Best of Enemies poster

Best of Enemies

Buckley vs. Vidal. 2 Men. 10 Debates. Television Would Never Be the Same.

7.2(152)20151h 27m2

A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"

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Status
Released
Budget
$1M
Box office
—
Language
English
  • chicago, illinois
  • miami, florida
  • politics
  • intellectual
  • author
  • debate
  • archive footage
  • television network
  • 1960s

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Produced in

United States of America

Gallery

Still from Best of EnemiesStill from Best of EnemiesStill from Best of Enemies

Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • Theatrical31 Jul 2015
  • NetherlandsNL

    • TV12NPO 29 Nov 2018

Frequently asked questions

Best of Enemies was released on 31 July 2015.

Audience reviews

1
  • R

    rsanek

    4/11/2021

    7/10

    Interesting watch. Vidal's name was recognizable to me but I had never really known how successful he was as a author (and playwright!). It is interesting to see how profit-seeking capitalism in media (in this case TV, but now also on social media platforms) really incentivizes content that is belligerent and argumentative. I have a hard time believing that anyone would say that this is the ideal stuff to be consumin…

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