MPAA Rating: R
Director: Rod Lurie
Genres: Drama
Rating:

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, Rovi

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