyone from gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Dame Helen Mirren) to John Wayne (David James Elliott), Kirk Douglas (Dean O’Gorman), and Otto Preminger (Christian Berkel). The rise of Communism in the United States in the 1930s was a reaction to the Nazi uprising. However, Communism, in the late 1940s following World War II, is now seen as being a plague to American democracy with the on-set of the Cold War, with Communists automatically viewed as working for the Soviets. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) focused much of its attention toward flushing out Communists within the Hollywood movie industry as being high profile, celebrated author and Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), who has often spoken on the rights of workers, especially within the industry, being one of the primary targets as being a known card-carrying Communist. Dalton, and who would be coined the “Hollywood 10”, have their own tactics, not only dealing with the subpoenas to appear before the HUAC where they are to admit being card-carrying Communists, and to name names of others of who the HUAC may not be aware, but in how they can avoid answering the questions and not be charged with contempt and subsequently imprisoned, all in protection of their First Amendment rights. Their tactics are against the high powered assistance of some in the Hollywood community, arguably most powerfully anti-Communist gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Dame Helen Mirren), who mobilizes the public through her column. The Hollywood 10 plan does not quite work out the way they had mapped it, which includes being blacklisted to prevent working for any American movie studio, effectively ruining their livelihoods. In response to the blacklist, Dalton comes up with a “black” plan of his own to regain his livelihood and that of the other blacklisted screenwriters: sell screenplays on somewhat of a black market, they obviously not receiving screen credit for any of their work. Dalton’s subsequent plan to destroy the blacklist has the unanticipated consequence of what had been the unwavering support of his loyal wife Cleo (Diane Lane), and their children, most specifically oldest daughter Niki (Elle Fanning), who always wanted to be just like her dad.