Monday, October 12, 2026 • 7:00 PM • Arena Theater • 214 Main Street
Tickets: $15 General • $12 Arena Theater Members • Under 21 Free
All the President’s Men tells the story of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and their investigation of the Watergate scandal, which ultimately helped expose abuses of power at the highest levels of the United States government.
Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star as the two young reporters painstakingly following leads, checking facts, finding sources and trying to determine whether an apparently minor burglary was connected to something much larger.
The result is both a gripping political thriller and a portrait of journalism at work. Nearly fifty years after its release, the film remains a powerful examination of the role a free press plays in a democracy—and of the persistence required to uncover facts that powerful people would prefer remain hidden.
Film Details
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Release Year: 1976
Running Time: 138 minutes
Rating: PG
Genre: Political Thriller / Drama
Country: United States
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Why All the President’s Men?
One of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms was Freedom of Speech and Expression.
A free society depends not only upon an individual’s right to speak, but upon the ability of journalists, writers and citizens to investigate, question authority and communicate what they discover.
All the President’s Men provides a compelling example of that freedom in practice.
Woodward and Bernstein do not begin their investigation knowing where it will lead. They ask questions, cultivate sources, verify information and continue reporting despite uncertainty and pressure.
The film invites us to consider why freedom of expression—and particularly an independent press—is essential when those entrusted with power are also capable of abusing it.
About Freedoms on Film
Freedoms on Film uses great movies as a starting point for exploring Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms and what those ideals mean today.
Each screening approaches one of the freedoms from a different perspective. The films are not intended to provide a single political viewpoint or a definitive answer. Instead, they invite us to watch, think, discuss and consider how ideas articulated more than eighty years ago continue to intersect with American life.
2026 Series
September 7 — Freedom from Want
Roger & Me
September 21 — Freedom of Worship
Inherit the Wind
October 12 — Freedom of Speech
All the President’s Men
October 26 — Freedom from Fear
The Great Dictator
November 2 — Democracy
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Five films. Four freedoms. One democracy.
