A cool, laid-back political comedy that turns dark and cold
Friends have asked, ”Have you seen any good movies this summer?” Neil and I have had to really think because we can take or leave superhero movies and there haven’t been a lot of compelling indies and we missed Fruitvale Station – our fault since it was at The Esquire for three weeks.
It seems strange to say that “Yes, I’ve seen a really good movie that’s about American politics and it’s as compelling as it probably was when it was released in 1972.” That would be
Michael Ritchie’s The Candidate starring Robert Redford and Peter Boyle.
It seems strange to say that “Yes, I’ve seen a really good movie that’s about American politics and it’s as compelling as it probably was when it was released in 1972.” That would be
Michael Ritchie’s The Candidate starring Robert Redford and Peter Boyle.
Redford and Boyle in The Candidate |
Dexter Joins The Fun On The Campaign Trail |
It was a great year for actors, which must have been the reason Redford and Boyle were overlooked. Melvyn Douglas chills as McKay’s reptilian father, the popular, retired Governor that McKay avoids contacting until all seems lost. McKay's main plank is the environment whereas the incumbent's is the economy. Add, respectively, healthcare reform and national security to their messages and they could be running today. However, the differences between this earlier era and the current political climate are (1) the political rivals do not sling mud at each other and (2) a candidate’s understated affair is never made public.
Redford has acted sporadically since 1980. He moved into directing movies very successfully, but more importantly started The Sundance Institute. Sundance’s importance in developing new, idiosyncratic, independent movie talent cannot be overstated. It will have a longer lasting impact on American culture than the promises and policies that various political candidates make.
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