The Paperboy is a 2012 American crime drama thriller film co-written and directed by Lee Daniels and based on Pete Dexter's 1995 novel of the same name. It follows Miami reporter Ward Jansen who returns to his hometown in Florida to investigate a murder case involving a death row inmate. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, David Oyelowo, Macy Gray, John Cusack, and Nicole Kidman.
The film was produced by Daniels, Hilary Shor, Avi Lerner, Ed Cathell III, and Cassian Elwes. It premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2012, and October 5, 2012, worldwide. It grossed $102,706 in its opening weekend and $3.8 million worldwide, against a budget of $12.5 million, making it a box office bomb. Despite its mixed reviews, Kidman's performance drew Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
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Plot
In the summer of 1969, Anita, former maid of the Jansen family, recounts the events surrounding Ward Jansen, an idealistic reporter for The Miami Times, who returns to his hometown of Lately, Florida, to investigate the controversial murder conviction of Hillary Van Wetter, a brutish alligator hunter sentenced to death for the 1965 killing of a corrupt local sheriff. Ward and his colleague, Yardley Acheman—an English-accented journalist—aim to expose procedural flaws in the trial, including lost evidence they attribute to systemic injustice. Their efforts intersect with Charlotte Bless, an Alabama woman who, after exchanging letters with Van Wetter, believes him innocent and plans to marry him upon his exoneration.