This film was described to me as a political thriller. Don't know about the thriller bit, but the political was definately well in line. This follows the story of Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) who is nominated to be vice-president after the incumbent dies. The President, Jackson Evans played by an affable Jeff Bridges (who also has a penchant for trying to catch out the White House kitchen by ordering odd menu items) sees the nomination of a Hanson as his "swan song". But its a different tune that's being whistled after a short while. Not everyone agrees with the President that Hanson is the best choice and expected him to appoint party stalwart and governor of Virginia, Jack Hathaway, particularly as Hathaway had recently become a hero in the press after a failed attempt to save a young woman from drowning. The Chairman of the committee in Congress that will conduct the Confirmation Hearings is Republican Shelly Runyan (Gary Oldman).
Runyan, is hell bent (for reasons never really fully explained) on preventing Hanson on having an easy Confirmation Hearing and gets a dirt digger in on the scheme and manages to procure photographic evidence of Hanson participating in an "orgy" when she was in college. From there the hearings turn.
This is an interesting film and reasonably well executed although it does go on a bit in the grandstanding speeches and some contrived moments. The sometimes soggy script is raised by sterling performances from Allen, Oldman and Bridges and they are all very ably supported by William Petersen, who plays Jack Hathaway and Christian Slater as a green bean congressman. Worth seeing.
Runyan, is hell bent (for reasons never really fully explained) on preventing Hanson on having an easy Confirmation Hearing and gets a dirt digger in on the scheme and manages to procure photographic evidence of Hanson participating in an "orgy" when she was in college. From there the hearings turn.
This is an interesting film and reasonably well executed although it does go on a bit in the grandstanding speeches and some contrived moments. The sometimes soggy script is raised by sterling performances from Allen, Oldman and Bridges and they are all very ably supported by William Petersen, who plays Jack Hathaway and Christian Slater as a green bean congressman. Worth seeing.
