“Rather”

Most people have heard the name Dan Rather. For many, it brings up memories of a hardworking video reporter who was know for his on-the-ground reporting during the Vietnam War, the JFK assassination, and fall of the Berlin Wall. For others, they’ve only been recently introduced to the 92-year-old grandpa figure who pens whip-smart political pieces about the current state of the U.S. on his popular social media accounts. No matter how you know the man, director Frank Marshall’s documentary “Rather” is a tribute to and celebration of one of the greatest icons in the world of journalism.

The film revisits Rather’s legacy and influence from his days as a college newspaper reporter to his current knack for crafting viral Twitter posts. This is a man who has managed to stay relevant by remaining outspoken and striving to keep a strong work ethic, honor, integrity, and a sharp sense of humor.

Marshall crafts a comprehensive documentary that gives a timeline of journalism history as seen through the newsman’s eyes. Some of the most compelling aspects of the film are when Rather talks about his own experiences, including how as a reporter he was trained to be an impartial witness, but he struggled with that when covering the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam. It’s fascinating to hear him speak about all that he’s seen over his 70 year career.

The most chilling story he recounts is the famous incident during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago where Rather was attacked on camera. It’s a moment where antipathy towards the press was pushed to the brink, and a time where anti-media rhetoric was used to turn members of the press into enemies of the people. It’s an infamous incident among journalists and reporters everywhere, and one that grew even more heated during the Watergate years as Richard Nixon didn’t even try to hide the fact that he hated the press.

Taking a lead from these events, Marshall goes down the road of creating a map of the current “fake news” battle cry. Rather himself, as a trusted television anchor in the 1980s, recalls a time when America “could agree on the facts.” He goes on to say that history likes to repeat itself, and that’s what we are seeing today. It’s eye-opening not only to see it put together in a cohesive timeline like this, but to hear Rather’s take on how and why members of the press have become an enemy for simply doing their jobs.

The film touches briefly on the 2004 document scandal and careless mistake that damaged Rather’s reputation and ended his career at CBS, but Marshall keeps things mostly positive by quickly switching to content about Rather’s superstar social media accounts.

As a Nonagenarian, Rather embraced the changing media landscape and learned to master Twitter, which kept so many of us sane during the Trump era. His humor and think pieces continue to gain a large number of young followers and fans, introducing Rather’s old school reporter mentality to the younger generation.

“Rather” is a documentary that makes you yearn for the days when news was simply news. It’s a film with an interesting, charismatic subject and is an outstanding tribute to one of the greatest television journalists of our time.

By: Louisa Moore