Frost/Nixon -- Watch the movie or play, first?

[shaun3000]

Posted: 4/25/09 at 7:11pm

I have tickets to the Frost/Nixon tour on Wednesday. I have the Frost/Nixon BD sitting in front of me. Should I watch the movie before I see the play or wait until after?

[Weez]

Posted: 4/25/09 at 7:24pm

Play first. If the brilliance of Sheen and Langella has successfully transferred to film, then you won't want to be watching the play thinking "well, this is fine... but they are no Sheen/Langella!", and that wouldn't be fair to whoever they are.

Also the movie will be around forever, but this is your only opportunity to discover the play for the first time. Experience it as it should be, then move onto the celluloid souvenir. :)

[Queen of the Night]

Posted: 4/28/09 at 11:02pm

I saw the play first too. (Course that's because the play came to my town on tour before the movie opened.) But my husband and I enjoyed both. I think seeing the play first makes more sense too. It will heighten your enjoyment of the film and like the previous poster said, it won't leave you making unfair comparisons. The two are very similar. Langella is great as Nixon, but I saw Stacy Keach in the role in the theater and he was great in the role too.