The Ides of March (2011)

An idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.

Director:

George Clooney

Writers:

George Clooney (screenplay), Grant Heslov (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Giamatti, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 34 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Gosling	...	Stephen Meyers
George Clooney	...	Governor Mike Morris
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Paul Zara
Paul Giamatti	...	Tom Duffy
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Molly Stearns
Marisa Tomei	...	Ida Horowicz
Jeffrey Wright	...	Senator Thompson
Max Minghella	...	Ben Harpen
Jennifer Ehle	...	Cindy Morris
Gregory Itzin	...	Jack Stearns
Michael Mantell	...	Senator Pullman
Yuri Sardarov	...	Mike (as Yuriy Sardarov)
Bella Ivory	...	Jenny
Maya Sayre	...	Sue
Danny Mooney	...	Campaign Editor

Storyline

Stephen Meyers is a young idealist who's brilliant at communications, is second in command of Governor Mike Morris's presidential campaign, and is a true believer. In the middle of the Ohio primary, the campaign manager of Morris's opponent asks Meyers to meet; he offers him a job. At the same time, Morris's negotiations for the endorsement of the man in third place, a North Carolina Senator, hit a snag. A young campaign intern, Molly Stearns, gets Stephen's romantic attention. Republicans have a trick up their sleeve; Stephen may be too trusting, and Molly has a secret. What's most important, career, victory, or virtue?

---

Plot Keywords:

politics | presidential campaign | intrigue | presidential election | campaigning | 

---

Taglines:

Is This Man Our Next President?

---

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Beau Willimon--the author of the play "Farragut North"--used a Washington D.C. Metro station name for the title of his play because the station is located close to think tanks, lobbyists, and other Federal government advocacy groups. Farragut North station is located on the Metro system's Red Line, just north of Farragut Square, at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and K Street NW. [10.27.2020]

---

Goofs

The story is based on the Ohio Democratic primary about to take place but a scene notes that one of the candidates has already won the California primary. California always votes after Ohio.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Stephen Meyers: I'm not a Christian. I'm not an Atheist. I'm not Jewish. I'm not Muslim. My religion, what I believe in is called the Constitution of United States of America.

---

Alternate Versions

Despite the fact that much of the movie was filmed in Ohio, the credits of the theatrical release only say "Filmed on location in Michigan". This was corrected for the home video releases, which read "Filmed in the state of Michigan and the state of Ohio".

---

Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Episode #9.1 (2012)

---

Soundtracks

We'll Meet Again
Written by Ross Parker and Hugh Charles (as Charles Hughes)

User Reviews

Politics On-screen

And to talk about alternate thrillers, put this next to also Academy Award-nominated "Margin Call" for screenplay you easily spot the difference, both in the quality of performances and the power of the script. This thriller-drama revolves around Stephen (Ryan Gosling), a smart staffer for a campaign who learns the true face of politics the quick way.

The script is captivating and it draws the audience at the exact moment the film starts, but what satisfies more than the changes in Gosling from the beginning to the end? Ryan Gosling delivers his transition realistically through events that unfold in front of him, with solid and believable performances scene after scene that prove he is a highly capable actor. Gosling's mask-like portrait of the nameless hero in "Drive" is amazing and exciting, but his performance in "The Ides of March" undoubtedly expose to us more of his if not flawless, masterful and flexible acting abilities. And we shouldn't leave out Hoffman and Giamatti, who are both incredible and perfect for their roles, Paul Zara and Tom Duffy, respectively. Clooney is great, but credits should definitely be given to him for the whole package, for his directing and writing rather than his performance alone. Evan Rachel Wood plays a supporting role as Molly Stearns, who is much related to the entire campaign itself and many characters. She is also the key that motivates Gosling's actions.

"The Ides of March" is certainly one of the most powerful and believable political thrillers or dramas out there, so don't miss this for certain.

• dchgl.blogspot.com

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Farragut North

Filming Locations:

Oxford, Ohio, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,470,143, 9 October 2011

Gross USA:

$40,962,534

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$76,338,111

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Cross Creek Pictures, Exclusive Media Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1