The Candidate (1972)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Jeremy Larner (writer)

Release Date:

23 August 1972 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Too Handsome. Too Young. Too Liberal. Doesn't have a chance. He's PERFECT!

Plot:

Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.

Plot Keywords:

Candidate | California | Cynicism | Wheelchair | Politician

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Bill McKay
Peter Boyle	...	Marvin Lucas
Melvyn Douglas	...	John J. McKay
Don Porter	...	Senator Crocker Jarmon
Allen Garfield	...	Klein
Karen Carlson	...	Nancy McKay
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Rick Jenkin (as Quinn Redeker)
Morgan Upton	...	Wally Henderson
Michael Lerner	...	Paul Corliss
Kenneth Tobey	...	Floyd J. Starkey
Chris Prey	...	David
Joe Miksak	...	Neil Atkinson
Jenny Sullivan	...	Lynn
Tom Dahlgren	...	Pilot
Gerald Hiken	...	Station Manager

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (1972) | UK:PG (1988) | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Spain:T (video rating) | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Angel Island, California, USA

Company:

Redford-Ritchie Productions

Trivia:

Groucho Marx has an uncredited walk-on cameo in what would be his last screen appearance.

Goofs:

Continuity: The red convertible driven by Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) has three different license plates during the opening credits: "677 EIY", "185 ENV", and "772 DYD". All are from the 1972 era in California.

Quotes:

Floyd J. Starkey: He's gonna get his ass kicked.
John J. McKay: He's not gonna get his ass kicked.
Floyd J. Starkey: Oh yeah? How can you be so sure?
John J. McKay: Because he's cute!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Abby Singer (2003)

Another Feather in Director Ritchie's Hat

8 out of 10

Director Michael Ritchie may not be a household name, but he is the creator of his own genre. He took the examination of competition and how embedded it is in American culture to new heights. Through his various movies he showed how it encompasses every aspect of society and how no one is immune to it. From SMILE to THE BAD NEWS BEARS and DOWNHILL RACER he showed how even the most unlikely of individuals could become fiercely competitive when driven. He also always took a humanistic approach thus making all these characters in his films strangely endearing no matter how sordid or ugly the competition made them become.

This film works along those same lines only it shows it from a political perspective. It is smart, fast, cynical, funny, dramatic, revealing, and entertaining all at the same time. This should rank as one of the best movies made about political campaigning. It still seems very timely and cutting edge. It's all very authentic and works almost like a documentary. The quick editing creates a very seamless style. The film makes some very telling observations without taking away from the 'reality' of it or the flow of the story. In fact one of the reasons it is so captivating is because it is so downright educational. When the film is all over you feel much wiser to the business and also as exhausted as the candidate himself.

Redford does another terrific job. He has a real gift for underplaying everything to the point that it looks like he isn't even acting at all. He plays off his pretty boy looks and yet doesn't stay locked in some heroic image. He harbors a lot of idealistic traits one would want in a candidate and yet he is still quite human. There are some definite shades of John F. Kennedy here. He has a troubled marriage and is even caught fooling around with a admiring female supporter. Although he has honorable ideas he is far from having all the answers. Probably the most interesting insight of this movie is the fact that he ends up getting as sucked into the mechanics and compromises of the political machine as his 'old school' foe. This then perfectly illustrates just how immense and encompassing the political machine really is and how no one is really going to change it.

This is a excellent and very well crafted picture that not only hits the bullseye, but does it many times over. You've gotta love Redford's final line and Boyle, as his campaign manager, has never been better.