J. Edgar

Name: J. Edgar
Released: 2011-11-9
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench

J. Edgar

R
2h 17m
2011

43%

age 15+

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Box-office superstar Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, The Departed) joins forces with Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven) in this unyielding biopic that explores the public and private life of one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century. As the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. With a career steeped in scandal and a controversial private life,the legendary director of the FBI retained his post as keeper of the country's secrets (and many of his own) until his death in 1972.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Producer:

Writer:

Dustin Lance Black

Cast:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench

Rotten Tomatoes® Score

TOMATOMETER®

43%

Critics Consensus: Leonardo DiCaprio gives a predictably powerhouse performance, but J. Edgar stumbles in all other departments with cheesy makeup, poor lighting, confusing narrative, and humdrum storytelling.

Reviews

Charleston City Paper

Felicia Feaster

Looking portly and tortured by his feelings of self-doubt and a need for approval, DiCaprio delive...

January 17, 2020

FULL REVIEW

Musings of Guitargalchina

Katie Smith-Wong

J. Edgar is overlong yet provocatively challenging.

Although the film is suffocated somewhat by its solemnity, and it's hard to ascertain Eastwood's t...

A gripping and fascinating film, humming with an electric undercurrent of sexual tension that is s...

It devolves into "Life of Hoover: The Greatest Hits."

July 29, 2019

FULL REVIEW

Common Sense Media

age 15+

Common Sense Says

Well-acted biopic tackles complex character; OK for teens.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Clint Eastwood-directed biopic about longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is rated R primarily for a couple of brief but notable scenes of strong language (including "f--k"). J. Edgar focuses on both Hoover's career and his personal life, especially the never-defined relationship with longtime companion Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). While the movie raises questions about Hoover's sexuality that it doesn't answer, there's no actual sex in it (though one scene features apparent recorded noises of an amorous couple). Expect a few violent fist fights and shoot outs.