If I wanted to waste an hour and eighteen minutes of my life, I would have found a way. Surprisingly, this is not a Tom Hanks movie I would recommend. “News of the World,” follows Confederate veteran Jefferson Kyle Kidd, who travels from town to town in Texas reading newspapers to the local population.
During one of his readings, Kidd (Tom Hanks) encounters an overturned wagon on the road. Much to his surprise, he finds the body of a lynched African American and a young white girl (Helena Zengel) just a few yards away. He attempts to talk to the girl, but she cannot understand what he is saying. There is a presumption that the girl is not an American, since she is dressed in Native American clothing. Shortly after that episode, Kidd encounters members of the Union Army, who tells him that he should take the young girl to a local outpost where the Bureau of Indian Affairs will handle her safe return to her family. After discovering that the representative for the outpost will not be available for months, Kidd is tasked with returning the girl to where he had found her.
“News of the World” follows the two as they make their way across Texas in search of a haven of safety. On the way, they encounter a racist group of militiamen, three ex-Confederate soldiers who want to buy the girl, and a deadly sandstorm.
I feel that the story of Kidd would have been more interesting if his journey with the girl, Johanna, was more strenuous. In my opinion, the two did not face many hardships. They do encounter some difficult obstacles, but these are brief. The main focus in the film are the parts that are most boring. For example, during the encounter with the racist militia group, led by a man named Farley, there is an attempt to force Kidd to read a newspaper that glorifies himself. Instead, Kidd reads a story about a coal mine disaster, prompting the crowd at the reading to riot, so that he and the girl can escape.
Farley quickly catches up to the two to get his revenge for Kidd not reading the correct story. At another point, a man named John Calley, having been inspired by Kidd’s reading, helps Kidd and Johanna. This encounter ends in Kidd taking John Calley to San Antonio to look for a job. This scene is drawn out and boring. Instead of showing this scene, it would have been better if the film focused on something more interesting.
Tom Hanks plays Confederate veteran Jefferson Kyle Kidd. Photo: Perfect World Pictures, 2020.
An aspect of the movie that was enjoyable was Kidd’s world view. One might expect that since Kidd was a Confederate soldier, he’d have a different outlook than portrayed in the film. However, in the movie “News of the World,” Kidd is shown to be a calm-mannered man who is willing to help anyone, regardless of his background. This was refreshing to see because many films present Southern men in a different way.
A positive about this film is that it is beautifully shot. It was enjoyable to see the vast desert landscape of post-Civil War Texas. While the story may have been boring, the cinematography was excellent. “News of the World” was shot by Dariusz Wolski and his team, and they did a great job. The portrayal of the emptiness of the western states was riveting, clearly contrasting the difference between life in the North and that in the South. The setting is in many different towns, as well as in the vast wilderness of Texas. One shot in particular that I found enjoyable was when Kidd and Johanna are trapped in a violent sandstorm. I thought that this scene was very well done, since it shows how deadly and unforgiving the wilderness can be. If for no other reason, watch this film for the cinematography.
Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel in “News of the World.” Photo: Perfect World Pictures, 2020.
The dialogue is fine. The conversations between Kidd and Johanna are cute as Kidd attempts to teach the girl English. There is not much more that can be said about this movie. The character development is very predictable. Soon after the opening of the film, the audience learns that Kid’s wife has passed away. This is a predictable, expected method to develop a film. Just as is Kidd’s sudden realization that family is the most important thing is as he forms a strong bond with the girl and realizes that she is the only “family” he has. There is nothing noteworthy about the soundtrack, nor with the editing of this film. If I had a dollar for every predictable scene this movie presents, I would be a wealthy man.
I do not think I would recommend this film. While there are worse films, “News of the World” would not be a part of my top ten list. The film falls short of being interesting in many ways, as it seems to be another Tom Hanks cookie-cutter movie. This is not the worse film I have ever seen, but it certainly is not the best.
*”News of the World” is currently available on most streaming platforms.
