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Pop Culture Happy Hour: Tension Beckons And A Caftan Billows In 'The Post'

Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and and Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) in Steven Spielberg's latest film <em>The Post. </em>
Niko Tavernise
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Twentieth Century Fox
Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and and Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) in Steven Spielberg's latest film The Post.

In 1971, The New York Timesand then The Washington Post began publishing excerpts from the Pentagon study of American involvement in the Vietnam War that became known as the Pentagon Papers. The new Steven Spielberg film The Postis about the role that paper played in the story, and particularly the decision-making of Postpublisher Katharine Graham, played by Meryl Streep.

The Postlanded on a lot of critics' year-end lists — Bob's included — so we talk about what parts of it work best. We also try to break down what some of us didn't quite find satisfying about it, despite the skill with which it was clearly made.

We also talk about what's making us happy this week. Stephen is happy about a holiday special we can never talk about enough and the thrill of sharing it with family. Glen is happy about a ubiquitous song that may well be playing near you right now. Bob is happy about a documentary he was excited to discover. And I am happy about a musical number that will delight you.

Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter: me, the show, Stephen, Glen, Bob, producer Jessica, and producer emeritus Mike.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Linda Holmes is a pop culture correspondent for NPR and the host of Pop Culture Happy Hour. She began her professional life as an attorney. In time, however, her affection for writing, popular culture, and the online universe eclipsed her legal ambitions. She shoved her law degree in the back of the closet, gave its living room space to DVD sets of The Wire, and never looked back.