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'''''State of Play''''' is a 2009 [[political thriller|political thriller film]] directed by [[Kevin Macdonald (director)|Kevin Macdonald]]. It is based on the 2003 British television serial [[State of Play (TV serial)|of the same name]].
'''''State of Play''''' is a 2009 [[political thriller|political thriller film]] directed by [[Kevin Macdonald (director)|Kevin Macdonald]]. It is based on the 2003 British television serial [[State of Play (TV series)|of the same name]]. The film tells of a journalist's ([[Russell Crowe]]) probe into the suspicious death of the assistant and mistress of a [[United States Congress|Congressman]] ([[Ben Affleck]]). The supporting cast includes [[Rachel McAdams]], [[Helen Mirren]], [[Jason Bateman]], [[Robin Wright]], and [[Jeff Daniels]].


Macdonald said that ''State of Play'' is influenced by the [[1970s in film|films of the 1970s]]. He explores the privatization of American [[Homeland Security]] and, to a minor extent, journalistic independence, along with the relationship between politicians and the [[print media|press]]. Released in North America on April 17, 2009, by [[Universal Pictures]], the film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $88 million worldwide.
The film tells of a journalist's ([[Russell Crowe]]) probe into the suspicious death of the assistant and mistress of a [[United States Congress|Congressman]] ([[Ben Affleck]]). The supporting cast includes [[Rachel McAdams]], [[Helen Mirren]], [[Jason Bateman]], [[Robin Wright (actress)|Robin Wright]], and [[Jeff Daniels]].

Macdonald said that ''State of Play'' is influenced by the [[1970s in film|films of the 1970s]]. He explores the privatization of American [[Homeland Security]] and, to a minor extent, journalistic independence, along with the relationship between politicians and the [[print media|press]]. Released in North America on April 17, 2009, the film received generally positive reviews.


==Plot==
==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. -->In [[Washington, D.C.]], fleeing thief Deshaun Stagg is shot dead by a man carrying a metal briefcase. A passing witness is also shot and left in a coma. The next morning, Congressional aide Sonia Baker is killed by a [[Washington Metro]] train. Reporter Cal McAffrey of the ''Washington Globe'' newspaper investigates the shootings while his junior colleague Della Frye probes Baker's death.
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. -->In [[Washington, D.C.]], fleeing thief Deshaun Stagg is shot dead by a man carrying a metal briefcase. A passing witness is also shot and left in a coma. The next morning, Congressional aide Sonia Baker is killed by a [[Washington Metro]] train. Reporter Cal McAffrey of the ''Washington Globe'' newspaper investigates the shootings while his junior colleague Della Frye probes Baker's death.


Baker was chief researcher for Congressman Stephen Collins' investigation into private defense contractor PointCorp. Collins tells McAffrey, his friend and college roommate, that he had been having an affair with Baker and doesn't believe she was suicidal. Frye questions McAffrey about Collins' relationship with Baker; McAffrey suggests she review the metro [[CCTV]] footage, which proves fruitless.
Baker was chief researcher for [[United States Congress|Congressman]] Stephen Collins' investigation into private [[defense contractor]] PointCorp. Collins tells McAffrey, his friend and college roommate, that he had been having an affair with Baker and did not believe she was suicidal. Frye questions McAffrey about Collins' relationship with Baker; McAffrey suggests she review the Metro [[CCTV]] footage, which proves fruitless.


McAffrey finds Baker's number in Stagg's phone. A homeless girl named Mandi seeks out McAffrey to sell him items from a bag stolen by Stagg, they include covert photographs of Baker meeting a well-dressed man, and a gun with handmade hollow point bullets. McAffrey sends Frye to the hospital where the witness is coming out of his coma, while he visits Collins' wife Anne, with whom he had previously had an affair. Before Frye can talk to the witness, he is killed by a sniper. She realizes she saw the same man at the hospital and in the metro footage.
McAffrey finds Baker's number in Stagg's phone. A homeless girl named Mandi seeks out McAffrey to sell him items from a bag stolen by Stagg; they include covert photographs of Baker meeting a well-dressed man and a gun with handmade [[hollow point bullets]]. McAffrey sends Frye to the hospital, where the witness is coming out of his coma, while he visits Collins' wife Anne, with whom he had previously had an affair. Before Frye can talk to the witness, he is killed by a sniper. She realizes she saw the same man at the hospital and in the metro footage.


Collins confirms to McAffrey that PointCorp is secretly the power behind other contractors and are thus seeking a virtual monopoly on both foreign and domestic government defense and security contracts. If McAffrey can produce evidence that PointCorp had Baker killed, Collins will go public with his findings.
Collins confirms to McAffrey that PointCorp is secretly the power behind other contractors, thus seeking a virtual monopoly on foreign and domestic government defense and security contracts. If McAffrey can prove that PointCorp had Baker killed, Collins will go public with his findings.


A PointCorp insider gives McAffrey an address, where McAffrey encounters the assassin who shoots at him before fleeing. Detective Donald Bell informs McAffrey that Mandi has been found murdered. Baker's flatmate Rhonda Silver identifies the well-dressed man as Dominic Foy, a [[Public relations|PR]] executive at a subsidiary of PointCorp. Silver also says she had a threesome with Baker and Collins, and that Collins paid off a $40,000 debt of Baker's. McAffrey resists Frye's urge to publish (believing Silver to be lying), and ''Globe'' editor Cameron Lynne is furious when the story is published elsewhere instead.
A PointCorp insider gives McAffrey an address, where McAffrey encounters the assassin, who shoots at him before fleeing. Detective Donald Bell informs McAffrey that Mandi has been found murdered. Baker's flatmate Rhonda Silver identifies the well-dressed man as Dominic Foy, a [[Public relations|PR]] executive at a subsidiary of PointCorp. Silver also says she had a threesome with Baker and Collins and that Collins paid off a $40,000 debt of Baker's. McAffrey resists Frye's urge to publish (believing Silver to be lying), and ''Globe'' editor Cameron Lynne is furious when the story is published elsewhere instead.


McAffrey convinces Foy that he is in danger and can best protect himself by talking on the record. Foy reveals that Baker was being paid $26,000 a month to spy on Collins for PointCorp, but had fallen in love and was pregnant with Collins' baby. She was killed when she refused to continue spying. McAffrey plays the tape of the interview to Collins, who lashes out at McAffrey for not telling him in person about the pregnancy. He accuses McAffrey of caring about his story above their friendship, and storms off. That evening, McAffrey confronts Congressman George Fergus, the chief whip who had mentored Collins and recommended Baker to him. He informs Fergus he plans to run a story about Fergus' link with PointCorp and his undermining of Collins's investigation.
McAffrey convinces Foy that he is in danger and can best protect himself by talking on the record. Foy reveals that Baker was being paid $26,000 a month to spy on Collins for PointCorp, but had fallen in love and was pregnant with Collins' baby. She was killed when she refused to continue spying. McAffrey plays the tape of the interview to Collins, who lashes out at McAffrey for not telling him in person about the pregnancy. He accuses McAffrey of caring about his story above their friendship and storms off. That evening, McAffrey confronts Congressman George Fergus, the chief whip who had mentored Collins and recommended Baker to him. He informs Fergus he plans to run a story about Fergus' link with PointCorp and his undermining of Collins's investigation.


At the ''Globe'' offices, Lynne refuses to run the story without named sources on the record when Collins and his wife Anne come in. Collins confirms the story on PointCorp, his affair with Baker, and his belief that PointCorp had Baker killed. Anne mentions to McAffrey that Baker was sleeping with her husband "for $26,000 a month".
At the ''Globe'' offices, Lynne refuses to run the story without named sources on the record when Collins and his wife Anne come in. Collins confirms the story on PointCorp, his affair with Baker, and his belief that PointCorp had Baker killed. Anne tells McAffrey that Baker slept with her husband "for $26,000 a month".


As the story is going to press, McAffrey realizes the specific sum was never mentioned to Collins. He recognises the assassin as "Robert Bingham" in a military photograph featuring Collins. He leaves, telling Frye to tell Cameron to hold the story. He confronts Collins, who confirms Bingham is an unstable veteran whose life he saved in Kuwait, and whom he asked to follow Baker once he became suspicious of her. He says he never asked him to kill her, and initially thought, as did McAffrey, that PointCorp had done it. McAffrey says this isn't about Fergus or PointCorp, but about decisions Collins made that resulted in four deaths. McAffrey reveals he has already called the police.
As the story is going to press, McAffrey realizes the specific sum was never mentioned to Collins. He recognizes the assassin as "Robert Bingham" in a military photograph featuring Collins. He leaves, telling Frye to tell Cameron to hold the story. He confronts Collins, who confirms that Bingham is an unstable veteran whose life he saved in Kuwait and whom he asked to follow Baker once he became suspicious of her. He says he never asked him to kill her and initially thought, as did McAffrey, that PointCorp had done it. McAffrey says this is not about Fergus or PointCorp, but about decisions Collins made that resulted in four deaths. McAffrey reveals he has already called the police.


Leaving the building, McAffrey is confronted by Bingham as Bell and the police arive. Bingham attempts to kill McAffrey, but is shot dead by the police. Back at the ''Globe,'' McAffrey types up the story, headlined "Congressman Implicated in Murders". He puts Frye first on the byline and has her submit the story for publication, and the two leave together.
Leaving the building, McAffrey is confronted by Bingham as Bell and the police arrive. Bingham attempts to kill McAffrey but is shot dead by the police. Back at the ''Globe,'' McAffrey types up the story headlined "Congressman Implicated in Murders". He puts Frye first on the byline and has her submit the story for publication, and the two leave together.


==Cast==
==Cast==
* [[Russell Crowe]] as Cal McAffrey
{| class="wikitable"
* [[Ben Affleck]] as Stephen Collins
|-
* [[Rachel McAdams]] as Della Frye
! Character !! Actor
* [[Helen Mirren]] as Cameron Lynne
|-
* [[Robin Wright]] as Anne Collins
| Cal McAffrey || [[Russell Crowe]]
* [[Harry Lennix]] as Det. Donald Bell
|-
* [[Jason Bateman]] as Dominic Foy
| Stephen Collins || [[Ben Affleck]]
* [[Jeff Daniels]] as George Fergus
|-
* [[Josh Mostel]] as Pete
| Della Frye || [[Rachel McAdams]]
* [[Wendy Makkena]] as Greer Thornton
|-
* [[Maria Thayer]] as Sonia Baker
| Cameron Lynne || [[Helen Mirren]]
* [[Michael Jace]] as Stuart Brown
|-
* [[Brennan Brown]] as Andrew Pell
| Anne Collins || [[Robin Wright]]
* [[Michael Berresse]] as Robert Bingham
|-
* [[Michael Weston]] as Hank
| Det. Donald Bell || [[Harry Lennix]]
* [[Viola Davis]] as Dr. Judith Franklin
|-
* [[Barry Shabaka Henley]] as Gene Stavitz
| Dominic Foy || [[Jason Bateman]]
* [[David Harbour]] as PointCorp Insider
|-
* [[Zoe Lister-Jones]] as Jessy
| George Fergus || [[Jeff Daniels]]
* [[Katy Mixon]] as Rhonda Silver
|-
* [[Sarah Lord]] as Mandi
| Pete || [[Josh Mostel]]
* [[LaDell Preston]] as DeShaun Stagg
|-
| Greer Thornton || [[Wendy Makkena]]
|-
| Sonia Baker|| [[Maria Thayer]]
|-
| Stuart Brown || [[Michael Jace]]
|-
| Andrew Pell || [[Brennan Brown]]
|-
| Robert Bingham || [[Michael Berresse]]
|-
| Hank || [[Michael Weston]]
|-
| Dr. Judith Franklin || [[Viola Davis]]
|-
| Gene Stavitz || [[Barry Shabaka Henley]]
|-
| PointCorp Insider || [[David Harbour]]
|-
| Jessy || [[Zoe Lister-Jones]]
|-
| Rhonda Silver || [[Katy Mixon]]
|-
| Mandi || [[Sarah Lord]]
|-
| Deshaun Stagg || [[LaDell Preston]]
|}


For the movie adaptation, certain names of characters were changed:
For the movie adaptation, certain names of characters were changed:
Line 106: Line 78:


== Production ==
== Production ==
The television miniseries was written by Paul Abbott and aired on British television channel [[BBC One]] in May and June 2003 and on [[BBC America]] in April 2004.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/16/DDGSK653CB1.DTL | title=Two reasons you shouldn't watch 'The Sopranos' on Sunday nights: 'Prime Suspect' and 'State of Play' | author=Tim Goodman | work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]] | date=April 16, 2006 | access-date=February 22, 2008 }}</ref> Abbott was initially reluctant to sell the film rights to ''State of Play'', fearing a compressed version of his miniseries would be unworkable, but in May 2004 he accepted a seven-figure [[Paramount Pictures]]-backed bid led by producer [[Scott Rudin]].<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117904391.html | title=WB, Par have a novel idea | author=Michael Fleming, Cathy Dunkley | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=May 5, 2004 | access-date=November 20, 2007 }}</ref> The bid prevailed over an offer from Andrew Hauptman's Mission Pictures (backed by [[Warner Bros.]]), but the deal fell through before completion. After a second bidding war, Mission acquired the rights for [[Universal Pictures]] in December 2004.<ref>{{cite journal | author= Adam Dawtrey | url= https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117914509.html | title= U on Mission to put 'State' into pic play | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=December 6, 2004 | access-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref>
The television miniseries was written by Paul Abbott and aired on British television channel [[BBC One]] in May and June 2003 and on [[BBC America]] in April 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=April 16, 2006 |title=Two reasons you shouldn't watch 'The Sopranos' on Sunday nights: 'Prime Suspect' and 'State of Play' |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/16/DDGSK653CB1.DTL |access-date=February 22, 2008}}</ref> Abbott was initially reluctant to sell the film rights to ''State of Play'', fearing a compressed version of his miniseries would be unworkable, but in May 2004 he accepted a seven-figure [[Paramount Pictures]]-backed bid led by producer [[Scott Rudin]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fleming |first1=Michael |last2=Dunkley |first2=Cathy |date=May 5, 2004 |title=WB, Par have a novel idea |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/wb-par-have-a-novel-idea-1117904391/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=November 20, 2007}}</ref> The bid prevailed over an offer from Andrew Hauptman's Mission Pictures (backed by [[Warner Bros.]]), but the deal fell through before completion. After a second bidding war, Mission acquired the rights for [[Universal Pictures]] in December 2004.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Dawtrey |first=Adam |date=December 6, 2004 |title=U on Mission to put 'State' into pic play |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/u-on-mission-to-put-state-into-pic-play-1117914509/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref>


Director [[Kevin Macdonald (director)|Kevin Macdonald]] had long been attached to the project, though an early report suggested screenwriter [[Matthew Michael Carnahan]] was set to make the film his directorial debut.<ref name="indy">{{cite news | author= Terry Kirby | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/simm-supplanted-by-pitt-in-film-version-of-state-of-play-419878.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/simm-supplanted-by-pitt-in-film-version-of-state-of-play-419878.html |archive-date=May 24, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title= Simm supplanted by Pitt in film version of 'State of Play' | work=[[The Independent]] | publisher=[[Independent News & Media]] | date=October 13, 2006 | access-date=September 26, 2007 }}</ref> Macdonald was a fan of the original miniseries, and said it would be a "hard act to follow".
Director [[Kevin Macdonald (director)|Kevin Macdonald]] had long been attached to the project; however, an early report suggested screenwriter [[Matthew Michael Carnahan]] was set to make the film his directorial debut.<ref name="indy">{{cite news |last=Kirby |first=Terry |date=October 13, 2006 |title=Simm supplanted by Pitt in film version of 'State of Play' |work=[[The Independent]] |publisher=[[Independent News & Media]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/simm-supplanted-by-pitt-in-film-version-of-state-of-play-419878.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/simm-supplanted-by-pitt-in-film-version-of-state-of-play-419878.html |archive-date=May 24, 2022}}</ref> Macdonald was a fan of the original miniseries, and said it would be a "hard act to follow".


He said it was the blend of fiction and the topical subjects of journalism and politics that attracted him to the project, adding that he wanted to examine the ways in which American and European societies learn what is going on in the world, and to what degree newspapers and the nightly news could be trusted. He said that in an age when people read fewer newspapers, he wanted to explore the necessity for reliable information and the threat to the journalistic profession from collusion between reporters and politicians,<ref name="premiere"/> and that the film would "[ask] questions of how independent the [[print media|press]] is, how much real investigating is conducted, and how much is taken on faith from [[Lobbying|lobbyists]] or [[Public relations|PR]] sheets."<ref name="variety2">{{cite journal | author= Michel Fleming, Diane Garrett | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961417.html | title=Macdonald to direct 'State of Play' | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=March 19, 2007 | access-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> Macdonald cited the [[1970s in film|films of the 1970s]], ''[[All the President's Men (film)|All the President's Men]]'' in particular, as major influences, saying that while he was scared of comparisons with the film account of the [[Watergate scandal]], ''State of Play'' would primarily be a piece of entertainment.<ref name="premiere">{{cite journal | url=http://www.premiere.fr/premiere/cinema/exclus-cinema/interview-cinema/l-interview-de-kevin-mc-donald-pour-state-of-play/(gid)/1042581 | title=L'interview de Kevin Macdonald pour State of play | journal=[[Premiere (magazine)|Première]] | publisher=[[Hachette Filipacchi Médias]] | author=Gaël Golhen | language=fr | date=October 15, 2007 | access-date=November 21, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031102828/http://www.premiere.fr/premiere/cinema/exclus-cinema/interview-cinema/l-interview-de-kevin-mc-donald-pour-state-of-play/(gid)/1042581 | archive-date=October 31, 2007 }}</ref>
He said the blend of fiction and the topical subjects of journalism and politics attracted him to the project, adding that he wanted to examine how American and European societies learn what is happening in the world and to what degree newspapers and the nightly news could be trusted. He said that in an age when people read fewer newspapers, he wanted to explore the necessity for reliable information and the threat to the journalistic profession from collusion between reporters and politicians,<ref name="premiere"/> and that the film would "[ask] questions of how independent the [[print media|press]] is, how much real investigating is conducted, and how much is taken on faith from [[Lobbying|lobbyists]] or [[Public relations|PR]] sheets."<ref name="variety2">{{cite journal |last1=Fleming |first1=Michael |last2=Garrett |first2=Diane |date=March 19, 2007 |title=Macdonald to direct 'State of Play' |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/macdonald-to-direct-state-of-play-2-1117961417/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> Macdonald cited the [[1970s in film|films of the 1970s]], ''[[All the President's Men (film)|All the President's Men]]'' in particular, as major influences, saying that while he was scared of comparisons with the film account of the [[Watergate scandal]], ''State of Play'' would primarily be a piece of entertainment.<ref name="premiere">{{cite journal |last=Golhen |first=Gaël |date=October 15, 2007 |title=L'interview de Kevin Macdonald pour State of play |url=http://www.premiere.fr/premiere/cinema/exclus-cinema/interview-cinema/l-interview-de-kevin-mc-donald-pour-state-of-play/(gid)/1042581 |url-status=dead |journal=[[Premiere (magazine)|Première]] |language=fr |publisher=[[Hachette Filipacchi Médias]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031102828/http://www.premiere.fr/premiere/cinema/exclus-cinema/interview-cinema/l-interview-de-kevin-mc-donald-pour-state-of-play/(gid)/1042581 |archive-date=October 31, 2007 |access-date=November 21, 2007}}</ref>


According to Carnahan, the story's core issue (and main factor behind his desire to write the adaptation) was the question it raised about whether a person would be justified in doing "a pretty awful thing" if performing great deeds in other areas of their life.<ref name="rope"/> Carnahan began working on revisions to his script with Macdonald,<ref name="variety2"/> but the process was disrupted when Carnahan's daughter fell ill. When he chose to concentrate his time on his family, the task was handed to screenwriter [[Tony Gilroy]], who performed a small rewrite based upon Carnahan's notes. He is known for the [[Bourne (film series)|''Bourne'' film series]].<ref name="rope">{{cite web | author= Brad Brevet | url=http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/carnahan_talks_the_state_of_white_jazz | title= Carnahan Talks the 'State' of 'White Jazz | work=Ropeofsilicon.com | publisher=RopeofSilicon.com, LLC | date=September 25, 2007 | access-date=September 26, 2007 }}</ref> Further rewrites were carried out by [[Peter Morgan]], screenwriter of ''[[The Queen (2006 film)|The Queen]]''<ref>{{cite journal | author= Adam Dawtrey | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973094.html | title= Morgan prepares 'Queen' sequel | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=October 1, 2007 | access-date=October 2, 2007}}</ref> and writer/director [[Billy Ray (screenwriter)|Billy Ray]], associated with ''[[Shattered Glass (film)|Shattered Glass]]''.<ref>{{cite news | author= Rachel Abramowitz, Robert W. Welkos | url=https://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/24/entertainment/et-filmstrike24 | title=While the Iron is Hot | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=October 24, 2007 | access-date=October 24, 2007}}</ref>
According to Carnahan, the story's core issue (and the main factor behind his desire to write the adaptation) was the question it raised about whether a person would be justified in doing "a pretty awful thing" if performing great deeds in other areas of their life.<ref name="rope"/> Carnahan began working on revisions to his script with Macdonald,<ref name="variety2"/> but the process was disrupted when Carnahan's daughter fell ill. When he chose to concentrate his time on his family, the task was handed to screenwriter [[Tony Gilroy]], who performed a small rewrite based upon Carnahan's notes. He is known for the [[Bourne (film series)|''Bourne'' film series]].<ref name="rope">{{cite web |last=Brevet |first=Brad |date=September 25, 2007 |title=Carnahan Talks the 'State' of 'White Jazz |url=http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/carnahan_talks_the_state_of_white_jazz |access-date=September 26, 2007 |work=Ropeofsilicon.com |publisher=RopeofSilicon.com, LLC}}</ref> Further rewrites were carried out by [[Peter Morgan]], screenwriter of ''[[The Queen (2006 film)|The Queen]]''<ref>{{cite journal |last=Dawtrey |first=Adam |date=October 1, 2007 |title=Morgan prepares 'Queen' sequel |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/morgan-prepares-queen-sequel-1117973094/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=October 2, 2007}}</ref> and writer/director [[Billy Ray (screenwriter)|Billy Ray]], associated with ''[[Shattered Glass (film)|Shattered Glass]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Abramowitz |first1=Rachel |last2=Welkos |first2=Robert W. |date=October 24, 2007 |title=While the Iron is Hot |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-oct-24-et-filmstrike24-story.html |access-date=October 24, 2007}}</ref>


The film was made for Universal Pictures by [[Working Title Films]]. [[Eric Fellner]] and [[Tim Bevan]] produced for Working Title, alongside E. Bennett Walsh,<ref name="metro"/> and [[Andell Holdings|Andell Entertainment]]'s Andrew Hauptman and Eric Hayes.<ref name="cast">{{cite web|url=http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/filmCastCrew.php?filmID=117 |title=State of Play Cast and Crew |publisher=[[Working Title Films]] |access-date=January 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205173618/http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/filmCastCrew.php?filmID=117 |archive-date=December 5, 2008 }}</ref> Paul Abbott served as executive producer alongside [[Liza Chasin]] and [[Debra Hayward]].<ref name="cast"/> Kristen Lowe and Maradith Frenkel were overseers for the studio.<ref name="hr3">{{cite journal | url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=JwgPPVfVmcksd4TtPuM3gvMrl1huoS1n41WGBMtipDBHyP416NfmcYCfx50GCg1dhOntueke4nU9%0Ar3beMOUjUXswcZVFDvf8%2B2AAkF%2BCkWKZ1acGhNDoMww%2BJvO8QjqZjq8kcNPDs0glnmyz2I8MIdwT%0AS1Wlvcvv2GXBbIfxofJ1OoZlRvl0KLCaDWz6ywZj0H%2BZLhORD7EUymF77NTUBDNz%2FZ4qMej0ChR%2F%0ApmVBixMjgDhvJG4rPmOIxCqniYbgdloGrsFBDvKCBy9BFsKf3v5FkxvaE1waIdC4JwiwivH3JLDP%0AZa7t4T2vdt4w5SNRezBxlUUO9%2Fz7YACQX4KRYjzLul%2BERJ9F | title=Macdonald pushes 'Play' for Universal | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company|The Nielsen Company]] | author=Borys Kit | date=March 20, 2007 | access-date=January 2, 2008}} {{Registration required|date=October 2011}}</ref> ''State of Play'' was to be released in the United States toward the end of 2008,<ref name="variety4"/> but the delayed start to production saw the date changed to April 17, 2009.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117983222.html | title=2008 awards season shaping up | author=Pamela McClintock | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=March 5, 2020 | access-date=April 1, 2008 }}</ref> ''State of Play'' was released in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2009,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.launchingfilms.com/releaseschedule/schedule.php?sort=date&startmonth=4&startyear=2009 | title=UK Film release schedule: April 2009 | work=Film Distributors' Association | access-date=January 27, 2009 }}</ref> and was released in Australia on May 28, 2009.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24971964-15803,00.html | title=Schepisi in the wars, but hopeful | author=Michael Bodey | work=[[The Australian]] | publisher=[[News Limited]] | date=January 28, 2009 | access-date=January 27, 2009 }}</ref>
The film was made for Universal Pictures by [[Working Title Films]]. [[Eric Fellner]] and [[Tim Bevan]] produced for Working Title, alongside E. Bennett Walsh,<ref name="metro"/> and [[Andell Holdings|Andell Entertainment]]'s Andrew Hauptman and Eric Hayes.<ref name="cast">{{cite web|url=http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/filmCastCrew.php?filmID=117 |title=State of Play Cast and Crew |publisher=[[Working Title Films]] |access-date=January 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205173618/http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/filmCastCrew.php?filmID=117 |archive-date=December 5, 2008}}</ref> Paul Abbott served as executive producer alongside [[Liza Chasin]] and [[Debra Hayward]].<ref name="cast"/> Kristen Lowe and Maradith Frenkel were overseers for the studio.<ref name="hr3">{{cite journal |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=March 20, 2007 |title=Macdonald pushes 'Play' for Universal |url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=JwgPPVfVmcksd4TtPuM3gvMrl1huoS1n41WGBMtipDBHyP416NfmcYCfx50GCg1dhOntueke4nU9%0Ar3beMOUjUXswcZVFDvf8%2B2AAkF%2BCkWKZ1acGhNDoMww%2BJvO8QjqZjq8kcNPDs0glnmyz2I8MIdwT%0AS1Wlvcvv2GXBbIfxofJ1OoZlRvl0KLCaDWz6ywZj0H%2BZLhORD7EUymF77NTUBDNz%2FZ4qMej0ChR%2F%0ApmVBixMjgDhvJG4rPmOIxCqniYbgdloGrsFBDvKCBy9BFsKf3v5FkxvaE1waIdC4JwiwivH3JLDP%0AZa7t4T2vdt4w5SNRezBxlUUO9%2Fz7YACQX4KRYjzLul%2BERJ9F |journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=[[The Nielsen Company]] |access-date=January 2, 2008}} {{Registration required|date=October 2011}}</ref> ''State of Play'' was to be released in the United States toward the end of 2008,<ref name="variety4"/> but the delayed start to production saw the date changed to April 17, 2009.<ref>{{cite journal |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=March 5, 2020 |title=2008 awards season shaping up |url=https://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117983222.html |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=April 1, 2008}}</ref> ''State of Play'' was released in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2009,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.launchingfilms.com/releaseschedule/schedule.php?sort=date&startmonth=4&startyear=2009 | title=UK Film release schedule: April 2009 | work=Film Distributors' Association | access-date=January 27, 2009}}</ref> and was released in Australia on May 28, 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bodey |first=Michael |date=January 28, 2009 |title=Schepisi in the wars, but hopeful |work=[[The Australian]] |publisher=[[News Limited]] |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24971964-15803,00.html |access-date=January 27, 2009}}</ref>


===Casting===
===Casting===
{{Quote box | quote=I wanted to explore the ambiguity of journalism... It's a kind of a conceit that journalists live under, that they remain objective. That's never been my experience. They're all too human, all too emotionally affected. Someone could write absolute rubbish about you because their aunty's having a problem with cancer or something. It's the way they re-balance themselves. So I think examining that conceit and examining the true input of human experience in the journalism that we read, it was very interesting for me.|source=-- [[Russell Crowe]] on his attraction to the role of Cal McAffrey.<ref name="chips"/> |width=35% }}
{{Quote box | quote=I wanted to explore the ambiguity of journalism... It's a kind of conceit that journalists live under, that they remain objective. That's never been my experience. They're all too human, all too emotionally affected. Someone could write absolute rubbish about you because their aunty's having a problem with cancer or something. It's the way they re-balance themselves. So I think examining that conceit and examining the true input of human experience in the journalism that we read, was very interesting for me.|source=-- [[Russell Crowe]] on his attraction to the role of Cal McAffrey.<ref name="chips"/> |width=35%}}


[[Brad Pitt]] had a long association with the main role.<ref name="indy"/> He was initially attracted to the project after watching Macdonald's documentary ''[[Touching the Void (film)|Touching the Void]]'' (2003),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.moviehole.net/interviews/20070514_exclusive_interview_giles_fold.html | title=Exclusive Interview: Giles Folden & Kevin Macdonald | publisher=Moviehole.net | author=Muddy Fitzgerald | access-date=January 10, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070516114402/http://www.moviehole.net/interviews/20070514_exclusive_interview_giles_fold.html |archive-date = May 16, 2007}} (web archive link)</ref> and had enjoyed the director's film ''[[The Last King of Scotland (film)|The Last King of Scotland]]'' (2006). Macdonald had also been working with Pitt's production company [[Plan B Entertainment]] on a potential future project.<ref name="variety2"/>
[[Brad Pitt]] had a long association with the main role.<ref name="indy"/> He was initially attracted to the project after watching Macdonald's documentary ''[[Touching the Void (film)|Touching the Void]]'' (2003),<ref>{{cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Muddy |title=Exclusive Interview: Giles Folden & Kevin Macdonald |url=http://www.moviehole.net/interviews/20070514_exclusive_interview_giles_fold.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516114402/http://www.moviehole.net/interviews/20070514_exclusive_interview_giles_fold.html |archive-date=May 16, 2007 |access-date=January 10, 2008 |publisher=Moviehole.net}} (web archive link)</ref> and had enjoyed the director's film ''[[The Last King of Scotland (film)|The Last King of Scotland]]'' (2006). Macdonald had also been working with Pitt's production company [[Plan B Entertainment]] on a potential future project.<ref name="variety2"/>


Pitt officially committed to star in ''State of Play'' in August 2007 after a Tony Gilroy script rewrite was completed.<ref name="variety3">{{cite journal | author= Michel Fleming | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970086.html | title=Rush to Judgment | journal =[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=August 10, 2007 | access-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> He visited the newsroom of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' with Macdonald in September 2007 to research the role, spending four hours "talking shop" with political and investigative reporters.<ref name="post">{{cite news | author= Marissa Newhall | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092102088.html | title=The Post's Pitt Stop | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=September 22, 2007 | access-date=September 26, 2007 }}</ref> But one week before filming was to begin in November 2007, he left the production.<ref name="variety4"/>
Pitt officially committed to star in ''State of Play'' in August 2007 after a Tony Gilroy script rewrite was completed.<ref name="variety3">{{cite journal |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=August 10, 2007 |title=Rush to Judgment |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/features/rush-to-judgment-4-1117970086/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205134341/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970086.html |url-status=live |archive-date=February 5, 2013 |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> He visited the newsroom of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' with Macdonald in September 2007 to research the role, spending four hours "talking shop" with political and investigative reporters.<ref name="post">{{cite news |last=Newhall |first=Marissa |date=September 22, 2007 |title=The Post's Pitt Stop |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092102088.html |access-date=September 26, 2007}}</ref> But one week before filming was to begin in November 2007, he left the production.<ref name="variety4"/>


Producer Eric Fellner attempted to convince Pitt to remain in the film,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3207689.ece | title=The dynamic duo of British film look to TV drama as next big challenge | work=[[The Times]] | publisher=[[News International]] | author=Amanda Andrews | date=January 18, 2008 | access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> but Pitt disagreed with changes that the studio had made to the script since he originally agreed to star.<ref name="variety4"/> Talent agency [[Creative Artists Agency|CAA]] (which represents Pitt) maintained that he never signed off on the changes;<ref name="reborn"/> Macdonald delayed filming by a week to perform a scene-by-scene review of the script with Pitt; by the end, the director told the actor "I don't think we want to make the same film." When Pitt decided to drop out of the film, he personally called the director to tell him.<ref name="news etc">{{cite news|title=News Etc.|journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|date=March 2009|pages=16–17}}</ref> Pitt preferred a version closer to the original Carnahan draft and wanted to postpone filming until after the resolution of the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]], which would have enabled a further rewrite. The studio preferred to press on with production, and initially said it intended to sue Pitt for reneging on his "[[Pay or play contract|pay or play]]" deal,<ref name="variety4">{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976385.html | title=Brad Pitt drops out of 'State of Play' | author=Michael Fleming | journal =[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=November 21, 2007 | access-date=November 22, 2007 }}</ref> which would have earned him $20 million.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977922.html | title=Pitt in talks to star in 'Tree of Life' | author=Michael Fleming | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=December 18, 2007 | access-date=December 21, 2007 }}</ref> Settlement talks later led to a thawing of relations between the parties.<ref name="reborn">{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117981337.html | title=Universal's re-born identity | author=Michael Fleming | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=February 22, 2008 | access-date=February 25, 2008 }}</ref> Pitt later said of the situation: "I had definite beliefs of what [the film] should be, and the director had his definite beliefs [and] we got up against this writers' strike where we couldn't fuse the two."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/11/lkl.01.html | title=CNN Larry King interview with Brad Pitt | work=[[CNN|CNN.com]] | publisher=[[Time Warner]] | date=December 11, 2007 | access-date=December 13, 2007 }}</ref>
Producer Eric Fellner attempted to convince Pitt to remain in the film,<ref>{{cite news |last=Andrews |first=Amanda |date=January 18, 2008 |title=The dynamic duo of British film look to TV drama as next big challenge |work=[[The Times]] |publisher=[[News International]] |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3207689.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611200459/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3207689.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2011 |access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> but Pitt disagreed with changes that the studio had made to the script since he originally agreed to star.<ref name="variety4"/> Talent agency [[Creative Artists Agency|CAA]] (which represents Pitt) maintained that he never signed off on the changes;<ref name="reborn"/> Macdonald delayed filming by a week to perform a scene-by-scene review of the script with Pitt; by the end, the director told the actor "I don't think we want to make the same film." When Pitt decided to drop out of the film, he called the director to tell him.<ref name="news etc">{{cite news|title=News Etc.|journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|date=March 2009|pages=16–17}}</ref> Pitt preferred a version closer to the original Carnahan draft and wanted to postpone filming until after the resolution of the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]], which would have enabled a further rewrite. The studio preferred to press on with production; initially, it said it intended to sue Pitt for reneging on his "[[Pay or play contract|pay or play]]" deal,<ref name="variety4">{{cite journal |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=November 21, 2007 |title=Brad Pitt drops out of 'State of Play' |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/news/brad-pitt-drops-out-of-state-of-play-1117976385/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=November 22, 2007}}</ref> which would have earned him $20 million.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=December 18, 2007 |title=Pitt in talks to star in 'Tree of Life' |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/pitt-in-talks-to-star-in-tree-of-life-2-1117977922/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=December 21, 2007}}</ref> Settlement talks later led to a thawing of relations between the parties.<ref name="reborn">{{cite journal |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=February 22, 2008 |title=Universal's re-born identity |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/features/universal-s-re-born-identity-1117981337/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=February 25, 2008}}</ref> Pitt later said of the situation: "I had definite beliefs of what [the film] should be, and the director had his definite beliefs [and] we got up against this writers' strike where we couldn't fuse the two."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/11/lkl.01.html | title=CNN Larry King interview with Brad Pitt | work=[[CNN|CNN.com]] | publisher=[[Time Warner]] | date=December 11, 2007 | access-date=December 13, 2007}}</ref>


Macdonald traveled to Australia to court Crowe's involvement,<ref name="hr2">{{cite journal | url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=JwgPPVfVmcksd4TtPuM3gvMrl1huoS1n41WGBMtipDBHyP416NfmcYCfx50GCg1dgvNyqYPoVrEs%0AG3F8MgJN8dAFRABIpmef%2B5oRB06QEJr9PxnMVRDvTww%2BJvO8QjqZjq8kcNPDs0glnmyz2I8MIdwT%0AS1Wlvcvv2GXBbIfxofJ1OoZlRvl0KLCaDWz6ywZj0H%2BZLhORD7EUymF77NTUBDNz%2FZ4qMej0ChR%2F%0ApmVBixOI27cVlDIcuNfkrus3dv4iSI3J4FkU0%2BUFhTvf2zoKmT5lKcH7JvnFIdC4JwiwivGB4Ly9%0AO2OFvCwbcXwyAk3x0AVEAEimZ5%2F7mhEHTpAQmiGytrIJNKs%2B | title=Crowe makes 'Play' for Uni | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company|The Nielsen Company]] | author=Borys Kit | date=December 4, 2007 | access-date=January 2, 2008}} {{Registration required|date=October 2011}}</ref> which averted the film's abandonment after Pitt left. Crowe had to negotiate with the studio over shooting dates to avoid a conflict with ''Nottingham'' (later renamed ''Robin Hood''), which he was due to star in for director [[Ridley Scott]] in March 2008.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976892.html | title=Many top names free for spring films | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | author=Michael Fleming | date=December 2, 2007 | access-date=December 3, 2007 }}</ref> Crowe said jumping immediately into the part was similar to immediately taking roles as a jobbing young actor. He had not seen the series, and was unsure about taking the role, as he could not compare a six-hour telling of the story to a two-hour adaption.<ref>{{cite news | author = Martyn Palmer | title = In conversation with Russell Crowe | work = [[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | date = April 2009 | page=140}}</ref> The majority of Crowe's three hours per day in hair and makeup preparation was spent hiding his "extremely long" hair, which he grew for his title role in ''[[Robin Hood (2010 film)|Robin Hood]]''.<ref name="chips"/> During filming in Washington, DC, Crowe acquired an education in journalism from ''The Washington Post''{{'}}s Metro editor, R.B. Brenner.<ref name="politico"/> Universal president of production Donna Langley said Crowe's performance was a naturalistic one, and claimed ''State of Play'' was a different film than the one that would have been made had Pitt remained.<ref name="langley">{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990591.html | title=Universal's golden summer | author=Anne Thompson | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=August 14, 2008 | access-date=August 15, 2008 | author-link=Anne Thompson (film critic) }}</ref>
Macdonald traveled to Australia to court Crowe's involvement,<ref name="hr2">{{cite journal |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=December 4, 2007 |title=Crowe makes 'Play' for Uni |url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=JwgPPVfVmcksd4TtPuM3gvMrl1huoS1n41WGBMtipDBHyP416NfmcYCfx50GCg1dgvNyqYPoVrEs%0AG3F8MgJN8dAFRABIpmef%2B5oRB06QEJr9PxnMVRDvTww%2BJvO8QjqZjq8kcNPDs0glnmyz2I8MIdwT%0AS1Wlvcvv2GXBbIfxofJ1OoZlRvl0KLCaDWz6ywZj0H%2BZLhORD7EUymF77NTUBDNz%2FZ4qMej0ChR%2F%0ApmVBixOI27cVlDIcuNfkrus3dv4iSI3J4FkU0%2BUFhTvf2zoKmT5lKcH7JvnFIdC4JwiwivGB4Ly9%0AO2OFvCwbcXwyAk3x0AVEAEimZ5%2F7mhEHTpAQmiGytrIJNKs%2B |journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=[[The Nielsen Company]] |access-date=January 2, 2008}} {{Registration required|date=October 2011}}</ref> which averted the film's abandonment after Pitt left. Crowe had to negotiate with the studio over shooting dates to avoid a conflict with ''Nottingham'' (later renamed ''Robin Hood''), which he was due to star in for director [[Ridley Scott]] in March 2008.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=December 2, 2007 |title=Many top names free for spring films |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/many-top-names-free-for-spring-films-1117976892/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=December 3, 2007}}</ref> Crowe said jumping immediately into the part was similar to immediately taking roles as a jobbing young actor. He had not seen the series and was unsure about taking the role, as he could not compare a six-hour telling of the story to a two-hour adaption.<ref>{{cite news |last=Palmer |first=Martyn |date=April 2009 |title=In conversation with Russell Crowe |page=140 |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref> The majority of Crowe's three hours per day in hair and makeup preparation was spent hiding his "extremely long" hair, which he grew for his title role in ''[[Robin Hood (2010 film)|Robin Hood]]''.<ref name="chips"/> During filming in Washington, D.C., Crowe acquired an education in journalism from ''The Washington Post''{{'}}s Metro editor, R.B. Brenner.<ref name="politico"/> Universal president of production Donna Langley said Crowe's performance was a naturalistic one, and claimed ''State of Play'' was a different film than the one that would have been made had Pitt remained.<ref name="langley">{{cite journal |last=Thompson |first=Anne |author-link=Anne Thompson (film critic) |date=August 14, 2008 |title=Universal's golden summer |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/columns/universal-s-golden-summer-1117990591/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=August 15, 2008}}</ref>


British newspaper ''[[The Independent]]'' noted that hiring an [[A-list]] American actor (Pitt) for the lead role was sidelining original McAffrey actor [[John Simm]], who it said was "widely considered one of the best television actors to emerge in recent years" and that the recasting was "the latest example of the trend for British actors to be replaced by Americans". ''[[The Stage]]'' television writer Liz Thomas said that while it was frustrating for British actors, such casting made good commercial sense, expressing hope that the film's high-profile would be a "huge advert" or "shop window" for other such projects to come out of the UK in recent years.<ref name="indy"/>
British newspaper ''[[The Independent]]'' noted that hiring an [[A-list]] American actor (Pitt) for the lead role was sidelining original McAffrey actor [[John Simm]], who it said was "widely considered one of the best television actors to emerge in recent years" and that the recasting was "the latest example of the trend for British actors to be replaced by Americans". ''[[The Stage]]'' television writer Liz Thomas said that while it was frustrating for British actors, such casting made good commercial sense, expressing hope that the film's high profile would be a "huge advert" or "shop window" for other such projects to come out of the UK in recent years.<ref name="indy"/>
In a scene shot at the [[Library of Congress]], the production employed several real-world journalists among the extras in a scene in which Wright-Penn's character makes a statement to the press. The group included [[Bob Woodward]], [[Margaret Carlson]], [[Bob Schieffer]], [[John Palmer (TV journalist)|John Palmer]], [[E. J. Dionne]], [[Katty Kay]], and [[Steven Clemons]]. Additionally featured are cameos by news media commentators [[Lou Dobbs]] of CNN and [[Chris Matthews]] of MSNBC.<ref name="huff">{{cite news | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/state-of-play_b_90719.html | title=State of Play? | author=Steven Clemons | work=[[The Huffington Post]] | publisher=HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | date=March 10, 2008 | access-date=September 1, 2016| author-link=Steven Clemons }}</ref> Long-time Washington, DC, area sportscaster [[Frank Herzog]] also has a non-speaking cameo as a congressman present at the PointCorp hearings.<ref name="herzog">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/17/AR2008031703133.html | title=Running a Play for Time on the Big Screen | author=Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=March 18, 2008 | access-date=August 10, 2010 }}</ref> Journalist and Clinton confidante Cody Shearer is credited as a consultant on the film. Steve Clemons observed that "Crowe's style, language, posture, everything — just had to be modeled on Cody Shearer."<ref name="huff2">{{cite news | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/blogs-in-state-of-play_b_191391.html | title=Blogs in "State of Play" | author=Steven Clemons | work=[[The Huffington Post]] | publisher=HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | date=April 25, 2009 | access-date=September 1, 2016| author-link=Steven Clemons }}</ref>
In a scene shot at the [[Library of Congress]], the production employed several real-world journalists among the extras in a scene in which Wright-Penn's character makes a statement to the press. The group included [[Bob Woodward]], [[Margaret Carlson]], [[Bob Schieffer]], [[John Palmer (TV journalist)|John Palmer]], [[E. J. Dionne]], [[Katty Kay]], and [[Steven Clemons]]. Additionally featured are cameos by news media commentators [[Lou Dobbs]] of CNN and [[Chris Matthews]] of MSNBC.<ref name="huff">{{cite news |last=Clemons |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Clemons |date=March 10, 2008 |title=State of Play? |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher=HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/state-of-play_b_90719.html |access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref> Long-time Washington, D.C.-area sportscaster [[Frank Herzog]] also has a non-speaking cameo as a congressman present at the PointCorp hearings.<ref name="herzog">{{cite news |last1=Argetsinger |first1=Amy |last2=Roberts |first2=Roxanne |name-list-style=and |date=March 18, 2008 |title=Running a Play for Time on the Big Screen |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/17/AR2008031703133.html |access-date=August 10, 2010}}</ref> Journalist and Clinton confidante Cody Shearer is credited as a consultant on the film. Steve Clemons observed that "Crowe's style, language, posture, everything — just had to be modeled on Cody Shearer."<ref name="huff2">{{cite news |last=Clemons |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Clemons |date=April 25, 2009 |title=Blogs in "State of Play" |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher=HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/blogs-in-state-of-play_b_191391.html |access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref>


Affleck replaced [[Edward Norton]], who had joined the project in September 2007,<ref name="variety">{{cite journal | author= Michael Fleming | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117971812.html | title=Norton, Pitt reteam for 'State of Play' | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=September 11, 2007 | access-date=September 12, 2007 }}</ref> but when the start of production was delayed due to Pitt's departure, Norton had a scheduling conflict, as he was committed to film ''[[Leaves of Grass (film)|Leaves of Grass]]'' for [[Tim Blake Nelson]] early in 2008. Norton asked Universal Pictures if he could be replaced,<ref name="hr">{{cite journal | url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=JwgPPVfVmcksd4TtPuM3gvMrl1huoS1n41WGBMtipDBHyP416NfmcYCfx50GCg1dORE6h3C9I3%2FR%0AMzavXZ3WW0BHArbQUHdqwfwE2Nn2U0EDQFg9nCBFoAw%2BJvO8QjqZjq8kcNPDs0glnmyz2I8MIdwT%0AS1Wlvcvv2GXBbIfxofJ1OoZlRvl0KLCaDWz6ywZj0H%2BZLhORD7EUymF77NTUBDNz%2FZ4qMej0ChR%2F%0ApmVBixNr0sekhkG6ibiT4pmpbTkQEo3GSk1AK4zNrr42i%2BbkXBFS1gdAlLUWIdC4JwiwivGBQ4eN%0Ao%2BY0hNEzNq9dndZbQEcCttBQd2rB%2FATY2fZTQW7EmmQeLIT0 | title='State' subs Affleck for Norton role | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company|The Nielsen Company]] | author=Carly Mayberry | date=December 19, 2007 | access-date=December 31, 2007}} {{Registration required|date=October 2011}}</ref> and a deal was struck between the studio and the [[Endeavor Talent Agency]] (which represents Norton and Affleck) to enable Norton to leave the production amicably.<ref name="norton">{{cite journal | url=https://www.variety.com/VR1117977892.html | title=Norton exits 'State of Play' | author=Michael Fleming | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=December 18, 2007 | access-date=December 18, 2007 }}</ref> Crowe had partly been attracted to the project because of Norton's involvement, but he and Affleck had "so many touchstones in common", he was fine with the recasting.<ref name="news etc"/> Affleck visited [[United States Capitol|Capitol Hill]] to research his role, meeting with [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]], [[United States House of Representatives|Representative]] [[Anthony D. Weiner]] of [[New York's 9th congressional district]],<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/06/affleck-for-weiner.html | title=Affleck for Weiner | author=Elizabeth Benjamin | work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] | publisher=[[Mortimer Zuckerman]] | date=June 30, 2008 | access-date=July 1, 2008 }}</ref> and members of the [[United States congressional delegations from Massachusetts|Massachusetts congressional delegation]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tmz.com/2008/01/16/affleck-vetoes-fan-worship-at-capitol/ | title=Affleck Vetoes Fan Worship at Capitol | work=[[TMZ.com]] | publisher=[[Time Warner]] | author=TMZ staff | date=January 16, 2008 | access-date=January 17, 2008 }}</ref> In an April 2009 interview to promote the film, Affleck said he drew on the experiences of [[Gary Condit]], [[Eliot Spitzer]], and [[John Edwards]] while preparing for the role.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Ben%20Affleck%3A%20State%20of%20Play/ |title = Ben Affleck: State of Play |publisher = [[SuicideGirls.com]] |date = April 16, 2009 |access-date = April 16, 2009 }}</ref>
Affleck replaced [[Edward Norton]], who had joined the project in September 2007,<ref name="variety">{{cite journal |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=September 11, 2007 |title=Norton, Pitt reteam for 'State of Play' |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/features/norton-pitt-reteam-for-state-of-play-2-1117971812/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=September 12, 2007}}</ref> but when the start of production was delayed due to Pitt's departure, Norton had a scheduling conflict, as he was committed to film ''[[Leaves of Grass (film)|Leaves of Grass]]'' for [[Tim Blake Nelson]] early in 2008. Norton asked Universal Pictures if he could be replaced,<ref name="hr">{{cite journal |last=Mayberry |first=Carly |date=December 19, 2007 |title='State' subs Affleck for Norton role |url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=JwgPPVfVmcksd4TtPuM3gvMrl1huoS1n41WGBMtipDBHyP416NfmcYCfx50GCg1dORE6h3C9I3%2FR%0AMzavXZ3WW0BHArbQUHdqwfwE2Nn2U0EDQFg9nCBFoAw%2BJvO8QjqZjq8kcNPDs0glnmyz2I8MIdwT%0AS1Wlvcvv2GXBbIfxofJ1OoZlRvl0KLCaDWz6ywZj0H%2BZLhORD7EUymF77NTUBDNz%2FZ4qMej0ChR%2F%0ApmVBixNr0sekhkG6ibiT4pmpbTkQEo3GSk1AK4zNrr42i%2BbkXBFS1gdAlLUWIdC4JwiwivGBQ4eN%0Ao%2BY0hNEzNq9dndZbQEcCttBQd2rB%2FATY2fZTQW7EmmQeLIT0 |journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=[[The Nielsen Company]] |access-date=December 31, 2007}} {{Registration required|date=October 2011}}</ref> and a deal was struck between the studio and the [[Endeavor Talent Agency]] (which represents Norton and Affleck) to enable Norton to leave the production amicably.<ref name="norton">{{cite journal |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=December 18, 2007 |title=Norton exits 'State of Play' |url=https://www.variety.com/VR1117977892.html |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref> Crowe had partly been attracted to the project because of Norton's involvement, but he and Affleck had "so many touchstones in common", he was fine with the recasting.<ref name="news etc"/> Affleck visited [[United States Capitol|Capitol Hill]] to research his role, meeting with [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]], [[United States House of Representatives|Representative]] [[Anthony D. Weiner]] of [[New York's 9th congressional district]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Benjamin |first=Elizabeth |date=June 30, 2008 |title=Affleck for Weiner |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |publisher=[[Mortimer Zuckerman]] |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/06/affleck-for-weiner.html |access-date=July 1, 2008}}</ref> and members of the [[United States congressional delegations from Massachusetts|Massachusetts congressional delegation]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tmz.com/2008/01/16/affleck-vetoes-fan-worship-at-capitol/ | title=Affleck Vetoes Fan Worship at Capitol | work=[[TMZ.com]] | publisher=[[Time Warner]] | author=TMZ staff | date=January 16, 2008 | access-date=January 17, 2008}}</ref> In an April 2009 interview to promote the film, Affleck said he drew on the experiences of [[Gary Condit]], [[Eliot Spitzer]], and [[John Edwards]] while preparing for the role.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Ben%20Affleck%3A%20State%20of%20Play/ |title = Ben Affleck: State of Play |publisher = [[SuicideGirls.com]] |date = April 16, 2009 |access-date = April 16, 2009}}</ref>


===Filming===
===Filming===
[[Principal photography]] took place between January 11, 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/newsArticle.php?newsID=195 |title=Principal Photography Begins on State of Play |publisher=[[Working Title Films]] |date=January 11, 2008 |access-date=January 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117014450/http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/newsArticle.php?newsID=195 |archive-date=January 17, 2008 }}</ref> and April 6, 2008.<ref name="politico">{{cite news | url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9497.html | title='State of Play' wraps up in D.C. | author=Jeffrey Ressner | work=[[The Politico]] | publisher=[[Allbritton Communications Company]] | date=April 9, 2008 | access-date=April 10, 2008 }}</ref> Filming was originally scheduled to start in November 2007,<ref name="variety"/> but was postponed due to [[Brad Pitt]]'s unexpected departure from the production.<ref name="hr2"/> Eric Fellner indicated that the film was close to being abandoned, and credited Universal's chairman and co-chairman (Marc Shmuger and David Linde) with seeing the film to production.<ref name="reborn"/>
[[Principal photography]] took place between January 11, 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/newsArticle.php?newsID=195 |title=Principal Photography Begins on State of Play |publisher=[[Working Title Films]] |date=January 11, 2008 |access-date=January 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117014450/http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/newsArticle.php?newsID=195 |archive-date=January 17, 2008}}</ref> and April 6, 2008.<ref name="politico">{{cite news |last=Ressner |first=Jeffrey |date=April 9, 2008 |title='State of Play' wraps up in D.C. |work=[[The Politico]] |publisher=[[Allbritton Communications Company]] |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9497.html |access-date=April 10, 2008}}</ref> Filming was originally scheduled to start in November 2007,<ref name="variety"/> but was postponed due to [[Brad Pitt]]'s unexpected departure from the production.<ref name="hr2"/> Eric Fellner indicated that the film was close to being abandoned and credited Universal's chairman and co-chairman (Marc Shmuger and David Linde) with seeing the film to production.<ref name="reborn"/>


[[Image:Department of Housing and Urban Development.JPG|thumb|250px|The exterior of the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|Department of Housing and Urban Development]] building in Washington, D.C. doubled as a hospital entrance.<ref name="alphonso"/>]]
[[Image:Department of Housing and Urban Development.JPG|thumb|250px|The exterior of the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|Department of Housing and Urban Development]] building in Washington, D.C. doubled as a hospital entrance.<ref name="alphonso"/>]]
The first eight weeks of filming took place in Los Angeles,<ref name="chips"/> which accounted for the majority of the shooting schedule.<ref name="leno"/> A newsroom set was built to act as the hub of operations for the fictional ''Washington Globe'' newspaper. Costume designer Jacqueline West indicated that she looked to the newsroom of ''The Washington Post'' for inspiration, and used photos of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]''{{'}}s newsroom to help her develop the journalists' looks.<ref>{{cite news | title=Work in Progress – 'State of play' | author=Michael Sragow | work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] | publisher=[[Tribune Company]] | date=November 25, 2007 }}</ref>
The first eight weeks of filming took place in Los Angeles,<ref name="chips"/> which accounted for the majority of the shooting schedule.<ref name="leno"/> A newsroom set was built to be the fictional ''Washington Globe'' newspaper operations hub. Costume designer Jacqueline West indicated that she looked to the newsroom of ''The Washington Post'' for inspiration and used photos of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]''{{'}}s newsroom to help her develop the journalists' looks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sragow |first=Michael |date=November 25, 2007 |title=Work in Progress – 'State of play' |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |publisher=[[Tribune Company]]}}</ref>


The production moved to Washington, DC for five weeks of location filming toward the end of the shoot,<ref name="leno">{{cite video |people=[[Russell Crowe]], [[Jay Leno]] |date=February 14, 2008 |title=[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]] |medium=Television production |publisher=[[NBC]] |location=[[Burbank, California]] |access-date=February 17, 2008 }}</ref> commencing on March 6, 2008.<ref name="honey"/> More than a third of ''State of Play'' was shot in Washington, DC,<ref name="chips"/> with filming taking place throughout the city.<ref name="honey">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503877.html | title=Honey, They Shrunk the Chief of Staff's Car! | author=Amy Argetsinger, Roxanne Roberts | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=March 6, 2008 | access-date=March 7, 2008 }}</ref> The filmmakers estimated that ''State of Play'' may have set a record for the longest studio shoot in the city.<ref name="politico"/> Locations included the neighborhoods of Adams Morgan, [[Shaw, Washington, D.C.|Shaw]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.csnadc.org/joomla//content/view/169/47/ | title="State of Play" Filming on U Street March 19 | publisher=Cardozo Shaw Neighborhood Association | date=February 9, 2008 | access-date=March 7, 2008 }}</ref> and [[Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C.|Mount Pleasant]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.grahamwone.com/blog/post.php?/259 | title=Movie Coming to Mt. Pleasant | publisher=Website of Washington, D.C. Ward One Council member [[Jim Graham]] | date=February 20, 2008 | access-date=March 7, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322190834/http://www.grahamwone.com/blog/post.php?%2F259 | archive-date=March 22, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Scenes set on Mount Pleasant Street were also filmed at the Los Angeles studio, where a full replica of the strip's facade was built.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/03/18/my-boyfriends-in-state-of-play/ | title=My Boyfriend's In State of Play | author=Tanya Snyder| work=[[Washington City Paper]] | publisher=[[Creative Loafing|Creative Loafing, Inc.]] |date=March 18, 2008 | access-date=March 20, 2008 }}</ref> In [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown]], menswear store The District Line was transformed into a household goods store for the shooting of a chase scene for the film's opening sequence.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040403324.html | title=Names and Faces: The State of 'State of Play' | author= Tony Rubino, Gary Markstein | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=April 5, 2008 | access-date=March 7, 2008 }}</ref>
The production moved to Washington, D.C., for five weeks of location filming toward the end of the shoot,<ref name="leno">{{cite video |people=[[Russell Crowe]], [[Jay Leno]] |date=February 14, 2008 |title=[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]] |medium=Television production |publisher=[[NBC]] |location=[[Burbank, California]] <!--|access-date=February 17, 2008-->}}</ref> commencing on March 6, 2008.<ref name="honey"/> More than a third of ''State of Play'' was shot in Washington, D.C.,<ref name="chips"/> with filming taking place throughout the city.<ref name="honey">{{cite news |last1=Argetsinger |first1=Amy |last2=Roberts |first2=Roxanne |name-list-style=and |date=March 6, 2008 |title=Honey, They Shrunk the Chief of Staff's Car! |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503877.html |access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref> The filmmakers estimated that ''State of Play'' may have set a record for the longest studio shoot in the city.<ref name="politico"/> Locations included the neighborhoods of Adams Morgan, [[Shaw, Washington, D.C.|Shaw]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csnadc.org/joomla//content/view/169/47/ |title="State of Play" Filming on U Street March 19 |publisher=Cardozo Shaw Neighborhood Association |date=February 9, 2008 |access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref> and [[Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C.|Mount Pleasant]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grahamwone.com/blog/post.php?/259 |title=Movie Coming to Mt. Pleasant | publisher=Website of Washington, D.C. Ward One Council member [[Jim Graham]] |date=February 20, 2008 |access-date=March 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322190834/http://www.grahamwone.com/blog/post.php?%2F259 |archive-date=March 22, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Scenes set on Mount Pleasant Street were also filmed at the Los Angeles studio, where a full replica of the strip's facade was built.<ref>{{cite news |last=Snyder |first=Tanya |date=March 18, 2008 |title=My Boyfriend's In State of Play |work=[[Washington City Paper]] |publisher=[[Creative Loafing|Creative Loafing, Inc.]] |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/03/18/my-boyfriends-in-state-of-play/ |access-date=March 20, 2008}}</ref> In [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown]], menswear store The District Line was transformed into household goods store for the shooting of a chase scene for the film's opening sequence.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rubino |first1=Tony |last2=Markstein |first2=Gary |date=April 5, 2008 |title=Names and Faces: The State of 'State of Play' |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040403324.html |access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref>


Filming took place on various streets in Washington, DC,<ref name="gw"/> including the [[U Street Corridor]],<ref name="fish"/> and at "practically every major landmark",<ref name="politico"/> including outside the headquarters of the [[World Bank]] on [[Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Pennsylvania Avenue]],<ref name="gw"/> around [[United States Capitol|Capitol Hill]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://dcist.com/2008/03/11/keep_your_eyes_1.php | title=Two Big Movies Shooting in D.C. | work=DCist | publisher=[[Gothamist|Gothamist, LLC]] | date=March 11, 2008 | access-date=March 12, 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314075230/http://dcist.com/2008/03/11/keep_your_eyes_1.php | archive-date=March 14, 2008 }}</ref> at the [[United States Supreme Court building|Supreme Court building]],<ref name="quintin"/> outside the Library of Congress,<ref name="huff"/> and at the [[Washington Monument]].<ref name="politico"/> Other locations included landmark restaurant [[Ben's Chili Bowl]],<ref>{{cite news | author=Jane Black | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/19/AR2008081900685.html | title=50 Years of Friends and Chili | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=August 20, 2008 | access-date=August 20, 2008 }}</ref> where restaurant workers were employed as extras,<ref name="quintin"/> and the [[Maine Avenue Fish Market]].<ref name="fish">{{cite web | url=http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/03/22/first-look-at-russell-crowe-in-state-of-play/ | title=First Look at Russell Crowe in State of Play | author=Kevin Powers | work=Firstshowing.net | publisher=First Showing, LLC | date=March 22, 2008 | access-date=March 26, 2008 }}</ref> The Americana Hotel in [[Crystal City, Virginia|Crystal City]] was also used for the scenes in which McAffrey interrogates Dominic Foy.<ref name="americanahotel">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/the-movie-review-state-play | title=The Movie Review: 'State of Play' | author=Christopher Orr | magazine=[[The New Republic]] | publisher=[[The New Republic]] | date=April 17, 2009 | access-date=December 18, 2009 | author-link=Christopher Orr (film critic) }}</ref> The exterior of the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|Department of Housing and Urban Development]] building was used to double as a hospital entrance. In preparation for filming, eighteen two-foot by three-foot photographs of [[United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development|Secretary]] [[Alphonso Jackson]] were removed from the entrance.<ref name="alphonso">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040102478_2.html | title=Sunny Australia Sure Beats a Senate Hearing | author=Al Kamen | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=April 2, 2008 | access-date=April 2, 2008 }}</ref> The production's "working week" was Wednesday to Sunday, because several of the government buildings featured could not be used for filming during regular work days.<ref name="souths">{{cite news | url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,23640507-14823,00.html | title=Russell Crowe Speaks Out | author=Phil Rothfield, Rebecca Wilson | work=[[Herald Sun]] | publisher=[[The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd]] | date=May 5, 2008 | access-date=May 6, 2008 }}</ref> The Harbour Square Owners Cooperative complex was used as the home of Affleck's character.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.harbour-square.com/movie/index.htm | publisher=Harbour Square Owners' Cooperative | title=Hollywood chooses Harbour Square | access-date=April 5, 2008 }}</ref>
Filming took place on various streets in Washington, D.C.,<ref name="gw"/> including the [[U Street Corridor]],<ref name="fish"/> and at "practically every major landmark",<ref name="politico"/> including outside the headquarters of the [[World Bank]] on [[Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Pennsylvania Avenue]],<ref name="gw"/> around [[United States Capitol|Capitol Hill]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dcist.com/2008/03/11/keep_your_eyes_1.php |title=Two Big Movies Shooting in D.C. |work=DCist |publisher=[[Gothamist|Gothamist, LLC]] |date=March 11, 2008 |access-date=March 12, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314075230/http://dcist.com/2008/03/11/keep_your_eyes_1.php |archive-date=March 14, 2008}}</ref> at the [[United States Supreme Court building|Supreme Court building]],<ref name="quintin"/> outside the Library of Congress,<ref name="huff"/> and at the [[Washington Monument]].<ref name="politico"/> Other locations included landmark restaurant [[Ben's Chili Bowl]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Black |first=Jane |date=August 20, 2008 |title=50 Years of Friends and Chili |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/19/AR2008081900685.html |access-date=August 20, 2008}}</ref> where restaurant workers were employed as extras,<ref name="quintin"/> and the [[Maine Avenue Fish Market]].<ref name="fish">{{cite web |last=Powers |first=Kevin |date=March 22, 2008 |title=First Look at Russell Crowe in State of Play |url=http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/03/22/first-look-at-russell-crowe-in-state-of-play/ |access-date=March 26, 2008 |work=Firstshowing.net |publisher=First Showing, LLC}}</ref> The Americana Hotel in [[Crystal City, Virginia|Crystal City]] was also used for the scenes in which McAffrey interrogates Dominic Foy.<ref name="americanahotel">{{cite magazine |last=Orr |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Orr (film critic) |date=April 17, 2009 |title=The Movie Review: 'State of Play' |url=http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/the-movie-review-state-play |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |publisher=[[The New Republic]] |access-date=December 18, 2009}}</ref> The exterior of the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|Department of Housing and Urban Development]] building was used to double as a hospital entrance. In preparation for filming, eighteen two-foot by three-foot photographs of [[United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development|Secretary]] [[Alphonso Jackson]] were removed from the entrance.<ref name="alphonso">{{cite news |last=Kamen |first=Al |date=April 2, 2008 |title=Sunny Australia Sure Beats a Senate Hearing |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040102478_2.html |access-date=April 2, 2008}}</ref> The production's "working week" was Wednesday to Sunday, because several of the government buildings featured could not be used for filming during regular work days.<ref name="souths">{{cite news |last1=Rothfield |first1=Phil |last2=Wilson |first2=Rebecca |date=May 5, 2008 |title=Russell Crowe Speaks Out |work=[[Herald Sun]] |publisher=[[The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd]] |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,23640507-14823,00.html |access-date=May 6, 2008}}</ref> The Harbour Square Owners Cooperative complex was used as the home of Affleck's character.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harbour-square.com/movie/index.htm |publisher=Harbour Square Owners' Cooperative |title=Hollywood chooses Harbour Square |access-date=April 5, 2008}}</ref>


[[Image:Rosslyn with escalator.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[Rosslyn (Washington Metro)|Rosslyn Metro station]] is the setting for a scene in which a character is struck by a train. The station was chosen by the filmmakers for its long escalator that leads directly onto a platform.<ref name="metro"/>]]
[[Image:Rosslyn with escalator.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[Rosslyn (Washington Metro)|Rosslyn Metro station]] is the setting for a scene in which a character is struck by a train. The filmmakers chose the station for its long escalator that leads directly onto a platform.<ref name="metro"/>]]
A key scene in which a character is struck by a train takes place on the [[Washington Metro]]. Filming for the scene took place at the [[Rosslyn (Washington Metro)|Rosslyn Metro station]] in [[Virginia]]. The Rosslyn station was chosen because it was the only station in the Metro system to have a long escalator leading to a platform, with trains passing at the same times on upper and lower levels.<ref name="metro">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033102732_pf.html | title=Rail to Reel | author=Lena H. Sun | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=April 1, 2008 | access-date=April 2, 2008 }}</ref> Filming also took place at night aboard two railcars at the [[Forest Glen (Washington Metro)|Forest Glen Metro station]] in [[Maryland]].<ref name="metro"/><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033102703.html | title=Metro's Star Turns on Film and TV | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=April 1, 2008 | access-date=April 1, 2008 }}</ref>
A pivotal scene in which a character is struck by a train occurs on the [[Washington Metro]]. Filming for the scene took place at the [[Rosslyn (Washington Metro)|Rosslyn Metro station]] in [[Virginia]]. The Rosslyn station was chosen because it was the only station in the Metro system with a long escalator leading to a platform, with trains passing simultaneously on upper and lower levels.<ref name="metro">{{cite news |last=Sun |first=Lena H. |date=April 1, 2008 |title=Rail to Reel |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033102732_pf.html |access-date=April 2, 2008}}</ref> Filming also took place at night aboard two railcars at the [[Forest Glen (Washington Metro)|Forest Glen Metro station]] in [[Maryland]].<ref name="metro"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033102703.html |title=Metro's Star Turns on Film and TV |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 1, 2008 |access-date=April 1, 2008}}</ref>


Permission to film at the stations was granted after the script was vetted by the Metro's media relations office, which is notoriously discriminating about which productions it allows to film on the Metro. After the deaths of three Metro employees in 2006, the office was reluctant to allow filming of the scene, but because the script did not explicitly show a death, the office assented. Scenes on the Metro had to meet strict standards for logistics and safety. The portrayal of anything illegal in the system was not allowed, nor was showing characters eating, drinking, jumping over fare gates, or running on the tracks. The production also had to agree to film scenes at the busy Rosslyn station at times when the system was least busy: late at night and after rush hour. Producer E. Bennett Walsh said that the production chose not to shoot on the less restrictive [[Metro Subway|Baltimore subway]], which has substituted for Washington, DC in other films that have come up against the Metro's rules. He said, "To shoot any other subway, you would know you're not in Washington."<ref name="metro"/>
Permission to film at the stations was granted after the script was vetted by the Metro's media relations office, which is notoriously discriminating about which productions it allows to film on the Metro. After the deaths of three Metro employees in 2006, the office was reluctant to allow filming of the scene, but because the script did not explicitly show a death, the office assented. Scenes on the Metro had to meet strict standards for logistics and safety. The portrayal of anything illegal in the system was not allowed, nor was showing characters eating, drinking, jumping over fare gates, or running on the tracks. The production also had to agree to film scenes at the busy Rosslyn station when the system was least busy: late at night and after rush hour. Producer E. Bennett Walsh said that the production chose not to shoot on the less restrictive [[Metro Subway|Baltimore subway]], which has substituted for Washington, D.C., in other films that have come up against the Metro's rules. He said, "To shoot any other subway, you would know you're not in Washington."<ref name="metro"/>


Scenes were filmed at the [[Watergate complex]], for which the production was granted permission to use the roof of a [[The George Washington University|George Washington University]] campus building.<ref name="gw">{{cite news | url=http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2008/03/10/News/Oscar.Winners.Film.On.Campus-3260432.shtml | title=Oscar winners film on campus | author=Amy Rhodin | work=[[GW Hatchet]] | publisher=Hatchet Publications, Inc. | date=March 8, 2008 | access-date=March 10, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703232031/http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2008/03/10/News/Oscar.Winners.Film.On.Campus-3260432.shtml | archive-date=July 3, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Scenes were also filmed in the [[morgue]] of the [[St. Mary Medical Center (Long Beach)|St. Mary Medical Center]] in [[Long Beach, California]].<ref>{{cite news | author=Tim Grobaty | url=http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_7335215 | title=Another whole lotta Zep | work=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]] | publisher=[[Los Angeles Newspaper Group]] | date=October 31, 2007 | access-date=November 1, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104053124/http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_7335215 | archive-date=November 4, 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Washington, DC police officer Quintin Peterson was employed as a consultant on the film. Peterson, who has acted as a script consultant and technical adviser on numerous productions in the city, helped the production to accurately depict the city's police force.<ref name="quintin">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/02/AR2008040201404.html | title=Putting Fact, Fiction on the Same Page | author=Allison Klein | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=April 3, 2008 | access-date=April 3, 2008 }}</ref>
Scenes were filmed at the [[Watergate complex]], for which the production was granted permission to use the roof of a [[The George Washington University|George Washington University]] campus building.<ref name="gw">{{cite news |last=Rhodin |first=Amy |date=March 8, 2008 |title=Oscar winners film on campus |work=[[GW Hatchet]] |publisher=Hatchet Publications, Inc. |url=http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2008/03/10/News/Oscar.Winners.Film.On.Campus-3260432.shtml |url-status=dead |access-date=March 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703232031/http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2008/03/10/News/Oscar.Winners.Film.On.Campus-3260432.shtml |archive-date=July 3, 2008}}</ref> Scenes were also filmed in the [[morgue]] of the [[St. Mary Medical Center (Long Beach)|St. Mary Medical Center]] in [[Long Beach, California]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Grobaty |first=Tim |date=October 31, 2007 |title=Another whole lotta Zep |work=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]] |publisher=[[Los Angeles Newspaper Group]] |url=http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_7335215 |url-status=dead |access-date=November 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104053124/http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_7335215 |archive-date=November 4, 2007}}</ref> Washington, D.C. police officer Quintin Peterson was employed as a consultant on the film. Peterson, who has acted as a script consultant and technical adviser on numerous productions in the city, helped the production to depict the city's police force accurately.<ref name="quintin">{{cite news |last=Klein |first=Allison |date=April 3, 2008 |title=Putting Fact, Fiction on the Same Page |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/02/AR2008040201404.html |access-date=April 3, 2008}}</ref>


Filming took place on the steps of the [[Scottish Rite|Scottish Rite Freemasonry]] temple in Washington, DC. Maryland's [[Montgomery Blair High School]] provided a marching band for the background. They were joined by players from the school's production of the [[Beauty and the Beast (musical)|''Beauty and the Beast'' musical]] and students from [[Paint Branch High School]]'s [[Winter guard]] to act as [[color guard]] for the scene.<ref name="blair">{{cite news | url=http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/inside.php?sid=8226 | title=Marching band to have role in upcoming thriller 'State of Play' | author=Nitin Sukamar | work=[[Silver Chips]] | publisher=[[Montgomery Blair High School]] | date=March 16, 2008 | access-date=March 27, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/26/AR2008032601570.html | title=School Notes | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=March 27, 2008 | access-date=March 27, 2008 }}</ref> Macdonald's aim was to recreate a famous 1970s Canadian photograph, which depicts rifle-twirling [[majorettes]], in order to emphasize militaristic themes and to comment upon the place of guns in American society. The aesthetic also appealed to Macdonald: "it's just very colorful and beautiful and very American—like a piece of anthropology in America."<ref name="chips">{{cite news | url=http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/inside.php?sid=8246 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530170410/http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/inside.php?sid=8246 | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 30, 2012 | title=Blazers brush with fame | author=Anika Manzoor | work=[[Silver Chips]] | publisher=[[Montgomery Blair High School]] | date=March 23, 2008 | access-date=March 27, 2008 }}</ref><!--Please note that the High School newspaper used as a reference here has been declared a reliable source for this story as per The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040103247.html -->
Filming took place on the steps of the [[Scottish Rite|Scottish Rite Freemasonry]] temple in Washington, D.C.. Maryland's [[Montgomery Blair High School]] provided a marching band for the background. They were joined by players from the school's production of the [[Beauty and the Beast (musical)|''Beauty and the Beast'' musical]] and students from [[Paint Branch High School]]'s [[Winter guard]] to act as [[color guard]] for the scene.<ref name="blair">{{cite news |last=Sukamar |first=Nitin |date=March 16, 2008 |title=Marching band to have role in upcoming thriller 'State of Play' |work=[[Silver Chips]] |publisher=[[Montgomery Blair High School]] |url=http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/inside.php?sid=8226 |access-date=March 27, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/26/AR2008032601570.html | title=School Notes | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=March 27, 2008 | access-date=March 27, 2008}}</ref> Macdonald aimed to recreate a famous 1970s Canadian photograph, which depicts rifle-twirling [[majorettes]], to emphasize militaristic themes and to comment upon the place of guns in American society. The aesthetic also appealed to Macdonald: "It's just very colorful and beautiful and very American—like a piece of anthropology in America."<ref name="chips">{{cite news |last=Manzoor |first=Anika |date=March 23, 2008 |title=Blazers brush with fame |work=[[Silver Chips]] |publisher=[[Montgomery Blair High School]] |url=http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/inside.php?sid=8246 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530170410/http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/inside.php?sid=8246 |archive-date=May 30, 2012}}</ref><!--Please note that the High School newspaper used as a reference here has been declared a reliable source for this story as per The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040103247.html -->


The majority of filming over the last three weeks of the shoot took place at night. Filming for these scenes usually began at 5:00&nbsp;p.m. and finished at 5:00&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="souths"/> A scene filmed under the [[Francis Scott Key Bridge (Washington)|Key Bridge]] in Georgetown on April 6, 2008 was the last of principal photography.<ref name="politico"/>
The majority of filming over the last three weeks of the shoot took place at night. Filming for these scenes usually began at 5:00&nbsp;p.m. and finished at 5:00&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="souths"/> A scene filmed under the [[Francis Scott Key Bridge (Washington)|Key Bridge]] in Georgetown on April 6, 2008, was the last of principal photography.<ref name="politico"/>


===Effects===
===Effects===
[[Cinematographer|Director of photography]] [[Rodrigo Prieto]] indicated that the film was shot in two distinct visual styles: scenes featuring the media were shot in the [[anamorphic format]] on [[35mm movie film|35mm film]], while scenes focusing on the world of politics were shot in [[high-definition video]] with the [[Genesis (Panavision)|Panavision Genesis]] [[Digital camera#Video cameras|digital video camera]].<ref>{{cite journal | author=Jon D. Witmer | title=Prieto Uses 3cP-ASC CDL on State of Play | journal=[[American Cinematographer]] | publisher=[[American Society of Cinematographers]] | volume=89 | issue=6 | page=88 | location=[[Los Angeles, California]], [[United States]] | date=June 1, 2008 | issn=0002-7928 }}</ref> [[Hand-held camera]]s have been used.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/diario/noticia/famosos/espectaculos/prieto_ya_filma_con_russell_crowe/107687 | title=Prieto ya filma con Russell Crowe | publisher=[[Vanguardia (newspaper)|Vanguardia]] | language=es | date=January 21, 2008 | access-date=January 25, 2008}}</ref> For [[color management]], Prieto employed Gamma & Density Company's 3cP color management and correction software,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/headlines/9385.html | title=Thoughts on NAB 2008: DI, 3D and (of course) RED | author=Debra Kaufman | work=studiodaily.com | publisher=Access Intelligence, LLC | date=April 23, 2008 | access-date=April 24, 2008 }}</ref> using the [[American Society of Cinematographers]]' Color Decision List to keep color consistent throughout shooting, [[dailies]], post and [[digital intermediate]] finishing process.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://digitalintermediates.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=348672 | title=Correction to Cinematographers in Any Budget Range | work=DMN Newswire | publisher=Digital Media Online, Inc. | date=April 1, 2008 | access-date=April 24, 2008}}</ref> The digital effects were handled by [[Rhythm and Hues]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rhythm.com/film/index.shtml | title=Rhythm & Hues: Currently in Production | publisher=[[Rhythm and Hues]] | access-date=June 30, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701065451/http://www.rhythm.com/film/index.shtml | archive-date=July 1, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[Cinematographer|Director of photography]] [[Rodrigo Prieto]] indicated that the film was shot in two distinct visual styles: scenes featuring the media were shot in the [[anamorphic format]] on [[35mm movie film|35mm film]], while scenes focusing on the world of politics were shot in [[high-definition video]] with the [[Genesis (Panavision)|Panavision Genesis]] [[Digital camera#Video cameras|digital video camera]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Witmer |first=Jon D. |date=June 1, 2008 |title=Prieto Uses 3cP-ASC CDL on State of Play |journal=[[American Cinematographer]] |location=[[Los Angeles, California]], [[United States]] |publisher=[[American Society of Cinematographers]] |volume=89 |issue=6 |page=88 |issn=0002-7928}}</ref> [[Hand-held camera]]s have been used.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/diario/noticia/famosos/espectaculos/prieto_ya_filma_con_russell_crowe/107687 | title=Prieto ya filma con Russell Crowe | publisher=[[Vanguardia (Mexico)|Vanguardia]] | language=es | date=January 21, 2008 | access-date=January 25, 2008}}</ref> For [[color management]], Prieto employed Gamma & Density Company's 3cP color management and correction software,<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Debra |date=April 23, 2008 |title=Thoughts on NAB 2008: DI, 3D and (of course) RED |url=http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/headlines/9385.html |access-date=April 24, 2008 |work=studiodaily.com |publisher=Access Intelligence, LLC}}</ref> using the [[American Society of Cinematographers]]' Color Decision List to keep color consistent throughout shooting, [[dailies]], post and [[digital intermediate]] finishing process.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://digitalintermediates.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=348672 | title=Correction to Cinematographers in Any Budget Range | work=DMN Newswire | publisher=Digital Media Online, Inc. | date=April 1, 2008 | access-date=April 24, 2008}}</ref> The digital effects were handled by [[Rhythm and Hues]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rhythm.com/film/index.shtml | title=Rhythm & Hues: Currently in Production | publisher=[[Rhythm and Hues]] | access-date=June 30, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701065451/http://www.rhythm.com/film/index.shtml | archive-date=July 1, 2008 | url-status=dead}}</ref>


===Music===
===Music===
[[Alex Heffes]], who provided the music for Macdonald's ''[[One Day in September]]'', ''[[Touching the Void (film)|Touching the Void]]'', and ''[[The Last King of Scotland (film)|The Last King of Scotland]]'', [[Film score|scored]] the film. It was recorded in the United Kingdom. Heffes indicated that he had a preference for scoring around the dialogue rather than through it. As with the recording of his previous works, Heffes conducted the orchestra himself to enable re-scoring as the recording session proceeded. Macdonald involved moon early on in production, and in an unusual move for a studio film, he had Heffes write some of the music to ''State of Play'' in advance of principal photography, based purely upon the script. Heffes said this was to provide a hint to the direction the film was going to take. He said that he and Macdonald had decided to take the score down an unusual path, "off the beaten track", and that the prospect was a "liberating" one. [[Grammy Award]]-winning record producer "[[Flood (producer)|Flood]]" (aka Mark Ellis) worked with Heffes on the score. Heffes said that working with Ellis "opened his mind" and that they attempted to push boundaries. He said that in producing the score, Flood brought an aesthetic to recording the instruments that was atypical for film recording sessions.<ref>{{cite video | people=[[Alex Heffes]], Tommy Pearson |date=April 2008 | title=Interview with Alex Heffes | url=http://www.stageandscreenonline.com/_Media/AlexHeffes.mp3 |format=mp3 | medium=Audio interview | publisher=Stage and Screen Online |access-date=April 22, 2008 }}</ref>
[[Alex Heffes]], who provided the music for Macdonald's ''[[One Day in September]]'', ''[[Touching the Void (film)|Touching the Void]]'', and ''[[The Last King of Scotland (film)|The Last King of Scotland]]'', [[Film score|scored]] the film. It was recorded in the United Kingdom. Heffes indicated that he preferred scoring around the dialogue rather than through it. As with recording his previous works, Heffes conducted the orchestra himself to enable re-scoring as the recording session proceeded. Macdonald involved moon early on in production, and in an unusual move for a studio film, he had Heffes write some of the music to ''State of Play'' in advance of principal photography, based purely upon the script. Heffes said this was to provide a hint about the direction the film would take. He said that he and Macdonald had decided to take the score down an unusual path, "off the beaten track", and that the prospect was a "liberating" one. [[Grammy Award]]-winning record producer "[[Flood (producer)|Flood]]" (aka Mark Ellis) worked with Heffes on the score. Heffes said that working with Ellis "opened his mind" and that they attempted to push boundaries. He said that in producing the score, Flood brought an aesthetic to recording the instruments atypical for film recording sessions.<ref>{{cite video | people=[[Alex Heffes]], Tommy Pearson |date=April 2008 | title=Interview with Alex Heffes | url=http://www.stageandscreenonline.com/_Media/AlexHeffes.mp3 |format=mp3 | medium=Audio interview | publisher=Stage and Screen Online |access-date=April 22, 2008}}</ref>


The song heard during the end credits is [[John Fogerty]]'s "[[Long As I Can See the Light|Long As I Can See The Light]]" performed by [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]].
The song heard during the end credits is [[John Fogerty]]'s "[[Long As I Can See the Light]]" performed by [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]].

==Release==
''State of Play'' was released in the United States on April 17, 2009, and in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2009, by [[Universal Pictures]].


==Reception==
==Reception==
===Box office===
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''State Of Play'' holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The site's critical consensus reads: "A taut, well-acted political thriller, ''State of Play'' overcomes some unsubtle plot twists with an intelligent script and swift direction."<ref name="rt">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1193230-state_of_play|title=''State of Play'' (2009)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/stateofplay?q=state%20of%20play |title=State Of Play Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=February 12, 2010}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "State or Play" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date= August 4, 2020}}</ref>
''State of Play'' has grossed $37 million domestically, and $50 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $88 million.<ref>{{cite web |title=State of Play |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0473705/ |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=9 January 2024}}</ref>

===Critical response===
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''State Of Play'' holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The site's critical consensus reads: "A taut, well-acted political thriller, ''State of Play'' overcomes some unsubtle plot twists with an intelligent script and swift direction."<ref name="rt">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1193230-state_of_play|title=''State of Play'' (2009)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=April 17, 2009 |publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/stateofplay?q=state%20of%20play |title=State Of Play Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=February 12, 2010}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "State or Play" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date= August 4, 2020}}</ref>


Philip Kemp from ''[[Total Film]]'' called it "a twisty substantial thriller" and said "It's not as exceptional as its source but the changes implemented mostly enhance rather than harm the story."<ref name="tf">{{cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/state-of-play|title=''State Of Play'' Review|work=[[Total Film]]|publisher=Future Publishing|access-date=April 15, 2009}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun Times]] ''described the film as "a smart ingenious thriller", and he went on to say, "There are many other surprises in the film, which genuinely fooled me a couple of times, and maintains a certain degree of credibility for a thriller".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/state-of-play-2009|title=State of Play Movie Review & Film Summary (2009)|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=April 15, 2009|publisher=RogerEbert.com|access-date=August 12, 2013}}</ref>
Philip Kemp from ''[[Total Film]]'' called it "a twisty substantial thriller" and said, "It's not as exceptional as its source but the changes implemented mostly enhance rather than harm the story."<ref name="tf">{{cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/state-of-play|title=''State Of Play'' Review|work=[[Total Film]]|publisher=Future Publishing|access-date=April 15, 2009}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun Times]] ''described the film as "a smart ingenious thriller", and he went on to say, "There are many other surprises in the film, which genuinely fooled me a couple of times, and maintains a certain degree of credibility for a thriller".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/state-of-play-2009|title=State of Play Movie Review & Film Summary (2009)|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=April 15, 2009|publisher=RogerEbert.com|access-date=August 12, 2013}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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* {{IMDb title}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{TCMDb title|684151|State of Play}}
* {{TCMDb title|684151|State of Play}}
* {{AllMovie title|392099|State of Play}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
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[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:2009 drama films]]
[[Category:2009 drama films]]
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[[Category:American political drama films]]
[[Category:American political thriller films]]
[[Category:American political thriller films]]
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[[Category:2000s British films]]
[[Category:2000s British films]]
[[Category:Films set in 2008]]
[[Category:English-language thriller films]]

Latest revision as of 06:44, 22 December 2024

State of Play
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKevin Macdonald
Screenplay by
Based onState of Play
by Paul Abbott
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRodrigo Prieto
Edited byJustine Wright
Music byAlex Heffes
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • April 17, 2009 (2009-04-17) (United States)
  • April 22, 2009 (2009-04-22) (United Kingdom)
Running time
127 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • France
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million[2]
Box office$88.8 million[3]

State of Play is a 2009 political thriller film directed by Kevin Macdonald. It is based on the 2003 British television serial of the same name. The film tells of a journalist's (Russell Crowe) probe into the suspicious death of the assistant and mistress of a Congressman (Ben Affleck). The supporting cast includes Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Robin Wright, and Jeff Daniels.

Macdonald said that State of Play is influenced by the films of the 1970s. He explores the privatization of American Homeland Security and, to a minor extent, journalistic independence, along with the relationship between politicians and the press. Released in North America on April 17, 2009, by Universal Pictures, the film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $88 million worldwide.

Plot

[edit]

In Washington, D.C., fleeing thief Deshaun Stagg is shot dead by a man carrying a metal briefcase. A passing witness is also shot and left in a coma. The next morning, Congressional aide Sonia Baker is killed by a Washington Metro train. Reporter Cal McAffrey of the Washington Globe newspaper investigates the shootings while his junior colleague Della Frye probes Baker's death.

Baker was chief researcher for Congressman Stephen Collins' investigation into private defense contractor PointCorp. Collins tells McAffrey, his friend and college roommate, that he had been having an affair with Baker and did not believe she was suicidal. Frye questions McAffrey about Collins' relationship with Baker; McAffrey suggests she review the Metro CCTV footage, which proves fruitless.

McAffrey finds Baker's number in Stagg's phone. A homeless girl named Mandi seeks out McAffrey to sell him items from a bag stolen by Stagg; they include covert photographs of Baker meeting a well-dressed man and a gun with handmade hollow point bullets. McAffrey sends Frye to the hospital, where the witness is coming out of his coma, while he visits Collins' wife Anne, with whom he had previously had an affair. Before Frye can talk to the witness, he is killed by a sniper. She realizes she saw the same man at the hospital and in the metro footage.

Collins confirms to McAffrey that PointCorp is secretly the power behind other contractors, thus seeking a virtual monopoly on foreign and domestic government defense and security contracts. If McAffrey can prove that PointCorp had Baker killed, Collins will go public with his findings.

A PointCorp insider gives McAffrey an address, where McAffrey encounters the assassin, who shoots at him before fleeing. Detective Donald Bell informs McAffrey that Mandi has been found murdered. Baker's flatmate Rhonda Silver identifies the well-dressed man as Dominic Foy, a PR executive at a subsidiary of PointCorp. Silver also says she had a threesome with Baker and Collins and that Collins paid off a $40,000 debt of Baker's. McAffrey resists Frye's urge to publish (believing Silver to be lying), and Globe editor Cameron Lynne is furious when the story is published elsewhere instead.

McAffrey convinces Foy that he is in danger and can best protect himself by talking on the record. Foy reveals that Baker was being paid $26,000 a month to spy on Collins for PointCorp, but had fallen in love and was pregnant with Collins' baby. She was killed when she refused to continue spying. McAffrey plays the tape of the interview to Collins, who lashes out at McAffrey for not telling him in person about the pregnancy. He accuses McAffrey of caring about his story above their friendship and storms off. That evening, McAffrey confronts Congressman George Fergus, the chief whip who had mentored Collins and recommended Baker to him. He informs Fergus he plans to run a story about Fergus' link with PointCorp and his undermining of Collins's investigation.

At the Globe offices, Lynne refuses to run the story without named sources on the record when Collins and his wife Anne come in. Collins confirms the story on PointCorp, his affair with Baker, and his belief that PointCorp had Baker killed. Anne tells McAffrey that Baker slept with her husband "for $26,000 a month".

As the story is going to press, McAffrey realizes the specific sum was never mentioned to Collins. He recognizes the assassin as "Robert Bingham" in a military photograph featuring Collins. He leaves, telling Frye to tell Cameron to hold the story. He confronts Collins, who confirms that Bingham is an unstable veteran whose life he saved in Kuwait and whom he asked to follow Baker once he became suspicious of her. He says he never asked him to kill her and initially thought, as did McAffrey, that PointCorp had done it. McAffrey says this is not about Fergus or PointCorp, but about decisions Collins made that resulted in four deaths. McAffrey reveals he has already called the police.

Leaving the building, McAffrey is confronted by Bingham as Bell and the police arrive. Bingham attempts to kill McAffrey but is shot dead by the police. Back at the Globe, McAffrey types up the story headlined "Congressman Implicated in Murders". He puts Frye first on the byline and has her submit the story for publication, and the two leave together.

Cast

[edit]

For the movie adaptation, certain names of characters were changed:

  • Della's surname was changed from "Smith" to "Frye".
  • Cameron's surname was changed from "Foster" to "Lynne," and the character's gender was changed.
  • Andrew's surname was changed from "Wilson" to "Pell".
  • Det. Bell's first name was changed from "William" to "Donald".

Production

[edit]

The television miniseries was written by Paul Abbott and aired on British television channel BBC One in May and June 2003 and on BBC America in April 2004.[4] Abbott was initially reluctant to sell the film rights to State of Play, fearing a compressed version of his miniseries would be unworkable, but in May 2004 he accepted a seven-figure Paramount Pictures-backed bid led by producer Scott Rudin.[5] The bid prevailed over an offer from Andrew Hauptman's Mission Pictures (backed by Warner Bros.), but the deal fell through before completion. After a second bidding war, Mission acquired the rights for Universal Pictures in December 2004.[6]

Director Kevin Macdonald had long been attached to the project; however, an early report suggested screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan was set to make the film his directorial debut.[7] Macdonald was a fan of the original miniseries, and said it would be a "hard act to follow".

He said the blend of fiction and the topical subjects of journalism and politics attracted him to the project, adding that he wanted to examine how American and European societies learn what is happening in the world and to what degree newspapers and the nightly news could be trusted. He said that in an age when people read fewer newspapers, he wanted to explore the necessity for reliable information and the threat to the journalistic profession from collusion between reporters and politicians,[8] and that the film would "[ask] questions of how independent the press is, how much real investigating is conducted, and how much is taken on faith from lobbyists or PR sheets."[9] Macdonald cited the films of the 1970s, All the President's Men in particular, as major influences, saying that while he was scared of comparisons with the film account of the Watergate scandal, State of Play would primarily be a piece of entertainment.[8]

According to Carnahan, the story's core issue (and the main factor behind his desire to write the adaptation) was the question it raised about whether a person would be justified in doing "a pretty awful thing" if performing great deeds in other areas of their life.[10] Carnahan began working on revisions to his script with Macdonald,[9] but the process was disrupted when Carnahan's daughter fell ill. When he chose to concentrate his time on his family, the task was handed to screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who performed a small rewrite based upon Carnahan's notes. He is known for the Bourne film series.[10] Further rewrites were carried out by Peter Morgan, screenwriter of The Queen[11] and writer/director Billy Ray, associated with Shattered Glass.[12]

The film was made for Universal Pictures by Working Title Films. Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan produced for Working Title, alongside E. Bennett Walsh,[13] and Andell Entertainment's Andrew Hauptman and Eric Hayes.[14] Paul Abbott served as executive producer alongside Liza Chasin and Debra Hayward.[14] Kristen Lowe and Maradith Frenkel were overseers for the studio.[15] State of Play was to be released in the United States toward the end of 2008,[16] but the delayed start to production saw the date changed to April 17, 2009.[17] State of Play was released in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2009,[18] and was released in Australia on May 28, 2009.[19]

Casting

[edit]

I wanted to explore the ambiguity of journalism... It's a kind of conceit that journalists live under, that they remain objective. That's never been my experience. They're all too human, all too emotionally affected. Someone could write absolute rubbish about you because their aunty's having a problem with cancer or something. It's the way they re-balance themselves. So I think examining that conceit and examining the true input of human experience in the journalism that we read, was very interesting for me.

-- Russell Crowe on his attraction to the role of Cal McAffrey.[20]

Brad Pitt had a long association with the main role.[7] He was initially attracted to the project after watching Macdonald's documentary Touching the Void (2003),[21] and had enjoyed the director's film The Last King of Scotland (2006). Macdonald had also been working with Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment on a potential future project.[9]

Pitt officially committed to star in State of Play in August 2007 after a Tony Gilroy script rewrite was completed.[22] He visited the newsroom of The Washington Post with Macdonald in September 2007 to research the role, spending four hours "talking shop" with political and investigative reporters.[23] But one week before filming was to begin in November 2007, he left the production.[16]

Producer Eric Fellner attempted to convince Pitt to remain in the film,[24] but Pitt disagreed with changes that the studio had made to the script since he originally agreed to star.[16] Talent agency CAA (which represents Pitt) maintained that he never signed off on the changes;[25] Macdonald delayed filming by a week to perform a scene-by-scene review of the script with Pitt; by the end, the director told the actor "I don't think we want to make the same film." When Pitt decided to drop out of the film, he called the director to tell him.[26] Pitt preferred a version closer to the original Carnahan draft and wanted to postpone filming until after the resolution of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which would have enabled a further rewrite. The studio preferred to press on with production; initially, it said it intended to sue Pitt for reneging on his "pay or play" deal,[16] which would have earned him $20 million.[27] Settlement talks later led to a thawing of relations between the parties.[25] Pitt later said of the situation: "I had definite beliefs of what [the film] should be, and the director had his definite beliefs [and] we got up against this writers' strike where we couldn't fuse the two."[28]

Macdonald traveled to Australia to court Crowe's involvement,[29] which averted the film's abandonment after Pitt left. Crowe had to negotiate with the studio over shooting dates to avoid a conflict with Nottingham (later renamed Robin Hood), which he was due to star in for director Ridley Scott in March 2008.[30] Crowe said jumping immediately into the part was similar to immediately taking roles as a jobbing young actor. He had not seen the series and was unsure about taking the role, as he could not compare a six-hour telling of the story to a two-hour adaption.[31] The majority of Crowe's three hours per day in hair and makeup preparation was spent hiding his "extremely long" hair, which he grew for his title role in Robin Hood.[20] During filming in Washington, D.C., Crowe acquired an education in journalism from The Washington Post's Metro editor, R.B. Brenner.[32] Universal president of production Donna Langley said Crowe's performance was a naturalistic one, and claimed State of Play was a different film than the one that would have been made had Pitt remained.[33]

British newspaper The Independent noted that hiring an A-list American actor (Pitt) for the lead role was sidelining original McAffrey actor John Simm, who it said was "widely considered one of the best television actors to emerge in recent years" and that the recasting was "the latest example of the trend for British actors to be replaced by Americans". The Stage television writer Liz Thomas said that while it was frustrating for British actors, such casting made good commercial sense, expressing hope that the film's high profile would be a "huge advert" or "shop window" for other such projects to come out of the UK in recent years.[7]

In a scene shot at the Library of Congress, the production employed several real-world journalists among the extras in a scene in which Wright-Penn's character makes a statement to the press. The group included Bob Woodward, Margaret Carlson, Bob Schieffer, John Palmer, E. J. Dionne, Katty Kay, and Steven Clemons. Additionally featured are cameos by news media commentators Lou Dobbs of CNN and Chris Matthews of MSNBC.[34] Long-time Washington, D.C.-area sportscaster Frank Herzog also has a non-speaking cameo as a congressman present at the PointCorp hearings.[35] Journalist and Clinton confidante Cody Shearer is credited as a consultant on the film. Steve Clemons observed that "Crowe's style, language, posture, everything — just had to be modeled on Cody Shearer."[36]

Affleck replaced Edward Norton, who had joined the project in September 2007,[37] but when the start of production was delayed due to Pitt's departure, Norton had a scheduling conflict, as he was committed to film Leaves of Grass for Tim Blake Nelson early in 2008. Norton asked Universal Pictures if he could be replaced,[38] and a deal was struck between the studio and the Endeavor Talent Agency (which represents Norton and Affleck) to enable Norton to leave the production amicably.[39] Crowe had partly been attracted to the project because of Norton's involvement, but he and Affleck had "so many touchstones in common", he was fine with the recasting.[26] Affleck visited Capitol Hill to research his role, meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Anthony D. Weiner of New York's 9th congressional district,[40] and members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation.[41] In an April 2009 interview to promote the film, Affleck said he drew on the experiences of Gary Condit, Eliot Spitzer, and John Edwards while preparing for the role.[42]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography took place between January 11, 2008,[43] and April 6, 2008.[32] Filming was originally scheduled to start in November 2007,[37] but was postponed due to Brad Pitt's unexpected departure from the production.[29] Eric Fellner indicated that the film was close to being abandoned and credited Universal's chairman and co-chairman (Marc Shmuger and David Linde) with seeing the film to production.[25]

The exterior of the Department of Housing and Urban Development building in Washington, D.C. doubled as a hospital entrance.[44]

The first eight weeks of filming took place in Los Angeles,[20] which accounted for the majority of the shooting schedule.[45] A newsroom set was built to be the fictional Washington Globe newspaper operations hub. Costume designer Jacqueline West indicated that she looked to the newsroom of The Washington Post for inspiration and used photos of The Baltimore Sun's newsroom to help her develop the journalists' looks.[46]

The production moved to Washington, D.C., for five weeks of location filming toward the end of the shoot,[45] commencing on March 6, 2008.[47] More than a third of State of Play was shot in Washington, D.C.,[20] with filming taking place throughout the city.[47] The filmmakers estimated that State of Play may have set a record for the longest studio shoot in the city.[32] Locations included the neighborhoods of Adams Morgan, Shaw,[48] and Mount Pleasant.[49] Scenes set on Mount Pleasant Street were also filmed at the Los Angeles studio, where a full replica of the strip's facade was built.[50] In Georgetown, menswear store The District Line was transformed into household goods store for the shooting of a chase scene for the film's opening sequence.[51]

Filming took place on various streets in Washington, D.C.,[52] including the U Street Corridor,[53] and at "practically every major landmark",[32] including outside the headquarters of the World Bank on Pennsylvania Avenue,[52] around Capitol Hill,[54] at the Supreme Court building,[55] outside the Library of Congress,[34] and at the Washington Monument.[32] Other locations included landmark restaurant Ben's Chili Bowl,[56] where restaurant workers were employed as extras,[55] and the Maine Avenue Fish Market.[53] The Americana Hotel in Crystal City was also used for the scenes in which McAffrey interrogates Dominic Foy.[57] The exterior of the Department of Housing and Urban Development building was used to double as a hospital entrance. In preparation for filming, eighteen two-foot by three-foot photographs of Secretary Alphonso Jackson were removed from the entrance.[44] The production's "working week" was Wednesday to Sunday, because several of the government buildings featured could not be used for filming during regular work days.[58] The Harbour Square Owners Cooperative complex was used as the home of Affleck's character.[59]

The Rosslyn Metro station is the setting for a scene in which a character is struck by a train. The filmmakers chose the station for its long escalator that leads directly onto a platform.[13]

A pivotal scene in which a character is struck by a train occurs on the Washington Metro. Filming for the scene took place at the Rosslyn Metro station in Virginia. The Rosslyn station was chosen because it was the only station in the Metro system with a long escalator leading to a platform, with trains passing simultaneously on upper and lower levels.[13] Filming also took place at night aboard two railcars at the Forest Glen Metro station in Maryland.[13][60]

Permission to film at the stations was granted after the script was vetted by the Metro's media relations office, which is notoriously discriminating about which productions it allows to film on the Metro. After the deaths of three Metro employees in 2006, the office was reluctant to allow filming of the scene, but because the script did not explicitly show a death, the office assented. Scenes on the Metro had to meet strict standards for logistics and safety. The portrayal of anything illegal in the system was not allowed, nor was showing characters eating, drinking, jumping over fare gates, or running on the tracks. The production also had to agree to film scenes at the busy Rosslyn station when the system was least busy: late at night and after rush hour. Producer E. Bennett Walsh said that the production chose not to shoot on the less restrictive Baltimore subway, which has substituted for Washington, D.C., in other films that have come up against the Metro's rules. He said, "To shoot any other subway, you would know you're not in Washington."[13]

Scenes were filmed at the Watergate complex, for which the production was granted permission to use the roof of a George Washington University campus building.[52] Scenes were also filmed in the morgue of the St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California.[61] Washington, D.C. police officer Quintin Peterson was employed as a consultant on the film. Peterson, who has acted as a script consultant and technical adviser on numerous productions in the city, helped the production to depict the city's police force accurately.[55]

Filming took place on the steps of the Scottish Rite Freemasonry temple in Washington, D.C.. Maryland's Montgomery Blair High School provided a marching band for the background. They were joined by players from the school's production of the Beauty and the Beast musical and students from Paint Branch High School's Winter guard to act as color guard for the scene.[62][63] Macdonald aimed to recreate a famous 1970s Canadian photograph, which depicts rifle-twirling majorettes, to emphasize militaristic themes and to comment upon the place of guns in American society. The aesthetic also appealed to Macdonald: "It's just very colorful and beautiful and very American—like a piece of anthropology in America."[20]

The majority of filming over the last three weeks of the shoot took place at night. Filming for these scenes usually began at 5:00 p.m. and finished at 5:00 a.m.[58] A scene filmed under the Key Bridge in Georgetown on April 6, 2008, was the last of principal photography.[32]

Effects

[edit]

Director of photography Rodrigo Prieto indicated that the film was shot in two distinct visual styles: scenes featuring the media were shot in the anamorphic format on 35mm film, while scenes focusing on the world of politics were shot in high-definition video with the Panavision Genesis digital video camera.[64] Hand-held cameras have been used.[65] For color management, Prieto employed Gamma & Density Company's 3cP color management and correction software,[66] using the American Society of Cinematographers' Color Decision List to keep color consistent throughout shooting, dailies, post and digital intermediate finishing process.[67] The digital effects were handled by Rhythm and Hues.[68]

Music

[edit]

Alex Heffes, who provided the music for Macdonald's One Day in September, Touching the Void, and The Last King of Scotland, scored the film. It was recorded in the United Kingdom. Heffes indicated that he preferred scoring around the dialogue rather than through it. As with recording his previous works, Heffes conducted the orchestra himself to enable re-scoring as the recording session proceeded. Macdonald involved moon early on in production, and in an unusual move for a studio film, he had Heffes write some of the music to State of Play in advance of principal photography, based purely upon the script. Heffes said this was to provide a hint about the direction the film would take. He said that he and Macdonald had decided to take the score down an unusual path, "off the beaten track", and that the prospect was a "liberating" one. Grammy Award-winning record producer "Flood" (aka Mark Ellis) worked with Heffes on the score. Heffes said that working with Ellis "opened his mind" and that they attempted to push boundaries. He said that in producing the score, Flood brought an aesthetic to recording the instruments atypical for film recording sessions.[69]

The song heard during the end credits is John Fogerty's "Long As I Can See the Light" performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Release

[edit]

State of Play was released in the United States on April 17, 2009, and in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2009, by Universal Pictures.

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

State of Play has grossed $37 million domestically, and $50 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $88 million.[70]

Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, State Of Play holds an approval rating of 84% based on 217 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A taut, well-acted political thriller, State of Play overcomes some unsubtle plot twists with an intelligent script and swift direction."[71] Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[72] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[73]

Philip Kemp from Total Film called it "a twisty substantial thriller" and said, "It's not as exceptional as its source but the changes implemented mostly enhance rather than harm the story."[74] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times described the film as "a smart ingenious thriller", and he went on to say, "There are many other surprises in the film, which genuinely fooled me a couple of times, and maintains a certain degree of credibility for a thriller".[75]

References

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