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Philip Baker Hall

After resigning in disgrace, Richard Nixon (Philip Baker Hall) sits at a desk in his study late at night, dictating his memoirs. Taking one drink, then another, he rants about Eisenhower, Castro, Khru... read more read more...schchev, Kissinger, the Kennedys, and any number of other people, some real, some imagined, finally cohering into a remarkable explanation of why his fall from grace was actually a supreme and selfless act of patriotism. Robert Altman's film adaptation of Hall's one-man show (written by Donald Freed and Arnold Stone) makes this performance feel more cinematic than one might expect, as the visual rhythms subtly match the ebbs and flows of Hall's performance. While Hall doesn't look or sound much like Nixon, the sheer, paranoid force of his characterization is thoroughly convincing: love Nixon or hate him, Secret Honor will give you plenty of support either way. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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1,857 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

12 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Robert Altman

Release Date: July 1, 1984

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DVD Release Date: October 19, 2004

Stats: 129 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (129)

  • fb1664868775
    October 27, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Altman returns to top form and delivers an amazing, tense and thrilling one man show. Phillip Baker Hall in his greatest role and Altman's camera does the rest.
  • stevenecarrier
    May 6, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    Robert Altman was a scientist. He was constantly exploring new ways to tell cinematic stories and "Secret Honor" was one of his most daring experiments. During the 1980s Altman was shunned from Hollywood due to his underperforming films. He spent the better part of the decade dir... read moreecting plays, teaching classes and recording theater. When he did make a film, it was usually with the same select few cast and crew he was repeatedly using. "Secret Honor," a one man film about a fictional hour and a half of Richard Nixon's life, was a result of one of these collaborations. "Secret Honor" was the final 'project,' so to speak, of one of his Chicago based film classes. Students filled in the positions of crew. Philip Baker Hall reprises his role from the play in the film. "Secret Honor" is a stream of conscious, fictional, portrayal of a historical figure in crisis. The structure can get tiresome, as with any single location film, but there are moments of brilliance. Baker Hall can be riveting and over the top in equal measure, much like Nixon himself. I also enjoyed that this, much like Oliver Stone's "W." was a balanced portrayal, both judgmental and sympathetic. "Secret Honor" is not a home run by any means. The film can drag due to the fact it's essentially an endless monologue but it's still well worth seeing. It's a claustrophobic, anxiety ridden experience that, love it or hate it, you will not likely forget.
  • gator681
    May 26, 2005
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic][color=indigo]"Secret Honor" is a one-man film directed by Robert Altman featuring Philip Baker Hall as a post-disgrace Richard Nixon in full drunken, venomous rage, dictating his memoirs. Therein, lies the problem with this movie - there is not a lot of subt... read moreletly and nuance here which does not allow for much insight into his character. Despite this negative portrayal, I felt this movie let Nixon off the hook somewhat. He comes off as somewhat tragic instead of the monster I imagine he was. It does not help matters that "Secret Honor" reminds me of a lesser Twilight Zone episode; you know one where the evil old man has to face the sins of his long life. Hall is excellent as Nixon but I still prefer Dan Hedaya's performance in "Dick."(Note: "Secret Honor" might make for an interesting but none too enjoyable double feature with "The Assassination of Richard Nixon.")[/color][/font]

    [font=Century Gothic][color=navy]"The Unfaithful Wife" is another straightforward piece of suspense from Claude Chabrol. This one is about a wealthy businessman(Michel Bouquet) who imagines that his beautiful wife(Stephane Audran) is having an affair. He hires an investigator for proof and goes to see the other man.(Like Chabrol's "L'Enfer", I am curious to know what makes the husband suspicious of his wife. And is it love or possessiveness that drives his actions?) This movie differs from some of Chabrol's other films in that it is a little trickier than most. Plus, there is much that is left unsaid and is left inferred.("The Unfaithful Wife" was remade a few years ago in English as "Unfaithful" starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere which I have not seen.) [/color][/font]
  • fb20312798
    June 4, 2010
    fb20312798
    As a fictional exploration into the insanity of Nixon it works amazingly well. Philip Baker Hall is one the greatest actors ever, and he never gets the recognition he deserves. This is one fucking amazing performance.
  • fb1413120010
    April 23, 2012
    fb1413120010
    Well, while Philip Baker Hall isn't exactly convincing as Richard Nixon, he sure is entertaining to watch on screen, even when it is JUST him for 90 minutes. He's drunk, stressed, and on the edge. But really, that's all this is. Richard Nixon at the point of lunacy. Nothing d... read moreeeper. As entertaining as Hall is in his role, his ranting often doesn't feel like it's driving any points home. In any case, interesting stuff here.
  • karenshaub
    October 29, 2009
    karenshaub
    SECRET HONOR is sort of a stream of consciousness representaion of the contents of Richard Nixon's tortured psyche as his drunken mind tries to come to terms with his betrayal of his Quaker upbringing. The fictional Nixon that writer Donald Freed gives is fully aware of all the c... read moreompromises he has made during his career in his quest for political power, painfully so in fact. These compromises supposedly led Nixon to actually PLAN an intentionally botched Watergate affair as a means to leave the presidency before the excrement really hit the fan and the true depth of what Attorney General John Mitchell called "The White House Horrors" came to light. Why? Because the real crimes being committed were hanging offences; the CIA was engaged in smuggling dope, CREEP (the Committee to Re-Elect the President) was collecting money AFTER his election because they were planning a 3rd term for Nixon to be funded by that drug money, and worst of all they wanted him office for the purpose of continuing the Vietnam war for at least 8 more years for their own financial gain. Even Nixon couldn't live with that. So what Freed and director Altman give us in SECRET HONOR is a look inside the troubled mind of the deposed President as he rants and raves and finally comes to the only conclusion Richard Nixon could ever reach, "Screw 'em all!"
  • benjaminguilbert2
    January 1, 2008
    benjaminguilbert2
    I am sure it is a great play and the general idea sounded simply brilliant. Having such a cinematic challenge (a film with only one actor) taken by one of the most talented directors ever was very exciting.
    Turns out to be a total failure. The camera seems trapped in the small ro... read moreom and rarely manage to give another impression than filmed theater. Similarly I am sure Phili Baker Hall was great on stage but on the screen he doesn't come across very well to say the least. He usually sounds like some comic trying to imitates Nixon's voice. He overplays more than a Portuguese football player trying to convince the referee he has been violently tackled.
    The idea was brilliant, still waiting to be successfully produced.
  • jrmcm
    November 9, 2007
    jrmcm
    Impressive work by Hall in what must have been a difficult screen-to-stage translation. Altman never lets it sink.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Rarely have I seen ninety more compelling minutes on the screen. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

One of the funniest, most unsettling, most imaginative and most surprisingly affecting movies of its very odd kind I've ever seen. Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The dramatic material, overheated to begin with, is hyped up by hysterical acting and further exaggerated by a busy mise-en-scene based on meaningless camera movements and space-destroying zooms. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
April 18, 2011
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The pic delivers a fascinating story in a fascinating way. Full Review

Martin Scribbs
November 19, 2005
Martin Scribbs, Low IQ Canadian

Does anyone have a clue what Altman was driving at with this intense glob of lunacy?

Jeffrey M. Anderson
December 6, 2004
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

We begin to understand [Nixon] -- or at least this representation of him -- in a human way that press coverage or television speeches could never capture. Full Review

D.K. Holm
November 5, 2004
D.K. Holm, Movie Poop Shoot

Nixon is a fascinating figure of Shakespearean proportions. Full Review

Rumsey Taylor
November 1, 2004
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

[Hall's] performance transcends the political baggage of the film itself. Full Review

Jake Euker
October 24, 2004
Jake Euker, Filmcritic.com

Parts of Secret Honor threaten to lose the audience, and references to past public figures make the threat greater today Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 19, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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