Friday, July 11, 2014

The Contender 2000


The Contender


     This film is based on a book by Robert Lipsyte.  President Jackson Evans has had his vice president die in office and he needs to get a new candidate confirmed as soon as possible.  He nominates Laine Hanson, a female senator and the first woman to be nominated.  He wants to end his presidency with a bang.  Shelly Runyon heads the committee to vet her candidacy.  He goes on a witch-hunt and digs up information on her past during her college years but his main objection is that she is a woman.  He also slams her on her view that a woman has a right to choose.  Laine sticks to her principles and she refuses to even address their outrageous claims.
     There are some twists at the end that you don’t see coming.  This is a very taunt thriller and you are really glad you are not Laine Hanson.  Allen, Bridges and Oldman do a good job in their roles.  I don’t doubt there is a lot of this political hard ball.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie. 
  
126 min, Drama directed by Rod Lurie with Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges, Christian Slater, Sam Elliott, William Petersen, Saul Rubinek.

Note:  Imdb 7.0 out of 10, 76% critic 73% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*.






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