Academy awarded movie ‘Network’ about a fictional television network, Union Broadcasting System (UBS), and its struggle with poor ratings will be screened on May 4 at 6 pm at the American center, Galle Road, Colombo3.
Media madness reigns supreme in screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky’s scathing satire about the uses and abuses of network television. Directed by Sidney Lumet, and stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch and Robert Duvall and features Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty and Beatrice Straight, the film won four Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.
Howard Beale is an aging TV anchorman for UBS who is fired, effective in two weeks, after his ratings have been steadily deteriorating. He reacts to this by sensationally announcing on live television his intention to commit suicide on air. In doing so, Beale becomes a major TV icon and one of the most valuable assets to the Communications Corporation of America (CCA), the company that is gradually taking control of UBS.
As a result he is given his own show as ‘the mad prophet of the air-waves’. He appears live on television every week-day evening to tell the real truth to the people of America. The program is a huge success but Beale uses his power to make startling revelations about CCA, leaving the company executives with a serious problem.
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