Weiner (2016)

An examination of disgraced New York Congressman Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign and today's political landscape.

Directors:

Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

Writers:

Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

Stars:

Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin, Jordan Zain Weiner

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 53 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Anthony Weiner	...	Himself
Huma Abedin	...	Herself
Jordan Zain Weiner	...	Himself
Barbara Morgan	...	Herself - Communications Director
George McDonald	...	Himself
Camille Joseph	...	Herself - Campaign Manager
Amit Bagga	...	Himself - Senior Advisor
Maura Tracy	...	Herself - Senior Staffer
Sydney Leathers	...	Herself
Andrew Noh	...	Himself - Campaign Aide
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adam S. Barta	...	Himself
Bill Clinton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Hillary Clinton	...	Herself (archive footage)
Stephen Colbert	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bill de Blasio	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

Serving seven consecutive terms, Anthony Weiner, good friends with and political allies to the Clintons, was once a highly respected member of Congress from New York City, he seen as a man sticking up for the every day person. That all changed in June, 2011 when he was forced to resign in disgrace after admitting that he did tweet lewd "headless" photos of himself from his public Twitter account to women he met online, and that it was not the work of a hacker or that the photos were of someone else. At the time, his wife Huma Abedin, herself a key aide to Hillary Clinton, was pregnant with their first child, she who decided to stand by her man. Two years later with Abedin still by his side, Weiner tries to resurrect his political career in a run for New York City mayor. He realizes that he has an uphill battle not only because of the known previously tweeted photos, but that there are other lewd photos from that era that may also come to light during the campaign. Regardless of the ...

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Plot Keywords:

photo | campaign | weiner | political | new york | 

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Taglines:

Anthony Weiner was a young congressman on the cusp of higher office when a sexting scandal forced a humiliating resignation. Just two years later, he ran for Mayor of New York City, betting that his ideas would trump his indiscretions. He was wrong.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual material

Details

Official Sites:

IFC Films Madman Entertainment

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 May 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amerikan malliin

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$84,173, 22 May 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,612,203, 29 July 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edgeline Films, Motto Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's opening prologue is a quotation which reads: "The name of a man is a numbing blow from which he never recovers - Marshall McLuhan".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Anthony Weiner: Shit. Shit. This is the worst. This is the worst. Doing a documentary on my scandal...
[happily on the phone]
Anthony Weiner: Hi!

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Connections

Features Weiner and Me (2013)

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Soundtracks

A Boy Like Me
Written by David Hayle, Jordan McClure, Jason Mills and Mavado (as David Brooks)
Published by NW Collections o/b/o Jack Russell Music Ltd.
Performed by Mavado
Courtesy of DJ Frass Records c/o Jamdown Ltd.

User Reviews

Defining Acts

It's so easy to judge Anthony Weiner from reading text on social media, in the newspaper, and / or the news shows on TV. "Weiner" is a great documentary film and as others have written, riveting. I was fixated the entire 90 minutes; all the time asking myself, "Why would he let them document this?", all the while cringing for his wife, Huma Abedin.

Where is the line drawn between loyalty and abuse? Although Huma is very clear on where she will and won't participate in the documentary, you wonder where and when does her loyalty to her husband become nothing more than emotional abuse? There are two types of obscene behavior, the indecent kind that brought Anthony Weiner down, and the disgusting kind that has little disregard for the rights of others. The documentary exposes the latter in a defining rarity: With only 4 - 5 % of the vote and dead last, the media chases Weiner all around like dogs in heat trying to squeeze every last tidbit out of the story.

Who are we to judge? When we become persistent observers of misery or scandal...fascinated with the distressing sordid scandalous events of others, are we engaging in voyeurism? If you see the movie, please let me hear back from you.