Movie #1692 ........................."The Front Runner"

Movie #1692 "The Front Runner"  --- I was a big fan of Gary Hart and didn't really know the full story of how/why he got out of the race for the Presidency, so when I heard this film came out, I wanted to see it!  And I'm glad I did!  There is so much to like here --- esp. the way the story is told --- overlapping dialogue, camera constantly moving, people constantly talking, & rapid- gun beats in the background with the soundtrack, made the campaign come to life, and I felt I was there with the journalists, with the campaign workers,  & with Gary Hart and his family. It makes a tense movie most of the time --- other times were filled with humor as the campaign workers or journalists sit around waiting for the next time bomb or story to go off..... when I watched the special features the actors said there was a lot of improv on the screen---cast members in the huge cast scenes  were all encouraged to talk about the daily news of the time -- to interrupt each other & to  make catty comments that journalists or campaign workers would make --- Hugh Jackman playing Gary Hart said that when he was being asked questions in those scenes, he didn't always know what was going to be asked or who was asking them  or from where the questions would come from --- and that put Jackman  in the shoes of Gary Hart quite often.  Hart's stance is quite topical   ---- and worthy of further discussion.  He says that politics has become "an athletic competition" --- and the journalists are treating politicians  like everyone in the sports and hollywood world  ---- so they hide in cars and ambush people like Hart in their alleys to ask them questions about adultery, which Hart felt was wrong! and a strong invasion of his privacy --- his bone of contention is what does it matter when you are talking about huge problems in our economy, etc.  But then the film points out the other side --- and deals with what we expect of our leaders.  And a question that comes up daily in our politics is:  what faults will people put up with in our leaders?  the film juggles POV and also doesn't take a stand in the argument, and I liked that about the film.  It definitely presents a topic we should be reckoning with in our political discussions.  I rate it 4 out of 5.      (what happened to Hart seemed to be a precursor of the Kent Starr inquisition of Clinton's activities --- a pertinent quote of LBJ was in this film that was very telling to me - he evidently told journalists at his meet and greet with them that he expected the same courtesy that they gave Kennedy with people going in and out of his bedroom door.  wow!  Here is a link to the crux of the argument that the film covers, if you are interested:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-front-runner-review-all-the-news-thats-unfit-1541714932)


"THE FRONT RUNNER"   2018

In this fact-based drama, Sen. Gary Hart is the front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination -- but he sees his ambitions short-circuited when reports of an extramarital affair turn up in the media.

Cast

Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, Alfred Molina, Hugh Jackman, Mamoudou Athie, Josh Brener, Kaitlyn Dever, Tommy Dewey, Molly Ephraim, Spencer Garrett, Ari Graynor, Toby Huss, Mike Judge, Alex Karpovsky, Mark O'Brien, Sara Paxton, Kevin Pollak, Steve Zissis, Chris Coy, Nyasha Hatendi, Jennifer Landon, John Bedford Lloyd, Bill Burr, Oliver Cooper, Courtney Ford, Jonny Pasvolsky, Steve Coulter, Jenna Kanell

Director

Jason Reitman

Genres

Drama, Political Dramas, Dramas Based on Real Life, Dramas Based on the Book, Period Pieces, 20th Century Period Pieces

Moods

Understated, Witty