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	The Contender (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		The Contender (2000) is a political thriller directed by Rod Lurie about a US Democratic President who, in the wake of his Vice President's death, is seeking the confirmation of his replacement.
		The film has also been the subject of controversy, as many viewers see it as liberal propaganda.
		Urbanski actually alleged that the film is a "piece of propaganda on par with that produced by Joseph Goebbels".
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/The_Contender_(movie) (715 words)

	Arts Today - 22/03/2001: The Contender
		Film critics are supposed to react to the film we see on the screen, and not the hype surrounding it.
		This is a film about a Clintonian President, played by a cigar toting, braces twanging Jeff Bridges, about a woman Senator he nominates as Vice President, and a Republican who hounds her through the confirmation hearings with a sexual scandal from her college years.
		For a fair stretch of the film it is a nuanced performance (even though the film insists on showing her as a devoted wife and mother.
	www.abc.net.au /rn/arts/atoday/stories/s264421.htm (725 words)

	The Contender (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		The Contender presents itself as an exposition of modern-day politics, "in the tradition of" The Candidate (1972), All the President's Men (1976) and The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979).
		I would not be as upset by this shallow, rambling film if it did not waste the talents of such a strong cast and end with the pronouncement "FOR OUR DAUGHTERS." The producers and writer/director of this film (all male) have done no favors for contemporary women - let alone for our daughters.
		The Contender is the first major feature written and directed by Rod Lurie; his previous political thrillers (Deterrence, 1999; 4 Second Delay, 1998) have been produced for cable and video.
	www.nottingham.ac.uk /film/journal/filmrev/the-contender.htm (898 words)

	The Contender -A Hollywood Jesus Visual Film Review
		The film depicts her as a lonely embattled hero, despite her ungodly values, yet depicts those who favor life and standards of right and wrong as evil.
		The film is essentially trying to laud the senator for sticking to her principles even in the face of public humiliation where the public will assume the worse if she doesn't reply to the accussations.
		As such in the film, and I realise that this was done for dramatic suspense, Lane Hanson should not have just refused to reply to the accussations, she should have stopped acting so guilty.
	www.hollywoodjesus.com /contender.htm (1242 words)

	The Contender/ Deterrence (Soundtracks) by Larry Groupè
		One of the surprises of 2000 came with the film The Contender.
		Despte many critics calling 2000 a thin year for high quality films and film scores, it is films and scores like The Contender which go under-appreciated and not fully considered in making final assessments of the year's yield.
		The use of music in the film is sparse, hence the modest amount of score from The Contender on the disc.
	www.tracksounds.com /reviews/contender.htm (753 words)

	Political Film Society - The Contender
		Clearly, the film is telling Washingtonians that American democracy depends upon a debate on issues of national and international importance rather than gossip and rumors, for which the Political Film Society nominates The Contender for awards as best film raising consciousness of the need for greater democracy and improved human rights.
		Dedicated "To our daughters," the film indicates that those involved in the movie are arguing that the time has come for qualified women to break through glass ceilings that prevent them from rising to positions of responsibility at the top of corporate and political ladders.
		The Contender demonstrates that men of both major political parties are quite capable of mean-spirited political chicanery to advance their own partisan, personal, and policy agendas, with the press willing dupes in mudslinging.
	www.geocities.com /~polfilms/contender.html (381 words)

	THE CONTENDER
		She claims that if she was a man, no one would care how many sexual partners she had in college and that she's standing up for the rights of women to be treated equally in matters of their sexuality.
		If the film maker's truly believed that, they never would have revealed the truth, leaving her past actions ambiguous and therefore making them irrelevant.
		Despite the fact that the film reneges on some of principle points, it was still extremely engaging.
	crazy4cinema.com /Review/FilmsC/f_contender.html (923 words)

	DVD Review: The Contender
		Colors vary a bit; there are some slightly more vibrant scenes such as a when the characters walk through a flower garden early on, but mainly, "The Contender" is not a very bold-looking or colorful film for the remainder, as it mainly takes place in cold-looking offices and rooms.
		There's also a good deal of discussion and praise for the actors that worked on the film (as well as Allen, who he wrote the film for) as well as analysis of the story.
		Although I agree the film is somewhat flawed, I still found the performances very strong and overall, it was an entertaining drama.
	www.currentfilm.com /dvdreviews2/contenderdvd.html (1272 words)

	Rod Lurie's The Contender
		That film has now come to fruition and is The Contender (2000), a political drama that arrives in the wake of investigations into President Clinton's sexual exploits and the Republican Party's efforts to discredit him as a result of his intimacies with women other than his wife.
		The film clearly professes a liberal perspective in its adherence to the high moral ground, and in the President's desire to elevate a woman to such a coveted and prestigious position not through a cynical attempt at vote grabbing but simply through her suitability for the role.
		The Contender wants to be a fighter and for a good half of the film it performs well, but finally, and in defiance of its initial purpose, it placidly sits down on the mat when the bell sounds for the final round.
	www.sensesofcinema.com /contents/01/13/contender.html (1982 words)

	The Contender
		One of the most notable facets of the Contender's score is its collection of complex melodies - in most of the shorter cues, the melody utilizes the entire length of the cue to develop, never repeating its thematic material due to the brevity of the piece.
		The Contender's final underscore track remains subdued, presenting a minimalistic, minor-key passage for dense strings and vibraphone.
		In the end, simplicity proves to be a virtue for The Contender, masking ingenuity into a collection of short, straightforward cues that manage to transcend the typically banal cliché of Americana, instead presenting a remarkably poignant and touching theme that functions as one of the best of the year.
	scoresheet.tripod.com /Reviews/Contender.html (657 words)

	The Contender
		Toward the end of the film, things have stacked up against her winning as the cloud remains over her on the college sex scandal.
		In her case, she makes it clear without straddling the middle that she is pro choice, supports using US troops to police the world from genocide, is an atheist, and considers the Supreme Court to be a bunch of right wingers doing great harm to the country.
		The Contender is a good film that had the potential for greatness had the insight been expanded beyond sexism.
	www.reelmoviecritic.com /2000/id614.htm (1033 words)

	The Contender
		The film ends with a quadruple twist (1) the other VP candidate faked the car incident (2) the VP actually didn't take part in the sex scandals (3) the VP decides to withdraw her nomination rather than defend herself, even though she is innocent of the charges (4) the Pres refuses to accept her withdrawal
		So the film is not as intelligent as it would like you to believe, and nowhere near as daring, but a good watch nonetheless.
		Films under five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film, equivalent to about one and a half stars from the critics or less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.
	www.scoopy.com /contender.htm (1571 words)

	The Contender
		The 1962 film was made at the height of the Red Scare, so the plot revolved around the political morality of right against left, with a strong, almost preachy, moral message.
		Joan Allen, for the first time in all of her respectable career, is the center of attention in "The Contender" and she proves her capability as a first rate actor quite able to control the center stage.
		The film's 'bad guy' is just not that fl and white in the hand of this actor.
	www.reelingreviews.com /thecontender.htm (1884 words)

	Review of "The Contender" (2000) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		As the film opens, the Vice President of the United States has died, and the President (Jeff Bridges) is under pressure to fill the vacant position.
		Even Gary Oldman, one of the film’s stars, has reportedly come out against the way DreamWorks tampered with the original cut of the film and is now using the movie to try and manipulate the American public with its negative caricatures of Republicans and its unabashed embrace of liberals ideals.
		The Contender, however, takes the easy way out, and gives the audience what it thinks are the right answers instead of leaving it up to moviegoers to draw their own conclusions.
	www.filmaholic.net /reviews_contender.html (560 words)

	The Contender (2000) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		Writer/director Rod Lurie's `The Contender' marks a significant advance in both technique and storytelling ability for this fledgling filmmaker over his sole previous cinematic effort, `Deterrence.' This former L.A. film critic-turned-filmmaker has created a crackerjack political thriller attuned to the temper of its times.
		In a similar way, `The Contender,' may come out foursquare against the obsession we seem to have concerning the sex lives of our elected officials – but it sure has a fun time devoting two solid hours to the topic.
		As with virtually all films of a political nature, the characters' actions are occasionally inexplicable within the context of practical politics.
	www.imdb.com /Title?0208874 (1024 words)

	Review: The Contender (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		The Contender, a low-key political thriller that relies primarily on character interaction to develop tension, is a close cousin to Lurie's previous cinematic endeavor, Deterrence.
		While the term "contender" has a number of meanings, it is most commonly associated with boxing.
		Contenders dance across the canvas, often broken and bleeding, but never bowing out until they have been pummeled into senselessness.
	movie-reviews.colossus.net /movies/c/contender.html (1062 words)

	The Contender (2000): Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges, Gary Oldman, Christian Slater - PopMatters Film Review
		The film is confused on more that just that score, however, as it succumbs to a libertarian advocacy for individuated privacy rights rather than take the risk of suggesting that sex is always a public issue.
		Though the subject of The Contender's protracted debate — sex — is simply a smokescreen and even though Hanson tells the President that she doesn't smoke (either dick or cigars, what's the diff?), she buys into the libertarian fantasy of maintaining both her privacy and even that of her nemesis.
		Post-Lewinsky, the film suggests that the American public is more concerned with the confession of sexual impropriety than the fact that it took place at all (if only Bill had told the truth!).
	www.popmatters.com /film/reviews/c/contender.shtml (1836 words)

	TNMC DVD: The Contender
		The film's concept is that the US Vice President has died and a replacement is needed.
		The remainder of the film follows the fierce opposition her confirmation encounters in Congress.
		The film is both entertaining and thought provoking as it takes a look behind the scenes of politics in Washington.
	www.tnmc.org /dvd/contender.shtml (388 words)

	The Contender (2000) DVD
		The wingnuts are delusional about their own immorality and firmly believe that practicing evil in the pursuit of some illusionary moral code is permissible, when in fact they just are evil.
		Because this Hollywood delight -- and it is a Hollywood film to be sure -- brings to the foreground the Democratic/Republican conflict through the story of a female U.S. Senator (Joan Allen) who is nominated to become vice-president to fill a vacancy after a death.
		We said it was a Hollywood film and it tugs at your heart strings, if YOU worship in the chapel of democracy.
	www.buzzflash.com /reviews/05/rev05025.html (572 words)

	DVD REVIEW: "THE CONTENDER "
		Such skeleton hunting and unearthing is part of the entertaining, well-conceived, and executed premise of "The Contender," a crackerjack political drama that was easily one of the best films of 2000.
		Former film critic turned writer/director Rod Lurie has certainly blossomed since his debut with "Deterrence." While that film had its moments, it was essentially a one-set variation of "Failsafe" that had its share of both decent and somewhat ridiculous material.
		Although the film is rather clear-cut in who it wants us to root for as its hero and hate as the villain, neither they nor many of the other characters are pure fl and white, or right or wrong.
	www.screenit.com /dvd/2000/the_contender.html (1142 words)

	The Contender
		It heightens the experience, not only because it is so apropos, but there is always the chance the morality lesson of this film may sway some voters.
		As the film opens he is fishing from a small boat, under a bridge, with another man who happens to be a reporter.
		However, the message at the heart of this film is a difficult one of some audience members to accept, and that is the woman in the White House angle.
	www.filmmonthly.com /Video/Articles/Contender/Contender.html (1010 words)

	TNMC Movies: Reviews: The Contender
		The political film "The Contender" is a thinly veiled (or not so thinly veiled) re-examination of the political scandal that was a media dream several years ago.
		The difference that this film portrays is, what if, instead of denying the act and then getting caught in a lie, what if Clinton had simply said "it's none of your business?" This is what Senator Hanson does, refusing to stoop to the level of her opposition.
		It is rare that a woman in film can portray strength, sincerity, and vulnerability all at once, but Allen does it masterfully and allows us to forget about the politics she represents, so that it doesn't matter if we disagree with her political platform.
	www.tnmc.org /ind/contender.html (1016 words)

	The Contender (2000)
		In recent films like The American President or Dave, we had the feeling that what was going on was at the center of the country's utmost concern (whether or not the people had any idea), and that we had something to lose had things transpired differently.
		Although this is certainly not a bad film, the problem with The Contender is that it doesn't seem to capture the grand-scheme of things, and in general comes off as far too simple and insignificant.
		It is this type of even-handedness that gives the film credibility, however, the last fifteen minutes is such a complete betrayal to the rest of the story that it loses any message it may have been carrying.
	www.moovees.com /review/contender.html (763 words)

	Top Box Office Movies - The Contender
		Oldman is as always a great antagonist, and Allen as the film’s hopeless victim seems to slide from scene to scene comforting herself in the notion that she will never confess to these charges, therefore standing by her principles and morality.
		As far as the film is concerned, Joan Allen received an Oscar nomination for her role as the principle following, atheist guided turn as the Senator who will not conform and confess to the charges laid against her.
		The film makes it a point at stressing the fact that all politicians are meticulously deceptive and conniving, therefore using their skills to get their way.
	www.theworldjournal.com /special/movies/2001/contender.htm (678 words)

	The Contender Review (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		Kicking off with an unusual opening, the film spends most of its first act languishing around doing pretty much nothing and is quite boring in fact, but once the committee hearings begin and the drama unfolds it quickly turns interesting.
		The problems of this film lie in that slow and muddled first act, but mostly in the very weak ending which is basically not only just a cop out but ends in a very predictable 'proud speech' kind of way.
		If you're going to do a film which basically focuses on an issue such as this that could be very biting, you should go all the way (ala "Wag the Dog") rather than soft peddle it for the mainstream (ala "Primary Colors").
	www.darkhorizons.com /reviews/conten-n.php (507 words)

	JoBlo reviews the movie "The Contender"
		While both films are indeed inspirational, I would recommend TUCKER to anyone who wants to see a real-life tale of a man pursuing his dreams through an enormous amount of adversity.
		In this film, he completely personifies this character, creating a man who can only be described as memorable beyond belief (he even managed to make him irritating while chewing on a piece of meat...grrrr, stop making all that noise, you bastard!).
		As she told Rod at one point during the filming, her character needed to be vulnerable to be powerful.
	www.joblo.com /contender.htm (2202 words)

	DreamWorks SKG Fansite-The Contender (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		Like his first film, the artistic and commercial disappointment "Deterrence'' (1999), "The Contender'' is set in the political arena and revolves around the power elite.
		The large, talented cast elevates the film, particularly Allen, who uses her trademark intelligence and dignity to give a commanding performance.
		The film stars Gary Oldman, Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges and Christian Slater is a political thriller about an extraordinary Vice President in an ordinary situation.
	www.dreamworksfansite.com /contender (958 words)

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