lengths for accuracy and authenticity, including making replicas of outdated phone books. Nearly 200 desks at $500 each were purchased from the same firm that had sold desks to the Post in 1971. The desks were painted the same color as those of the newsroom. The production was supplied with a brick from the main lobby of the Post so that it could be duplicated in fiberglass for the set. Principal photography began on May 12, 1975, in Washington, D.C. Reception Box office All the President's Men grossed $7,016,001 in its first week from 604 theatres, placing it atop the U.S. box office. It eventually grossed $70.6 million at the box office. Critical response At the time of the film's release, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film stars out of 4, writing: "It provides the most observant study of working journalists we're ever likely to see in a feature film. And it succeeds brilliantly in suggesting the mixture of exhilaration, paranoia, self-doubt, and courage that permeated The Washington Post as its two young reporters went after a presidency." Variety magazine praised "ingenious direction [...] and scripting" that overcame the difficult lack of drama that a story about reporters running down a story might otherwise have. Dave Kehr of the Chicago Reader was critical of the writing and called the film "pedestrian" and "a study in missed opportunities." Gene Siskel named it the best film of 1976 on his year-end list. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 94% rating based on 64 reviews, with an average rating of 9.10/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A taut, solidly acted paean to the benefits of a free press and the dangers of unchecked power, made all the more effective by its origins in real-life events." On Metacritic, which gives a weighted average score, the film has a score of 84 out of 100, based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "universal acclaim." Accolades In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter polled hundreds of Academy members, asking them to revote on past controversial decisions. Academy members indicated that, given a second chance, they would award the 1977 Oscar for Best Picture to All the President's Men instead of to Rocky. It became one of the seven films to win Best Picture from three out of four major U.S. film critics' groups (LA, NBR, NY', NSFC) along with Nashville, Terms of