IMDb RATING
6.5/10
7.9K
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Lyndon B. Johnson aligns himself with John F. Kennedy, rises to the Presidency, and deals with the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.Lyndon B. Johnson aligns himself with John F. Kennedy, rises to the Presidency, and deals with the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.Lyndon B. Johnson aligns himself with John F. Kennedy, rises to the Presidency, and deals with the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Michael Francis Horn
- Cliff Carter
- (as Michael Horn)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWoody Harrelson's late father Charles Harrelson was a Texas hitman who had famously claimed to have killed President Kennedy (he was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a Texas judge), but later admitted that he made up the story.
- GoofsHistorical quotes throughout the movie are edited to be more sensitive than the actual quotes were.
- Quotes
Lyndon B. Johnson: You know, this could be your lucky day. You might be able to vote your conscience on the Farm Bill.
Senator Ralph Yarborough: I like to think that is the only way that I ever vote.
Lyndon B. Johnson: Spoken like a true one-term senator.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Midnight Screenings: Tulip Fever (2017)
- SoundtracksSons of Thane
Written by John Knowles
Courtesy of APM Music
Featured review
Greetings again from the darkness. More than 50 years after his death, President John Kennedy casts an ever-present shadow over Lyndon Baines Johnson's career as a stellar politician and a President with significant accomplishments. Part of the reason is presentation – JFK was a story book leader straight from the fashion magazines, while LBJ was a vulgar-at-times comic book adversary who looked and talked funny. Each has been portrayed on film numerous times and from various perspectives.
Woody Harrelson and his facial prosthetics play LBJ, and Mr. Harrelson seems to be enjoying the swagger and emotional range of the titular man. What this film does that's a bit different from others is embrace the comedic elements – enhanced by both the performance and the script from Joey Hartstone. It seems odd (a somewhat awkward) to have so many laughs in a movie where the infamous 1963 Presidential motorcade, and subsequent assassination, form the backdrop.
Director Rob Reiner presents LBJ in all his crude and gruff glory, but also shows the ultimate politician – a man who was constantly negotiating. Intimidation was always part of the LBJ motif, and the film effectively displays the tactics used by John and Bobby Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Stahl-David) to take the wind out of LBJ's sails after the election.
There are reenactments throughout the film that place us back in the middle of iconic images seared into our memories the motorcade after the shots, the scene at Parkland, and the swearing in aboard Air Force One with Jackie still wearing her blood-stained Chanel suit. This was an incredible time in our history, as the nation was emotionally shattered. It's for this reason that much of the film seems disjointed or misguided. Too much (or maybe not enough) attention is on LBJ's strained relationship with Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins), one of the most racist men we've seen on screen. Their discussion of race relations while being served dinner by the black woman is beyond uncomfortable – yet still somehow too stagey.
Most of the film is spent on LBJ's time as Senator and Vice President, with only the final act being about his famous networking upon ascending to the Presidency after which the entire focus is on the Civil Rights Act. The flow of the film seems a bit off, though most will enjoy watching Harrelson's performance – especially when paired with Jennifer Jason Leigh's Lady Bird. Together, the two almost rescue the script.
Woody Harrelson and his facial prosthetics play LBJ, and Mr. Harrelson seems to be enjoying the swagger and emotional range of the titular man. What this film does that's a bit different from others is embrace the comedic elements – enhanced by both the performance and the script from Joey Hartstone. It seems odd (a somewhat awkward) to have so many laughs in a movie where the infamous 1963 Presidential motorcade, and subsequent assassination, form the backdrop.
Director Rob Reiner presents LBJ in all his crude and gruff glory, but also shows the ultimate politician – a man who was constantly negotiating. Intimidation was always part of the LBJ motif, and the film effectively displays the tactics used by John and Bobby Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Stahl-David) to take the wind out of LBJ's sails after the election.
There are reenactments throughout the film that place us back in the middle of iconic images seared into our memories the motorcade after the shots, the scene at Parkland, and the swearing in aboard Air Force One with Jackie still wearing her blood-stained Chanel suit. This was an incredible time in our history, as the nation was emotionally shattered. It's for this reason that much of the film seems disjointed or misguided. Too much (or maybe not enough) attention is on LBJ's strained relationship with Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins), one of the most racist men we've seen on screen. Their discussion of race relations while being served dinner by the black woman is beyond uncomfortable – yet still somehow too stagey.
Most of the film is spent on LBJ's time as Senator and Vice President, with only the final act being about his famous networking upon ascending to the Presidency after which the entire focus is on the Civil Rights Act. The flow of the film seems a bit off, though most will enjoy watching Harrelson's performance – especially when paired with Jennifer Jason Leigh's Lady Bird. Together, the two almost rescue the script.
- ferguson-6
- Nov 1, 2017
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- The President: Lyndon B. Johnson
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $26,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,470,979
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,110,565
- Nov 5, 2017
- Gross worldwide
- $2,510,151
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