The Best Man Review
The Best Man was writer Gore_Vidal's liberal counterpoint to Allen Drury's conservative Advise and Consent. Both stories hinge on the potential for blackmail in the political arena, specifically in regard to homosexual relationships. Vidal's dialogue is sharp and insightful, and the film features superb performances from Henry_Fonda, Lee_Tracy, and Cliff_Robertson. Director Franklin_J._Schaffner carefully underplays key moments to build toward the film's dramatic payoff. Much of the film's brooding atmosphere is courtesy of Haskell_Wexler's expressive black & white cinematography. Both Best Man and Advise represented a small but important step away from the film industry's self-censorship, resulting in the abandonment of the Hays Code and the establishment of the MPAA ratings system. Though Hollywood was still years away from presenting realistic portrayals of gay men, any overt reference at all to homosexuality was unusual in a film of the early 1960s. Richard Gilliam, Rovi
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