With many turning online to get the latest in world events, the charm of the local news team is losing its luster for a certain generation. But director Antonio Campos (“Afterschool,” “Simon Killer“) takes audiences back to the polyester and cheesy music of 1970s television with “Christine,” albeit with a chillier edge, with his acclaimed drama telling a true story that remains shocking decades later.
Starring Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts, Maria Dizzia and Timothy Simons, the drama chronicles the events that led Florida TV news reporter Christine Chubbuck to commit suicide live on air in 1974. So while this exclusive look at the opening credits to the news program on channel WZRB 30 may have some nostalgic throwback charm, it’s the starting point for a tale that’s edged with darkness. Here’s the official synopsis:
Rebecca Hall stars in director Antonio Campos’ third feature film, CHRISTINE, the story of a woman who finds herself caught in the crosshairs of a spiraling personal life and career crisis. Christine, always the smartest person in the room at her local Sarasota, Florida news station, feels like she is destined for bigger things and is relentless in her pursuit of an on-air position in a larger market. As an aspiring newswoman with an eye for nuance and an interest in social justice, she finds herself constantly butting heads with her boss (Tracy Letts), who pushes for juicier stories that will drive up ratings. Plagued by self-doubt and a tumultuous home life, Christine’s diminishing hope begins to rise when an on-air co-worker (Michael C. Hall) initiates a friendship which ultimately becomes yet another unrequited love. Disillusioned as her world continues to close in on her, Christine takes a dark and surprising turn.
After screening at the Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, and now playing at the BFI Film London Festival, “Christine” opens on October 14th.