2021 Oscars Review: The Trial of the Chicago 7
Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen, left) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong, right). Baron Cohen is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 93rd Academy Awards.
It’s Erin again, and I’m back with another review that is not even in the same universe when it comes to facts and research than if Tom had written it. I just go off of vibes and good times to be real honest with you. Today, I’ve got Aaron Sorkin’s latest effort: The Trial of the Chicago 7. This film is up for six Academy Awards, including a Best Supporting Actor nod for the wonderful Sacha Baron Cohen. This film is available to watch on your cousin’s Netflix account.
“In 1861, Lincoln said in his inaugural address: ‘When the people shall grow weary of their constitutional right to amend their government, they shall exert their revolutionary right to dismember and overthrow that government.’ And if Lincoln had given that speech in Lincoln Park last summer, he’d be put on trial with the rest of us.”
By the end of January 2021, I was downright exhausted. “Are we living in the craziest time right now?” I found myself asking anyone I could. The past few years have felt monumental, needing dozens of tall bookshelves to fit this chapter of our country’s history. I can’t imagine anything matching up to the past year. My dad was quick to argue against me: “You’re living in a world with 24-hour news channels. Imagine if CNN was around in the '60s.”
After considering this for only a moment or two, I had to relent and agree that he was right (don’t you hate when that happens?!). I’m not a history buff, but I could easily name a dozen events during the 1960s that would have made cable news chyrons explode. Not only that, but it seems that every few months, I learn something new, something that didn’t fit into the small post-World War II section in my history books. This event, the trial of seven anti-Vietnam War protestors charged with conspiracy and other crimes during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, was one of these previously under-covered historical events.
Interestingly enough, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin also did not know about this trial. Fifteen years ago, he had a meeting with Steven Spielberg, and Spielberg revealed that he wanted to make a film about the Chicago 7. Despite never having heard of them, Sorkin produced a script a year later. The end result is a dramatization of the trial, written and directed by Sorkin himself.
With an all-star cast including Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella, Michael Keaton, and the scene-stealing Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 follows the prosecution of a group of men attempting to protest the 1968 Convention. As the trial continues, we flash back and forth, uncovering the events of that night. We also learn about civil rights leader Bobby Seale, another defendant dubiously linked to the group by prosecutors, who repeatedly speaks out due to a lack of legal representation. Throughout the trial, we see charges of contempt of court, the testimonies of undercover FBI agents, and humorous outbursts by Abbie Hoffman. There are multiple framing devices in the movie, including a bit of an abrupt shift to Hoffman’s stand-up comedy routine.
While the timeline is switched around a little bit, and some additions to the movie are fictional, I found this to be a really entertaining film that made me want to explore more about this time period. I never really mind when films use poetic license to explore a historical figure or event. To me, it’s sort of a teaser--If you found this interesting, look into it further! That’s why I have always scoffed at misguided casting criticism of the masterful Hamilton and a new take on a genre, like last year’s Jojo Rabbit. I think that there are certain choices in this film that work well; including Fred Hampton’s story was an interesting chance to parallel what happened half a century ago to tragedies still happening every day in America today. I also like the whip-smart dialogue. There’s a bevy of quips and lighthearted moments that keep the watcher on their toes.
Where the film suffers, however, is in the whole feel and tone of the piece. These were true revolutionaries put on trial during this time. The thought of Hoffman finding out that he was going to be portrayed in a movie by the guy who wrote The West Wing is comical in itself. There is no way that these men would want a sanitized, slick-looking Hollywood film put out by Netflix to tell this story. It doesn’t feel in the spirit of what they were looking to accomplish and do. Only a few of those in this story are alive today, and I would be interested to learn their thoughts on this movie.
One of the strengths of this film has to be the performances. Of course, I was particularly impressed by Sacha Baron Cohen, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Cohen is a truly great actor, able to masterfully swerve between comedy, drama, and musicals (LES MIS FOREVER!). I think that Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is actually a really impressive film, and it was a truly remarkable year in film for Cohen. Eddie Redmayne was another standout. He has an extremely distinct style when it comes to acting, one that really works in some films (The Theory of Everything), and is exhausting to watch in others. In The Trial of the Chicago 7, Redmayne’s vibe is completely different. He does a great job portraying Tom Hayden as someone who understands the seriousness of his situation, but is steadfast in his beliefs.
Overall, I would recommend The Trial of the Chicago 7 to anyone scrolling through Netflix, unable to make a decision on what to watch. I would say on a scale from Hall of Presidents (the most boring of the Disney World rides) to Tower of Terror (perfection), this ranks as a solid Peter Pan’s Flight. It’s not reinventing the wheel, you may see something new and go “Huh that’s interesting,” and you probably won’t remember it that much when you go to write a review about it a few weeks later. It is what it is, people!
Rating: 7.5/10