THE OBSERVER - synopsis

 

      A recent college graduate, pressured to leave home, goes to the city to learn the paper business, and to learn how to survive on his own. He is initially unsuccessful with his job search, but he ultimately lands a job at a newspaper - The Observer - staffed by misfits and deadbeats, and run by a cantankerous old man by the name of Marty. Marty feels nothing but contempt for his virtually lifeless associate Todd, who silently endures this humiliation. Marty refuses to close the paper despite a virtually nonexistent readership; and the paper becomes nothing more than a telemarketing scam.

 

      Oliver, despite his idealistic hopes, must learn to survive in a situation which threatens to undermine his belief that everything will work out; he can't afford to consider the possibility of failure. Employees leave one by one, making room for Oliver to become indispensable to Marty. The authorities, however, are soon alerted to fire hazards on the premises and insist that Marty close down the paper. Marty refuses; but Todd attempts to persuade Marty of the pointlessness of maintaining the paper, which no longer deserves to be called a paper; but Marty merely orders Todd to leave. Marty won't surrender without a fight.

 

      Marty takes Oliver into his confidence and asks Oliver to pick up where Todd left off. Oliver, who has reached this position of trust almost overnight, doesn't want to go the way of Todd; and, instead, he accepts  a low-paying position at a magazine. When Marty hears of this betrayal he kicks Oliver out. Oliver later hears that the Observer building burned to the ground and that Todd has disappeared. Todd's body is found in what's left of the building and authorities conclude he took his own life. An unstable employee later confesses to burning down the building but claims to have nothing to do with Todd's death. Oliver meets Marty one last time and Marty wishes him luck but vows that he's not beaten yet. Oliver must continue to struggle and he consoles himself with the hope that everything will eventually work out.