>> reporter: meryl is katharine graham, publisher of "the washington post." >> what you publish, we'll supreme court next week. >> meaning? >> that we could all do to prison. >> reporter: tom is ben bradlee, "the post's" hard-nosed editor. >> let's do our jobs. find those pages. >> reporter: the movie tells of the battle between journalists and government as meryl decides whether to publish the infamous pentagon papers, detailing decades of deception surrounding the vietnam war. >> is that legal? >> what is it you think we do here for a living, kid? >> reporter: the film is directed by steven spielberg. and between him, meryl, and tom, there are an astounding total of nine oscars. >> we don't hold them accountable, who will? >> you can't hold them accountable if we don't have a newspaper. >> what are you going to do, mrs. graham? >> reporter: and between them, meryl and tom have starred in a total of 109 films. but have never starred together. hanks did executive produce meryl's "mamma mia," and was singing her praises earlier this year. >> look, she puts on a clinic every time. every