CONTENDER, THE
Released: October 13, 2000
An excellent cast teams up to produce a variation on the Oliver Stone political conspiracy movie. Jeff Bridges plays the president and has no other options but to suggest a woman (Joan Allen) be his #2. Well, people like Gary Oldman and the man originally chosen to be the vice president (William Peterson) begin their slime campaign at destroying the woman's life by bringing up past blunders in her personal life. All the while, she refuses to dignify their accusations with a comment. Brilliantly acted, especially the three key players, others such as Peterson, Sam Elliot, Christian Slater (whose Mom was the casting director, mmmmmm...) and Canuck Saul Rubinek are totally solid in their roles. A joy to watch just for the acting alone. The conclusion is expected but how they come to it is entertaining.
126 Minutes
DreamWorks SKG