Movie Post - Five Star Final

Photo: Park Circus.com

 Image of the daughter confronting the company from Five Star Final

This 1937 classic film was definitely not what I was expecting — particularly when it came to themes such as suicide being as prevalent as they were throughout the story. I understand that journalism, by its very nature, sometimes requires stepping on people's toes in order to get the information needed. However, my personal reflection is that the newspaper company in this film went far too far. They began interfering in the relationship between a young woman and her soon-to-be husband to such a degree that it started to deeply affect her mother as well — and in my opinion, the mother's drastic actions were born out of genuine desperation and pain. By the end of the film, I felt a profound sadness watching the husband witness his wife reach her breaking point, unable to bear the suffering any longer, and ultimately deciding to follow her. I simply was not expecting that.

As drastic as it may sound, I genuinely believe this kind of media overreach is even more dangerous in today's world. With the rise of misinformation and sensationalized reporting, imagine having your name amplified by a massive news outlet. Imagine them invading your privacy, asking inappropriate and intrusive questions, and actively disrupting your relationships with family and friends. For the average person, that level of exposure would be deeply traumatic and could have a severe impact on their mental health.

Five Star Final is, of course, an exaggeration. But I believe it was ahead of its time — a deliberate warning about the power of the press and the very real consequences that careless, exploitative journalism can have on real people's lives. What you say, write, and publish about someone can cause irreparable harm, and the film does not shy away from showing just how far that harm can reach.

I also want to touch on the daughter's reaction near the end of the film, when she storms into the newsroom clutching a hidden gun, frantic and desperate, demanding to know where her parents are — as though she simply cannot accept that they are gone. Of course, by that point, both of them were beyond saving. But as a viewer, and from a pure acting standpoint, that scene is extraordinary. The actress perfectly captures the raw, unraveling emotion of losing not one, but both parents in rapid succession — and how grief, betrayal, and the destructive reach of irresponsible journalism can shatter a person's entire world in a matter of seconds.