The Contender

The Contender is a political drama/not quite a thriller starring Joan Allen and William L Petersen who portray the 2 contenders to replace the deceased Vice President of the United States. Jeff Bridges is the POTUS. Sam Elliot is the President’s blunt, very outspoken right-hand man (his actual ‘position’ escapes me) counsel(?)Lots of additional actors appear as Democrats or Republicans adding their opinion who should be the President’s next Vice-President.Interesting to me that 30 something Christian Slater portrays a member of a congressional hearing that does not approve of the ruthless, some would believe unfair questioning, of a ladies personal life—it is pointed out Slater’s character is from Delaware…hmm.AnywaysGary Oldman made some minor headlines by the way his character ‘ended up’ being portrayed in the film (listen to commentary by Writer/director Rod Lurie). Not surprisingly Gary Oldman is very good portraying a mid-western’ accent (he’s British/how do they do accents so well…?). Oldman looks like a cross between Bernie Sanders (2000) and Sean Penn in Carlito’s Way—but nowhere near the weasel of Penn’s character.The 2 hour political drama has the motivation and political backstabbing you might expect from a movie like this showing what is probably a very honest look/prediction of how the political machine works. Kind of predictable but still The Contender is fresh with its take on 21st century politicians.I took off a couple points because of a twist in the story that (to me) felt tacked on and completely not necessary. Not one but two characters are too conveniently ‘wrong’ while one not so convincingly concedes, ‘you set me up!’The Contender (2000) is very good otherwise.4.5 stars

Rod Lurie's THE CONTENDER (2000) is one of those political movies aimed at making us all feel better about the political system of this "greatest country on the face of the earth." The film focuses on the confirmation process when the president (Jeff Bridges) decides to appoint female senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) to fill the Vice Presidential slot vacated when the VP died three weeks earlier. Bridges's President Jackson Evans is in the final leg of his final term, and he wants to make a "big move" - thus he picks Hanson instead of political sure-bet Jack Hathaway (William Peterson), who made headlines when he attempted to save a drowning woman whose car went off a bridge into river. As expected, the head of the House committee in charge of the confirmation hearing, Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman), isn't happy about Hanson's nomination. First, she's a woman, second, she's too liberal (pro-Choice, anti-guns), and third, she's not Hathaway. So Runyon and his minions dig up a bunch of pictures portraying Hanson as the primary participant in a sex orgy when she was a nineteen-year-old college freshman. It's all very sleazy and we get a few almost-pornographic snippets of naked Hanson in various compromising positions with a bevy of frat boys.The film suggests that it's only because Hanson is a woman that such things have become an issue in her confirmation. Several characters in this film insist that were Hanson a man, he'd be patted on the back for his orgiastic "coming-of-age." Come on, really?!? Suppose Romney's people had found photographs of a naked Barack Obama at nineteen performing a host of sexual acts with a bunch of sorority girls - you really think it wouldn't have been an issue? Gary Hart's career was sidelined just because of one photo of him with a bikini-clad woman on his lap! Clinton was impeached (impeached!) because he had the audacity to claim, "I did not have sex with that woman!" There may be a lot of misogyny in Washington - and I don't doubt a female candidate for Vice President would face opposition because she's female - but this particular scenario is so over-the-top that it defies credulity. In reality, any candidate for a major office put in such a position would be pressured to step down. No one wants a Vice President whose naked photos are all over the Internet!What's frustrating about THE CONTENDER is that it has a stellar cast, and for the most part the performances are exceptional. Allen is perfect as the maligned Laine Hanson, trying desperately not to be drawn into a discussion of what did or didn't happen when she was in college. Jeff Bridges gives a believable and amusing portrayal of a president whose career is coming to a close - he wants to support Hanson, but he doesn't want his swan song to become a train wreck. Sam Elliot is great as the president's Chief of Staff, and Gary Oldman gives Shelly Runyon just the right combination of sleaze, selfishness, and patriotism. There's an odd character played by Christian Slater - a junior Representative who pushes his way onto Runyon's committee - that doesn't really jive with the rest of the film, but aside from that the characters work. So it's really frustrating that the film is ultimately disappointing.There's a scene late in the film where President Evans eludes his Secret Service detail (really?) to share a cigar-enhanced tête-à-tête with Hanson on the White House lawn. This scene feels very much as if it was added to provide information preview audiences might have clamored for. Unfortunately, the result is an ultimate cop-out, not only on Hanson's multi-faceted character, but on the issue of whether incidents from a candidate's private life (especially incidents that happened almost thirty years ago) are fair game. And this isn't the only cop-out; the film does something with William Peterson's character, also near the end, that is not only patently unbelievable but again cops out on what it means to choose between two viable candidates for the same office. President Evans initially selects Hanson over Peterson's Jack Hathaway because he wants to go down in history as having made such an historic move. Hathaway is portrayed as a good guy, a governor everyone likes (sort of like Chris Christie after Sandy), so the dilemma is interesting. Do you pick the easily-confirmable Hathaway or the risky-but-historic Hanson? The cop-out here just makes that question moot.Overall, THE CONTENDER is a very watchable film, and it's certainly not dull. But it does seem set up to make us all feel good in the end (smarmy Runyon gets his comeuppance and the film's cop-outs - especially involving Laine Hanson - allow us to have an AMERICAN PRESIDENT moment in the final minutes). This really could have been a sharp and challenging film about the political world we live in today. Instead it settled for being a nice little movie about how slimy politics is - but don't worry because the good guys will always win out in the end.

Somehow I missed this film, but found it on Amazon's Prime list. This is a film that has outstanding performances by its actors. It certainly takes sides politically, which is quite obvious, and if you can't look at the film in an objective manger, than this may be a difficult film for you.The film is liberal and Democratic, and the protagonist conservative and Republican. It appears that this film shows a feminine side of 'a sex scandal'. A Vice President has died in office, and after three weeks, the country is clam outing for a replacement. The President, played by Jeff Bridges has several choices. One is a governor who has become a hero by trying to save a drowning woman from a car accident. The problem is, the President tells Gov. Hathaway, played by William Petersen, is that the woman died. Sorry, next. sen. Laine Hanson, played by Joan Allen, is the perfect candidate until a sex scandal tries to derail her. GOP Rep. Shelly Runyon, played by Gary Oldman, in a remarkable performance does not like women in power and will use whatever device he can to bring her down. Old an plays this powerful character, either eating, drinking or smoking. And, his curly hair trying to hide a bald spot is the best I have seen. His is the performance to watch.The mechanisms that run DC are very powerful in this film. All the deals and lies and deceit pike up except for Sen. Hanson, who will not play games nor lie. Is this the real DC, I very much doubt it, but I enjoyed this film. This is a film to observe actors, the political scheme may detract you, but go for the action and the performances.Recommended. prisrob 10-13-14

One of the other reviews hit the nail on the head. This is a good, clever film with a great idea at its core. BUT, just when I was cheering on the 'contender' and hoping she succeeded...the preaching started...and I was left feeling that the makers thought I wasn't smart enough to 'get' what was going on and they had to spell it out for me !A very good film...with Oldman as a great baddy...but could've done with toning down the message...and letting the watcher work it out for themselves !

I hate starting this with the weakest links but to me the part of Jeff Bridges was by far too nice as "Mr.President" and really Joan Allen was a bit too wishy/washy as the incumbent Vice-President,Senator Laine Hanson.I think it called for the Presidents character to be much harder to mirror the real life Presidents I can remember from JFK onwards, to mirror the person necessary to withstand the pressures of the number 1 job. All Bridges did through this film was test out the White House chef and culinary staff. Again Allen was a bit too weak and I think perhaps her part could have been beefed up a little.Gary Oldman is excellent as Shelly Runyon, digging the dirt on Hanson whilst trying to get "his man" in (played against type brilliantly by William Petersen of CSI)until a surprise befalls them both at the last hurdle? Good support from Christian Slater, Sam Elliot and Philip Baker Hall with reminiscences of Chapaquiddick thrown in for those with a good memory.

Certainly the series 'The West Wing' has given us an appetite for political thrillers and this fills the bill.It seemed to be slightly shallow early on but thankfully I stuck with it and the characters developed very well over the two hours and it became hugely enjoyable,not least because of Gary Oldman's brilliant performance as a senator you love to hate.Plenty of intrigue, some humour, some skulduggery and Jeff Bridges competing with Oldman for the acting honours which made this a riveting political thriller.Satisfying buy,this dvd.

Nothing to dislike. A cast to die for and a crisp, taut script. Not too convinced by Gary Oldman's deep south accent but that's just nitpickin'. Jeff Bridges dominated and Joan Allen put in quite a performance. Why she did not come away with a least a Golden Globe I've no idea. I watched the film for free with Amazon prime, but then went ahead and purchased the DVD for future reruns.

Good delivery. Great film.