James Woods is uncannily convincing as the title character in this all-inclusive cable TV biopic. The script -- which incidentally was concocted by a trio of writers from all parts of the political spectrum -- uses the tragedy of September 11, 2001, as the framework for a series of flashbacks, following Rudy Giuliani (Woods) as he gains prominence in the New York Attorney General's office
vis-à-vis his battle against the Mob in 1984. After an abortive bid for the mayor's office in 1989, Giuliani finally gets elected four years later -- but no sooner has he settled into the job than he is beset with controversy involving the alleged racial profiling of New York City's police force. As the years roll on, Giuliani is loved by millions (primarily due to his successful effort to clean up the Big Apple's image) and hated by millions more. Much is made if Hizzoner's domestic travails with second wife Donna Hanover (
Penelope Ann Miller), his extramarital affair with Chrystine Lategano (Michelle Nolden), and his bout with prostate cancer. Then come the cataclysmic events of 9/11, from which the beleaguered Giuliani emerges as a larger-than-life heroic figure at a time when his city desperately needs heroes (the film seamlessly blends actual footage of the World Trade Center collapse with re-enactments of the frenzied activity at ground level). Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story was first telecast March 30, 2003, on the USA network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide