| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Julianne Moore | ... | ||
| Woody Harrelson | ... | ||
| Ed Harris | ... | ||
| Peter MacNicol | ... | ||
| Jamey Sheridan | ... | ||
| Sarah Paulson | ... | ||
| Ron Livingston | ... |
Mark Wallace
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| David Barry Gray | ... | ||
| Larry Sullivan | ... |
Chris Edwards
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| Mikal Evans | ... |
Bexie Nobles
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| Colby French | ... |
Tucker Eskew
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| Bruce Altman | ... |
Fred Davis
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| Spencer Garrett | ... | ||
| Brian Howe | ... |
Randy Scheunemann
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| John Rothman | ... |
A.B. Culvahouse
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Summer, 2008: John McCain secures the nomination, but polls behind Barack Obama. Strategist Steve Schmidt suggests a game changer: picking a conservative female with media savvy, unknown Alaska governor Sarah Palin, as vice president. She's an immediate hit and a quick study - the gap closes. Then, Tina Fey's impersonation, a raft of criticism, and missing her family send Palin into a near-catatonic state: she doesn't prepare for her Katie Couric interview and bombs. Schmidt searches for an answer: don't expect her to learn the issues, but give her a script. Palin does well in the debate with Biden; she finds her voice, goes off script, and goes rogue. A mistake? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Woody Harrelson is a lock for an Emmy nom, and more than likely Julianne Moore and Ed Harris get one as well. Palin may take issue with the moments in the movie that show her getting her diva on, but it's generally a very humanizing portrayal of her as a mom and wife who may have been in over her head but did her level best to soldier on. It's certainly not a caricature of her or a hatchet job. Moore, to her credit. seems to have gone out of her way to construct a reasonably balanced view of an extremely polarizing figure.
Had to love that line that Ed Harris delivers late in the movie where he tells Palin not to allow herself to be coopted by the Rush Limbaughs who will destroy the party. HBO couldn't have timed the TV premiere any better. Just lucky or prescient?