Conventioneers (2005)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Mora Stephens

Writers:

Mora Stephens (writer)
Joel Viertel (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

At the 2004 Republican Nation Convention, love blooms between a Republican delegate and a Democrat protesting the event.

Plot Keywords:

Republican | Democrat | Republican National Convention | Protest | New York

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Basil	...	Cooper
Adrian Blue	...	Deaf Janitor
Jennifer Brown	...	Jen
Alison Cimmet	...	Jackie
Gibby Cohen	...	Massey's Father
Mike de Seve	...	Himself
Kate Duyn	...	Ann Cameron
Sandy Feder	...	Senator Feder
Alek Friedman	...	Dylan Murtaugh
Alicia Harding	...	Elizabeth Massey
Woodwyn Koons	...	Lea Jones
Matthew Korahais	...	Matt
Krista Kujat	...	Elena Murtaugh
John Lake	...	Himself
Matthew Mabe	...	David Massey
T. Sahara Meer	...	T.
Trevor Murphy	...	Hans
Robert O'Gorman	...	Nat Jones
Massiel Penafiel	...	Hotel Clerk
Nathan Phillips	...	Phil Zando
Wayne Price	...	Wayne
Joe Schiappa	...	Joe Henderson
Damien Smith	...	Supervisor
Vivienne Swenson	...	Lilly Murtaugh
Rev. Terry Troia	...	Terry

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Cinema Libre Studio

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006) (TV)

What happens when Red State meets Blue State? I suppose you get Purple…

I saw this movie at the Tribeca Film Festival. The premise seems interesting. A male Republican delegate in NYC for the 2004 RNC Convention runs into an old female friend from college who is preparing for the protests against President Bush outside the Convention hall. He's married and she's engaged, and they wonder why they never became a couple. You can figure out what happens next. Over the next few days, they discover each other and explore their passions and their differences. The film does not have a standard Hollywood ending and it may offend some viewers. But I'm glad the film took a risk.

As for a criticism, many of the scenes between the two lead actors seemed forced and unnatural. Frankly, I didn't buy into their attraction to each other and the dialogue was choppy as was the editing. Nonetheless, the footage of the protests was fascinating. They filmed many of the scenes right there in the middle of the parades with thousands upon thousands of people surrounding them. In fact, the Director revealed that she along with several other crew members were arrested during one of the NYPD's "sweeps" of the protesters. All charges were dropped and the filmmakers are apparently seeking civil damages for false arrest.

The footage of the protests alone make the film worth seeing.