The Post is perhaps the most Oscar-batey movie of 2017. I must also say that Liz Hannah, the film's primary writer, is the sister of one of my seminary friends, so I was partial already. It centers around the team behind The Washington Post in the fight against the Nixon government with the fate of free media in the balance.

Meryl Streep stars as Kay Graham, the country's first female newspaper publisher. She as recently taken over after her husband's death and struggles to find her place with her editor, Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), and the rest of her staff, who is at the best of times resentful, and openly hostile at worst. The New York Times breaks the story about government cover-ups to start and continue the war in Vietnam, and is silenced by the Executive Branch.

The Post tells the story from the perspective of that newsroom, and follows how they obtained the documents needed to report, the decision-making and courage that led them to publish, and the avalanche of media that followed their lead. This is obviously pressing at a time when the Executive Branch consistently seeks to discredit free media whenever it's unflattering.

The central themes of the film that are helpful in discussions centered around faith are gender dynamics and the problems still present with respect to women as equals and having the courage to stand up against injustice and the pressures of society when the choice to do the right thing is difficult. Scriptural examples include Mary Magdalene as disciple, Jesus standing against unjust structures, the Exodus from Egyot, and more.

Overall, a thoughtful and engaging film that calls attention to real-world issues, and doesn't pull any punches.