Streep & Hanks in ‘The Post’ – publish and be damned

    

 

Spielberg’s The Post, just premiered, tells the timely tale of an American newspaper’s struggle to hold a corrupt administration to account. Editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and proprietor Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep) face down legal threats from the Nixon administration, possible jail time and boardroom fainthearts, to disclose the truth about how the US government deceived America about the unwinnability of the Vietnam war. The NY Times broke the story contained in Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers but were injuncted to stop publication. It was the scoop that paved the way for the Watergate investigation.

Meryl Streep evidently steals the show and is on top form. Though she doesn’t look altogether happy at the moment.

Born 22 June 1949 8.05 am Summit, New Jersey, she has a maverick Sun Uranus in Cancer on one leg of a Yod sextile Saturn in hard-working Virgo inconjunct Jupiter, which gives her an opportunity to have a positive effect on the masses. Her Taurus Moon is in the 10th, suiting her for a public career.   Her Sun Uranus are about to pick up the downbeat tr Saturn opposition just before Christmas; and her Solar Arc Mars is conjunct her Pluto for the next few months making her feel increasing frustrated and angry. Tr Pluto is also squaring her midheaven in 2017/2018 so she is feeling the pressure perhaps of the political environment and the Weinstein/#metoo furore which she has been strongly outspoken in support of.

Tom Hanks, 9 July 1956 11.17am Concord, California, also favourably reviewed, is another Sun Cancer in a trine to a steadily enduring Saturn in Scorpio; with a creative and self-protective Water Grand Trine, a charming Venus in Gemini on his midheaven and a Leo Moon.

Daniel Ellsberg, the former military analyst, who released the Pentagon Papers in 1971 (7 April 1931) was a Sun Aries conjunct Uranus and North Node square Jupiter Pluto in Cancer opposition Saturn in Capricorn – so headstrong, reforming, ultra-determined. He was consummately smeared after they came out, causing maximum embarrassment to the top US political players. They tried to make him out as mad, broke into his psychiatrist’s office etc which led on eventually to the whole Watergate debacle. He was charged under the Espionage Act but that case collapsed as a result of the White House dirty tricks being exposed. Ehrlichman, Dean and others resigned and were charged and all the rest followed.

6 thoughts on “Streep & Hanks in ‘The Post’ – publish and be damned

  1. The Post is very timely with current attacks on freedom of the press. Streep took a stand against the powers and is facing false smears.

  2. Sophie’s right. Meryl’s initial defense of Weinstein only to have to back down in the face of criticism is what I remember. Her protests that she didnt know seem delusional. Meryl is a Hollywood elitest who was very content in keeping the status quo. Her star is tarnished in my eyes.

  3. Meryl Streep enabled Harvey Weinstein, the man she called GOD. He pressured and fought the academy to vote for Meryl Streep, so she could win her third underserving Oscar. I find it hard to believe that she was the only person in Hollywood, who did not hear whispers about Weinstein’s hatred towards women. I will not watch this move, hypocrisy makes me sick.

  4. Ken Burns and Lynn Novick did a long, exhausting documentary on the Vietnam War that featured participants on all sides. Some of the video is harrowing and has triggered PTSD in many war vets. They have a heartbreaking family video of a family sending Christmas greetings to a marine. It should sweep all Awards.

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