September 5

Wednesday night May 7 while Sharon was on her Oregon roadtrip with Tom, I watched September 5. The film is one of two movies nominated for a major 2025 Oscar that I haven't seen. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 97th Academy Awards. Additionally, it received a Best Motion Picture – Drama nomination at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.

September 5 is a historical drama thriller film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Tim Fehlbaum. It stars: Peter Sarsgaard as Roone Arledge, the president of ABC Sports; John Magaro as Geoffrey Mason, the head of the control room in Munich; Ben Chaplin as Marvin Bader, the head of operations at ABC Sports; and Leonie Benesch as Marianne Gebhardt, a translator for the crew who speaks German.

The film chronicles the 1972 Munich Olympic hostage crisis from the perspective of the ABC Sports broadcasting team. Initially covering the Olympic Games, the crew finds themselves pivoting to report on the unfolding tragedy involving Israeli athletes held hostage by the Black September terrorist group. The film highlights the intense pressure and ethical dilemmas faced by the broadcasters as they navigate live coverage of the escalating crisis. As the situation deteriorates, the crew grapples with the responsibility of informing a global audience while dealing with the immediate and dangerous consequences of their reporting.

September 5 makes extensive use of archival footage from ABC's coverage of the 1972 Summer Olympics and the hostage crisis, including footage of Jim McKay narrating the events. I enjoyed the movie and recommend it.