J. Edgar

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  • Opened November 9, 2011 
  • 2 hr 17 min
  • R | Brief strong language
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says OK for kids 15+. More on child suitability

  • As head of the FBI for nearly 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) becomes one of America's most-powerful men. Serving through eight presidents and three wars, Hoover utilizes methods both ruthless and heroic to keep his country safe. Projecting a guarded persona in public and in private, he lets few into his inner circle. Among those closest to him are his protege and constant companion, Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), and Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts), his loyal secretary. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench
  • Director: Clint Eastwood
  • Genres: Drama

What's the Buzz?

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Fans say Go
1,329 fans
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So-so
Critics say So-So
59 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

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J. Edgar: B+

by MattH306

A very good biopic spanning the career of a fascinating individual....

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Enjoyed It

by PinkKitty77

If you are looking for special effects, lots of action or edge of your seat drama this movie is not for you. It is a thinking person's film and most likely because it is methodical in nature, if...

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J. Edgar is good but not great

by ed_campbell

This is a slow-paced film shot in a moody, dim lighting. Leonardo DiCaprio does a great job with Hoover at the end of his life - you forget there's a much younger man inside. But for most of the...

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Critic Reviews

80
The Hollywood Reporter
| Todd McCarthy

This surprising collaboration between director Clint Eastwood and "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black tackles its trickiest challenges with plausibility and good sense, while serving up a simmeringly caustic view of its controversial subject's behavior, public and private. Read full review

75
Rolling Stone
| Peter Travers

Even when the film trips on its tall ambitions, you can't shake it off. Read full review

75
Entertainment Weekly
| Owen Gleiberman

DiCaprio does more than disappear behind steely glasses and prosthetic old-age makeup. He transforms himself, in a feat of acting, from the inside out. Read full review

75
USA Today
| Claudia Puig

J. Edgar shines a probing beam of light on a man who was widely feared, often disliked, but rarely understood. Read full review

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Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover in "J. Edgar."