Network is a 1976 American satirical black comedy-drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky. It is about a fictional television network and its struggle with poor ratings. The film stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch (in his final film role), Robert Duvall, Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, and Beatrice Straight.
Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and released by United Artists on November 27, 1976, Network was a commercial success, earning $23.7 million on a $3.8 million production budget. It also received widespread critical acclaim, with particular praise for its screenplay and performances. At the 49th Academy Awards, it received nine nominations, including Best Picture, and won four: Best Actor for Finch (posthumously), Best Actress for Dunaway, Best Supporting Actress for Straight, and Best Original Screenplay for Chayefsky.
In 2000, Network was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3][4] In 2002, it was inducted into the Producers Guild of America Hall of Fame as a film that has "set an enduring standard for American entertainment".[5] In 2005 the Writers Guilds of America voted Chayefsky's screenplay one of the 10 greatest in history .[6] In 2007, the film was 64th among the 100 greatest American films as chosen by the American Film Institute.
