Network (1976)
#43 in my 2007 movie challenge was Network, which at 30+, is pleasingly timeless. It’s funny, sharp, and bitter, with great performances (all Oscar-nominated, or -winning) by Dunaway, Finch, and Holden. Finch died before nominations were announced, then won posthumously for Best Actor.
Network made me realize how much over the last three decades has been influenced by it: Aaron Sorkin’s Sports Night and Studio 60, Good Night and Good Luck, Broadcast News. Those are the ones that came to mind immediately; there are many more. As is often the case, the famous line from the movie is not a direct quote. Finch says, “I’m AS mad as hell, and I’m not going to take THIS anymore!: (Emphasis mine.) The people who parrot him, though, misquote him with the more familiar “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” An 18-year-old Tim Robbins made his uncredited film debut in two scenes, the more notable of which is the last one.