The Candidate

The Candidate
by Michael Ritchie

The Candidate
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Allen Garfield, Don Porter, Melvyn Douglas, Peter Boyle, Robert Redford
Director: Michael Ritchie
Brand: Warner Brothers
Cinematographer: Victor J. Kemper
Editor: Richard A. Harris
Editor: Robert Estrin
Producer: Nelson Rising
Producer: Walter Coblenz
Writer: Jeremy Larner
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Picture Format: Pan & Scan, 1.33:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1997-10-29
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video

Movie Reviews of The Candidate

Movie Review: EXCELLENT POLITICAL FLICK
Summary: 5 Stars

Robert Redford was behind the entertaining political movie "The Candidate" (1972), which goes a long way towards explaining how the game works. This film is really not a liberal one, which is what makes it worthwhile even after 30 years. It is supposed to be based on Edmund "Jerry" Brown, former California Governor Pat Brown's son. Jerry Brown at the time was a youthful Secretary of State who would go one to two terms as Governor. He was a new kind of pol, attractive, a bit of swinger who dated rock star Linda Rohnstadt, and representative of the Golden State image of the 1970s. They called him "Governor Moonbeam".
Redford plays the son of the former Governor of California, played by Melvyn Douglas. The old man is old school all the way, having schmoozed his way up the slippery slope through implied corrupt deals with labor unions and other Democrat special interests. Redford is a young man who played football at Stanford and is now a social issues lawyer of the pro bono variety, helping Mexicans in Central California. Peter Boyle knew him at Stanford and is now a Democrat political consultant who recruits Redford to run for Senator against Crocker Jarman, an entrenched conservative Orange County Republican. Jarman could be Reagan, but he is as much a composite of the traditional Republican: Strong on defense, down on affirmative action and welfare, a real "up by the bootstraps" guy who emerged from the Depression and World War II to make up our "greatest generation."
The film does an about-face on perceptions that, in many cases, turn out to be true. Redford is the rich kid with connections. Jarman beat the Depression like the rest of the U.S., without a social worker.
"How did we do it?" he mocks.
Redford's film wife is played by Karen Carlson, pure eye candy (but what happened to her career I cannot say?). She has ambitions of her own, and pushes him to do it because he has the "power," an undefined sexual charisma of the JFK variety. Redford plays a caricature of himself, handsome but considered an empty suit. His deal is he can say any outrageous thing because he cannot win anyway, and in so doing shows he has the brains. When he creeps up in the polls, the idealism gives way to standard politicking, complete with deals with his old man's crooked labor buddies. He wins, demonstrating the power of looks and TV advertising. In the end he expresses that he is not prepared for the task.

Summary of The Candidate

An idealistic young lawyer runs for office. But will he keep his promises if elected? subtitles in english french and spanish. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Starring: Robert Redford Peter Boyle Run time: 110 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Michael Ritchie
Michael Ritchie's 1972 drama about a political idealist (Robert Redford) recruited to make a run for the Senate is still engrossing and still a terribly accurate reflection of the contemporary campaign process. In one of his trademark roles as a man haunted by some shadow of inauthenticity (see Downhill Racer, The Natural, The Great Gatsby, Sneakers, and such), Redford is superb as a first-time candidate watching his values and control over his message disappear in the age of TV-friendly prefabrication. Peter Boyle is ideal as his clearheaded campaign manager, Allen Garfield is effectively creepy as a media strategist, and Melvyn Douglas makes a memorable appearance as a retired politico whose endorsement is gold. Highly recommended. The DVD release includes production notes, theatrical trailer, Dolby sound, and optional Spanish, French, and English subtitles. --Tom Keogh

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