All the Way (2016)

Lyndon B. Johnson becomes the President of the United States in the chaotic aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination and spends his first year in office fighting to pass the Civil Rights Act.

Director:

Jay Roach

Writers:

Robert Schenkkan (screenplay), Robert Schenkkan (play)

Stars:

Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, Melissa Leo

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bryan Cranston	...	Lyndon B. Johnson
Anthony Mackie	...	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Melissa Leo	...	Lady Bird Johnson
Frank Langella	...	Senator Richard Russell
Bradley Whitford	...	Senator Hubert Humphrey
Stephen Root	...	J. Edgar Hoover
Todd Weeks	...	Walter Jenkins
Ray Wise	...	Senator Everett Dirksen
Ken Jenkins	...	Rep. 'Judge' Smith
Dohn Norwood	...	Ralph Abernathy
Mo McRae	...	Stokely Carmichael
Marque Richardson	...	Bob Moses
Aisha Hinds	...	Fannie Lou Hamer
Joe Morton	...	Roy Wilkins
Eric Pumphrey	...	David Dennis

Storyline

November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy has just been assassinated and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson is now President. One of his first acts as President is to reaffirm the US government's intention to pass the Civil Rights Act. This Act was drafted while JFK was in office and gives people of all races the same rights, including voting rights, access to education and access to public facilities. However, he faces strong opposition to the bill, especially from within his own party. He will have to use all his political will and cunning to get it through.

---

Plot Keywords:

j. edgar hoover character | lyndon b. johnson character | jacqueline kennedy character | dallas texas | year 1963 | 

---

Taglines:

Politics is war.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

---

Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bryan Cranston and Ray Wise have both played Commissioner Gordon in animated Batman features. Cranston played the part in Batman: Year One (2011), while Wise played the part in Batman: The Killing Joke (2016). On 'Gotham (2015)(TV)', the part is played by Ben McKenzie, who is Robert Schenkkan's nephew.

---

Goofs

In the first scene of the film, LBJ is seen asking Mrs. Johnson if she called Rose Kennedy.

In fact both Mrs. Johnson and LBJ called and spoke to Rose Kennedy during that flight. The recording of this conversation is available publicly.

---

Quotes

Lyndon B. Johnson: You need to make up your mind once-and-for-all, what kind of Christian you are? Are you a once-a-week fella or do you hold the word in your heart? What kind of politician are ya? Are you just out for yourself or do you want to make a better life for all the people in Georgia? What kind of man are ya? You've got the balls to do what you know is right, or do you just slink away?

---

Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Bryan Cranston/Hailee Steinfeld/OneRepublic (2016)

---

Soundtracks

Which Side Are You On
Written by Florence Reece

User Reviews

Cranston is great, and the events are even greater....

All the Way

An impressive cast, centered around the LBJ actor Bryan Cranston, keeps the historical facts alive and relevant.

We often forget Johnson the president between Kennedy and Nixon. He was the most responsible for Vietnam, but also for a huge range of social programs that really make him the ultimate big government guy since Roosevelt. But important programs like Medicare and social legislation like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Act. Seeing him struggle to make it happen is a kind of poker game, and he does it with famously Johnson candor and humor.

There's no getting around the fact that these are facts. There are no dramatic surprises here (so it's like seeing a movie the second time). But it's a good movie—one that you can see a second time and get a lot from it. There are weak points (some miscast figures like, unfortunately, Martin Luther King Jr. who is played by Anthony Mackie), but overall the drama of the events is kept intense and pertinent.

And Cranston is sublime. If you know him from "Breaking Bad" you will surprised by his depth here. See him, at least. And Johnson, too.

Details

Official Sites:

HBO - Character Spot: LBJ HBO - Character Spot: MLK

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

All the Way

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Amblin Entertainment, Tale Told Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD