Year: 2008Genre: Biopic/Drama
Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Starring: Michael Sheen & Frank Langella
One reason it fits into its genre: The two main characters (David Frost, a famous journalist, and Richard Nixon, the infamous president he managed to interview about the Watergate scandal) are indeed real historical figures and we do find out a lot about their lives and personalities during the period following Nixon's resignation from the office of the presidency. This makes it very much a Biopic.
One reason it does not fit into its genre: The movie by no means fits into the usual Biopic format, which traditionally means to show us the entire lifespan (or the majority) of a famous figure from the past. Frost/Nixon focuses solely on a a matter of months leading up to Nixon's most famous interview (and the interview itself). It is also very much a standard drama because of the tension and verbal fights that the two characters get into.
Two questions: 1) What other Biopics have you seen that only focus on one period in the famous person's life? Why not show us the entire life? 2) Director Ron Howard has made other movies based on real life events but aren't the traditional Biopic, such as Apollo 13. Can you think of other films based on real EVENTS, not focusing on a particular person?
