Truman (1995)

Though considered unqualified, Harry S. Truman becomes the 33rd president following the April 1945 death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Director:

Frank Pierson

Writers:

David McCullough (book), Thomas Rickman (teleplay) (as Tom Rickman)

Stars:

Gary Sinise, Diana Scarwid, Richard Dysart

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Sinise	...	Harry S. Truman
Diana Scarwid	...	Bess Truman
Richard Dysart	...	Henry L. Stimson
Colm Feore	...	Charlie Ross
James Gammon	...	Sam Rayburn
Tony Goldwyn	...	Clark Clifford
Pat Hingle	...	Boss Tom Pendergast
Harris Yulin	...	General George Marshall
Leo Burmester	...	Frank Vassar
Amelia Campbell	...	Margaret Truman
Virginia Capers	...	Elizabeth Moore
John Finn	...	Bob Hannegan
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Eddie Jacobson
David Lansbury	...	Lt. Jim Pendergast
Remak Ramsay	...	Dean Acheson (as Remak Ramsey)

Storyline

Biographical account of America's President for the latter part of WWII. Shows Truman's rise from small-town nobody to leader of the USA, his decision to use the Atomic Bomb against Japan, and subsequent election as the US' post-war President.

---

Plot Keywords:

president | election | political drama | vice president | presidential election | 

---

Taglines:

The gripping TRUE STORY of the man who changed history...

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some war footage

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Truman - Der Mann, der Geschichte schrieb

Filming Locations:

Independence, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films,Spring Creek Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The cast includes two actors who portrayed J. Edgar Hoover in other films. Richard Dysart played Hoover in Panther (1995) while Pat Hingle played him in Citizen Cohn (1992).

---

Goofs

When President Truman visits the White House kitchen staff to bring them some birthday cake, he switches on a radio to let them hear news of the end of WWII. The radio comes on the instant the switch is turned- which is incorrect for a radio of that era. Radios in 1945 utilized vacuum tubes. Radios (and later televisions) that used these tubes always took several minutes to "warm up" after being switched on.

---

Quotes

Bess Truman: I think like Harry - if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog!

---

Connections

Referenced in The Oprah Winfrey Show: Summer Movie Reviews (1996)

---

Soundtracks

Happy Days Are Here Again
by Milton Ager & Jack Yellen
Courtesy of EMI, Robbins Catalog Inc.

User Reviews

Imperfect but good biographical sketch

Harry Truman was an American president of rare integrity. Steadfastly honest and loyal to his friends, his causes, and his own heart, and born into a lower middle class farming family, Truman stands out as a real anomaly in 20th century American politics. Like similar men of profound integrity, such as John Adams, his presidency was a turbulent time of great triumphs for freedom and democracy and huge problems for ethics, nationalism and human rights. And as the symbol and scapegoat of those times, Truman, again like Adams, played his role - whether cast as hero or villain - with profound dignity. This film tells his story from his enlistment in the armed forces during World War One, at the age of 33, to his retirement from politics about 35 years later.

The characters of this film are portrayed sensitively and authentically. Truman and his wife, and the controversial Generals Marshall and MacArthur are particularly impressive. In some cases - particularly the Trumans themselves - this must have been a fairly difficult effort. Truman was not a very dramatic and flashy person, and his wife was fairly detached and private. Sinise and Scarwid play the parts and the relationship perfectly.

Since the study of history is a big part of my career, I am writing from a slightly unusual perspective. "Truman" has all the pedigree for what should have been a really powerful biographical film - a great lead actor, a solid supporting cast, a good production team, a great story and a very strong writing team. And it is refreshing to see such an accurate portrayal of a true hero of American politics and such a vivid realization of his times. Despite all of this, I feel that Truman could have been a better film - more dramatic, more visually powerful and more poignant. Somewhere between the script and the directing, a bit of cinematic art was lost and never quite recovered. Historiographically, this is a satisfying film, but it does not go too far past "satisfying".