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The Candidate (1972)

 -  Comedy | Drama  -  23 August 1972 (France)
7.1
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Ratings: 7.1/10 from 4,828 users  
Reviews: 55 user | 23 critic

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.

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Title: The Candidate (1972)

The Candidate (1972) on IMDb 7.1/10

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Marvin Lucas
...
John J. McKay
Don Porter ...
Senator Crocker Jarmon
...
Klein
Karen Carlson ...
Nancy McKay
Quinn K. Redeker ...
Rick Jenkin (as Quinn Redeker)
Morgan Upton ...
Wally Henderson
...
Paul Corliss
...
Floyd J. Starkey
Chris Prey ...
David
Joe Miksak ...
Neil Atkinson
Jenny Sullivan ...
Lynn
Tom Dahlgren ...
Pilot
Gerald Hiken ...
Station Manager
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Storyline

Californian lawyer Bill McKay fights for the little man. His charisma and integrity get him noticed by the Democratic Party machine and he is persuaded to run for the Senate against an apparently unassailable incumbent. It's agreed he can handle it his own way, on his own terms. But once he's in the race and his prospects begin to improve, the deal starts to change. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

23 August 1972 (France)  »

Also Known As:

El candidato  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Redford originated the project and personally hired Michael Ritchie to direct it as he had worked as a technical adviser on various political campaigns. See more »

Goofs

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. See more »

Quotes

Bill McKay: [with his team after giving one speech too many] Can't any longer play off black against old - young against poor. This country cannot house its houseless - feed its foodless.
[and he begins making gaga noises]
See more »

Connections

Featured in Huckabee: Episode dated 30 October 2010 (2010) See more »

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User Reviews

 
A who's who of 1970s politics
18 November 2007 | by (Canada) – See all my reviews

One of the best movies about politics EVER.

One of the really cool things about this movie is the list of cameo appearances. Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern, John Tunney, Gene Washington, Cedric Hardman, Van Amburg, and other notables from California Democratic politics circa 1972 are all in here.

George McGovern reputedly hated this movie. Remember that he was the Democratic nominee for president in 1972. When asked about "The Candidate", he said "I didn't like it, I thought it reflects the darkest side of American politics".

Redford is amazing in this film, as an idealistic young lawyer torn between principle and ambition. Definitely one of the greatest actors of our time.


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