The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979)

Respected liberal Senator Joe Tynan is asked to to lead the opposition to a Supreme Court appointment. It means losing an old friend and fudging principles to make the necessary deals, as ... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Schatzberg

Writer:

Alan Alda

Stars:

Alan Alda, Barbara Harris, Meryl Streep

8 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Alda	...	Joe Tynan
Barbara Harris	...	Ellie Tynan
Meryl Streep	...	Karen Traynor
Rip Torn	...	Senator Kittner
Melvyn Douglas	...	Senator Birney
Charles Kimbrough	...	Francis
Carrie Nye	...	Aldena Kittner
Michael Higgins	...	Senator Pardew
Blanche Baker	...	Janet
Chris Arnold	...	Jerry
Maureen Anderman	...	Joe's Secretary
John Badila	...	Reporter on TV Screen
Robert Christian	...	Arthur Briggs
Maurice Copeland	...	Edward Anderson
Lu Elrod	...	Congresswoman at Party

Storyline

Respected liberal Senator Joe Tynan is asked to to lead the opposition to a Supreme Court appointment. It means losing an old friend and fudging principles to make the necessary deals, as well as further straining his already part-time family life. But it could be a big boost to his career, so he takes it on. Helping him prepare the case is pretty southern researcher Karen Traynor, and their developing relationship further complicates and compromises his life.

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Plot Keywords:

career | senator | supreme court | family life | extramarital affair | 

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Taglines:

What drives a man to his limits... the power of love or the love of power?

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Senator

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First cinema movie with a produced screenplay by Alan Alda. Alda spent three years writing the script and incorporated a number of the problems an actor faces into it. Alda was also the film's lead actor as well as being the writer and was still appearing in the TV comedy show series M*A*S*H when this movie was made and released

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Connections

Referenced in HBO First Look: 'The Contender': The Making of a Political Thriller (2000)

User Reviews

The Wind Beneath My West Wings

The perfect precursor to what Aaron Sorkin and company so wonderfully wrought, Alan Alda and Jerry Schatzberg's intelligent and telling political drama/romance is more like the made for TV movie genre than first run feature. That having been said there's little to take to task here and much to be grateful for including some great character actor turns by Rip Torn and Melvyn Douglas (watch for the gumbo eating/policy thrashing scene) and some shrewd Washington insiders' observations. Somehow, it's hard to imagine Bush, Cheney and the neo cons having nearly half the fun.

Streep anchors the proceedings, investing a level of sophisticated theatricality that gives this film its necessary edge. Her robust good nature at proclaiming, "He's my Daddy!", while piloting a small plane, suggests both her southern belle roots as well as her tenacious appetite to be THE woman behind THE man.