Director Frank Marshall and Dan Rather Bonded Over Texas Pasts for Newscaster Doc: ‘We Shared a Lot of Stories’
thewrap.comTribeca Film Festival, is about a man who shaped the historical stories of the recent past: news anchor Dan Rather. “I like telling stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations,” Marshall told TheWrap. “It’s so interesting to see how these people who are inspired and then passionate about what they want to do, how they achieve that success.” In this case, Marshall wanted to track Rather’s 60-year career in news and how he’s become just as embraced by the TikTok generation as he was when he did “60 Minutes.”“I go in completely open-minded,” Marshall said when discussing whether he approached Rather’s story with any preconceived notions.
In a way, Marshall and Rather had a lot in common, which only fueled the intrigue. “We shared a lot of stories about being in Texas together,” Marshall said. “He’s from Texas and he got his first break in Texas.
I got my first break in Texas on ‘The Last Picture Show.’ What is that first break? And when you are given the ball?”This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. What surprised you most to learn about Dan Rather?Frank Marshall: His sense of humor.
I knew we had Rather-isms but he’s a really funny guy. He’s very straight so he has this dry sense of humor. I love talking with him.
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