Outdoors ABOUT THE FILM:
In the summer of 1968 television news changed forever. Dead last in the ratings, ABC hired two towering public intellectuals to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican national conventions. William F. Buckley Jr. was a leading light of the new conservative movement. A Democrat and cousin to Jackie Onassis, Gore Vidal was a leftist novelist and polemicist. Armed with deep-seated distrust and enmity, Vidal and Buckley believed each other’s political ideologies were dangerous for America. Like rounds in a heavyweight battle, they pummeled out policy and personal insult—their explosive exchanges devolving into vitriolic name-calling. Live and unscripted, they kept viewers riveted. Ratings for ABC News skyrocketed. And a new era in public discourse was born.
Directed with consummate skill by filmmakers Robert Gordon and Academy Award-winning Sundance Film Festival alum Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet From Stardom), Best of Enemies unleashes a highbrow blood sport that marked the dawn of pundit television as we know it today.
7:00PM – Pre-film live music by Cricket Blue
8:15PM (sunset) – Film begins
9:45PM – Post-film discussion with Co-Director Robert Gordon, moderated by Brent Lang of Variety
MORE INFORMATION:
– Suggested donation: $5
– BYO picnic, chairs & blankets
– Bike racks on-site provided by Bike Newport (we highly encourage biking!)
– Vendors on site with food for purchase: Tallulah’s Taco Cart, Boru Noodle Bar & Tricycle Ice Cream
– Free Popcorn!
– Rain Venue: Casino Theater, 9 Freebody Street, Newport
| Run time: | 87 minutes |
|---|---|
| Directors: | Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon |
| Producers: | Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville |
| Cast: | William Buckley, Gore Vidal |
