Just don't take it too seriously. I saw the film because I'm a fan of Richard Jordan, and he doesn't disappoint here - Jeffrey Pelt (The Hunt for Red October - "a cheat and a liar") with a nasty inferiority complex and absolutely no problem with having no ethics at all. Judd Nelson's character is naive in spots, calculating in spots, but ultimately the business is too cynical for him - Nelson pulls it off fine. Frank Converse is delightfully boring as the "good guy" candidate with no personality, but Justine Bateman is in over her head and drags this film down to a 6. Plot's a bit predictable here and there, but fascinatingly, it manages to foresee by about 12 years the Dan Rather fiasco of 2004, with a reporter who relies on a document that turns out to be a forgery, thereby blowing his credibility all out of the water and boosting the opposing candidate's campaign. Rather should have watched this movie.
3 Reviews
Regular politics, maybe...
earle_f_woodward30 April 2002
Regular politics, maybe, ordinary film, yes. Acting: Judd Nelson fresh from "Off the Hip" made the mistake of another law-type film and while not a complete failure, can't recoup the original taste of hungry young man in search of Truth, Justice and the 'American Way'; Justine Bateman, while perfectly cast in 'Family Ties', can't justify any acting ability since. The rest were ok and the supposed reasons to watch after the first 'teaser' promised more than it gave. A movie to watch only if there is little else to entertain you.
Good film about American politics- especially in the Age of Bush
sgcim2 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
WABC has been showing a lot of these Castle/Hill Productions lately, and most of them have been good flicks. This one, about a young man getting a job on the Primary campaign of a candidate for Governor of Mass., was very well done.
Good acting, directing, music, writing, and a good story.
Since only one person has bothered to review this film, and not given it a very good review, I'd like to point out the similarities between this movie and Bush's 2004 campaign. I don't think it would be going out very far on a limb to conjecture that perhaps Karl Rove saw this flick and got the idea for the Dan Rather debacle from this film.
In the film, the opponent of the candidate the young fellow works for, plants a phony story and source (like the Bush story and source(s)
about him not attending Air Force duties), and the story is discredited publicly, indirectly incriminating the other Party, like Kerry was similarly discredited.
The election falls apart for the fellow's candidate, like Kerry's did, and the other guy wins.
Sure it's not a new story (phony politicians), but in America's darkest time period (the Bush Presidency), it's one worth hearing again and again.
Good acting, directing, music, writing, and a good story.
Since only one person has bothered to review this film, and not given it a very good review, I'd like to point out the similarities between this movie and Bush's 2004 campaign. I don't think it would be going out very far on a limb to conjecture that perhaps Karl Rove saw this flick and got the idea for the Dan Rather debacle from this film.
In the film, the opponent of the candidate the young fellow works for, plants a phony story and source (like the Bush story and source(s)
about him not attending Air Force duties), and the story is discredited publicly, indirectly incriminating the other Party, like Kerry was similarly discredited.
The election falls apart for the fellow's candidate, like Kerry's did, and the other guy wins.
Sure it's not a new story (phony politicians), but in America's darkest time period (the Bush Presidency), it's one worth hearing again and again.
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