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The Contender
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Synopsis
The hard-ball gamesmanship and casual character assassination of American politics sets the stage for this thriller from writer and director Rod Lurie. When the Vice President of the United States unexpectedly dies, all eyes in Washington D.C. are on President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) as he chooses a new VP. Sen. Jack Hathaway (William Petersen), a respected career politician enjoying a new swell of popularity after a well-publicized attempt to save a drowning woman, is expected to be Evans' choice, but instead he picks Sen. Laine Hanson (Joan Allen), a decision that raises eyebrows on both sides of the political fence. Veteran power broker Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman) is vehemently opposed to Hanson's appointment, in part because the Democratic senator was once a Republican, and vows to do everything in his power to prevent her from being confirmed. Runyon and his staff start digging for dirt on Hanson, and soon make a surprising discovery -- her personal morality is called into question when it's alleged that she took part in a group sexual liaison while she was a college student. The Contender also stars Mike Binder as one of Hanson's advisors, Mariel Hemingway as an old friend with a surprising secret, Christian Slater as an ambitious congressmen assisting Runyon, and Philip Baker Hall as Hanson's father; it was the second feature from former film critic Rod Lurie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast

Joan Allen Sen. Laine Hanson
Jeff Bridges President Jackson Evans
Sam Elliott Kermit Newman
Philip Baker Hall Oscar Billings
Gary Oldman Congressman Sheldon B. Runyon
William L. Petersen Sen. Jack Hathaway
Saul Rubinek Jerry Tolliver
Christian Slater Congressman Reginald Webster

Production Crew

Suzanne Lauer Associate Producer
Denis Maloney Cinematographer
Scott Shiffman Co-producer
Steve Loglisci Co-producer
Larry Groupe Composer (Music Score)
Matt Jacobsen Costume Designer
Rod Lurie Director
Michael Jablow Editor
Gary Oldman Executive Producer
Maurice Leblond Executive Producer
Rainer Bienger Executive Producer
Douglas Urbanski Producer
James Spies Producer
Marc Frydman Producer
Willi Baer Producer
Alec Hammond Production Designer
Rod Lurie Screenwriter
Jay Meagher Sound Recordist
Gary Pilkinton Special Effects Foreman
Year: 2000
Runtime: 126
Country: USA
MPAA Rating: R
for strong sexual content and language
Category: Feature

Genre
Drama

Produced by
Battleground
Cinecontender
Cinerenta
SE8 Group

Release
October 13, 2000 (USA)
by DreamWorks