jorgepedro-18183 Bill Mccay is prepositioned by a political analyst to stand against a Republican elective who is such a sure-shot guarantee that other established democrats are refusing to run against him. Mccay being young, handsome and idealistic is chosen to lessen the blow according to the analyst. Mccay enters the challenge hoping to impart his message to the masses- regardless of the outcome. Unfortunately, he is found to be too good and ends up winning the election. This is a great comedy drama in the political realm and Robert Redford is excellent as the handsome idealistic Mccay. The film has garnered much acclaim since release and if you enjoy a good political movie then the Candidate is a fine choice.

terasamay Bill Mccay is prepositioned by a political analyst to stand against a Republican elective who is such a sure-shot guarantee that other established democrats are refusing to run against him. Mccay being young, handsome and idealistic is chosen to lessen the blow according to the analyst. Mccay enters the challenge hoping to impart his message to the masses- regardless of the outcome. Unfortunately, he is found to be too good and ends up winning the election. This is a great comedy drama in the political realm and Robert Redford is excellent as the handsome idealistic Mccay. The film has garnered much acclaim since release and if you enjoy a good political movie then the Candidate is a fine choice.

LeonLouisRicci The Polished Veneer of Politics has Become Unvarnished Since this "Insider" Uncovering Circa 1972. It was Much More Interesting, For Sure, During it's Initial Release (now this stuff is common everyday knowledge), But that Doesn't Mean that it is Irrelevant or Dated or Uninteresting.The Perfect Casting of Robert Redford as an Idealist Lawyer with No Interest in Politics is Recruited to Run for U.S. Senator and Convinced to do so Because He is Told that He Can Get His Ideas Heard and in The End..."You Lose".Peter Boyle is Quite Good as the "King Maker" and the Media Machine Behind The Candidate is Convincingly Portrayed. In Fact the Whole Political Scene from the Early Seventies is Given Gravitas by the Screenplay Penned by Former Eugene McCarthy Speechwriter Jeremy Larner, and Received an Oscar for This Work.Overall, it is a Bit Startling, but Maybe Not, that the Issues Presented in the Campaign are Still Debated and Divisive Today. Also, the Rules of the Game Haven't Changed That Much Either. The Preparation, the Concessions, the Presentation, the Do's and Don'ts are Pretty Much the Same Now as Forty Years Ago.The Film was a Big Hit, a Liberal Wish Fulfillment During the Nixon Years and the Vietnam Era, but it Wasn't the Electorate or Electrifying Left Wing Candidates that Silenced (at least for a little while) the "Silent Majority". It was "Tricky Dicks" Dirty Tactics and the Cover-up and His Loathsome Vice President's (Spiro Agnew) Corruption.

vincentlynch-moonoi "The Candidate" was the second film in which I saw Robert Redford; the first was "Jeremiah Johnson". Both were released in 1972. And I knew from the moment I saw this film that Redford was something special.40 years, and at the base level, it's clear that politics hasn't changed too much. Yes, there's a lot of big money involved now, but the basics of candidate and voter is about the same...except less vitriol.There's not exactly a plot here. It's more a story of a political pro attempting to make a modern "do-gooder" into his candidate. Redford plays an idealistic community organizer who doesn't really want to be senator, but goes along with it and then gets wrapped up in it. Not a plot, but a story about relationships and the evolution of a candidacy.It's interesting to see some old familiar faces -- Natalie Wood, Howard K. Smith, and others.Redford is superb. But then again, he almost always was. This was probably one of Peter Boyle's best roles, and Allen Garfield was impressive, as well. Melvyn Douglas was a pleasure to see in his role as the candidate's father. And Don Porter showed his versatility in playing the old favorite Republican candidate.It's hard to find a negative in this film. It's worth watching and perhaps having on your DVD shelf.