The Contender (2000)

Senator Laine Hanson is a contender for U.S. Vice President, but information and disinformation about her past surfaces that threatens to derail her confirmation.

Director:

Rod Lurie

Writer:

Rod Lurie

Stars:

Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Oldman	...	Shelly Runyon
Joan Allen	...	Laine Hanson
Jeff Bridges	...	President Jackson Evans
Christian Slater	...	Reginald Webster
Sam Elliott	...	Kermit Newman
William Petersen	...	Jack Hathaway
Saul Rubinek	...	Jerry Tolliver
Philip Baker Hall	...	Oscar Billings
Mike Binder	...	Lewis Hollis
Robin Thomas	...	William Hanson
Mariel Hemingway	...	Cynthia Charlton Lee
Kathryn Morris	...	Paige Willomina
Kristen Shaw	...	Fiona Hathaway
Douglas Urbanski	...	Makerowitz
Noah Fryrear	...	Timmy

Storyline

A political thriller about Laine Hanson, a Senator who is nominated to become Vice President following the death of the previous office holder. During the confirmation process, Laine is the victim of a vicious attack on her personal life in which stories of sexual deviancy are spread. She is torn as to whether she should fight back, or stick to her high principles and refuse to comment on the allegations.

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Plot Keywords:

larry king character | president | vice president | governor | bridge | 

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Taglines:

Welcome To The Greatest Show On Earth

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content and language

Details

Country:

USA Germany UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

La conspiración

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,363,900, 15 October 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$17,872,723

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,361,811

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinerenta Medienbeteiligungs KG, Cinecontender, Battleground Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

An entire subplot involving Laine Hanson's father, Oscar Billings (Philip Baker Hall) was dropped in post-production. In it, the character was given more depth and portrayed as a corrupt former Governor, who used his influence and money to help his daughter get a Senate seat (without her knowledge). This information leaks, and Oscar, guilt-ridden, kills himself out of shame. Rod Lurie cut this out because of time, and because he felt the audience would have a hard time believing the Senator could beat these nepotism charges and get confirmed.

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Goofs

When the Senator is going with her husband to meet the President for the first time, the Lincoln Memorial is clearly seen is the back window of the limo, indicating that they are leaving DC on the Memorial bridge, heading in the wrong direction.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jack Hathaway: Well, I bet you've been getting a lot of Churchills. Probably Mandela. Some DeGaulles. But I'd have to go with Anwar Sadat.

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Crazy Credits

For our daughters

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Connections

Referenced in Creating 'The Upside of Anger' (2005)

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Soundtracks

Polonaise Op. 26, No 1
Composed by Frédéric Chopin (as F.Chopin)
Performed by Bruce Donnelly, Pianist

User Reviews

A very accurate portrayal of women in politics

The Contender is a film with the potential to take any conscientious person with even a mild interest in how governments are run , and who the leaders are through a non-stop roller-coaster ride of challenge, triumph, pain, failure, and morality. Although I intensely appreciated this movie, I do not believe this could have been an oscar-winning film because the truths it expresses with regards to the presence of women in high ranking political positions far outway its acting and directing talents, with the possible exception of Gary Oldman's role as Shelly Runyon, who was frighteningly convincing at being an absolutely awful man. I enjoyed this movie because of its intention to show what women in politics really face. The strength displayed by Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) while up for vice president is nothing short of inspirational. Gary Oldman's character provides us with a good idea of how manipulative and ruthless people can be when in a position of power and, ironically, when they have been put in a position to judge another's morality. This film seems so realistic that we tend to forget it's a movie. It makes us question, why does a person have to be surrounded by such controversy and be forced to take on such a defensive position, simply for being a woman? What I appreciated is the refusal of Hanson to succomb to the pressure of taking that defensive position, regardless of the truth. Of course, the other refreshing aspect in this movie is Jeff Bridges' role as an ideal president.

All in all, it is a long overdue account of reality, with great character development but not recommended for those with short attention spans, as it is dialogue, and lots of it.