The Candidate (1972)

The Candidate
Directed by Michael Ritchie
Written by Jeremy Larner
1972/US
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime rental

Senator Crocker Jarman:  We are turning the corner on smog.

This is kind of billed as a comedy but today I fail to find anything funny about elections.  It is, however, a sharp and smart story about the game that is politics.

Bill McKay (Robert Redford) is the son of former California Governor John McKay (Melvyn Douglas), a Democrat.  He is a passionately idealistic lawyer who fights for liberal causes.  He is approached by Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) and asked to consider running in the Democratic primary for the Senate.  The Republican candidate will be incumbent Senator Crocker Jarman.  Lucas assures McKay that he cannot possibly win the election so he can use is campaign as a platform for speaking about his pet projects.  And so he is lured in.  He is really a total innocent despite his upbringing.

Lucas builds a team of PR people and handlers.  It may be a losing campaign but Lucas is running it according to the old-time political playbook. What will happen if the polls start looking a bit better?

John J. McKay: He’s not gonna get his ass kicked.
Floyd J. Starkey: Oh yeah? How can you be so sure?
John J. McKay: Because he’s cute!

And really how could a guy like Robert Redford lose?  Redford does a good job with  a character who goes from awkward to plastic over the course of the film.  The machinations of his managers and handlers are wickedly apt.  Opponents spoke about actual issues, amazingly enough.  It’s not a must-see but I think most people would be entertained.

Jeremy Larner won the Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced. The Candidate was also nominated for Best Sound.