Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Jimmy Stewart’s earnest depiction of a small-town man’s ascent to the Senate and his surprisingly tough stand against political corruption have captured the hearts of American moviegoers for nearly 70 years. The film’s famous filibuster scene — in which Stewart’s Jefferson Smith talks for 23 straight hours — is a tour de force; his impassioned speech against Washington’s baddies is a reminder that there are still good guys out there.
The Great
McGinty
(1940)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
This is the perfect film for the politically paranoid, and it features Angela Lansbury at her best. The actress received an Oscar nod for her turn as the manipulative Mrs. Iselin, a woman so desperate for her husband to be re-elected to the Senate that she resorts to brainwashing. While this may sound like a cheap soap opera plot device, the resulting film provides a terrifying look at our political system.
The Best Man
(1964)
The Candidate (1972)
Perhaps the most classic election movie of all time, The Candidate is a close look at what power can do to even the most well-intentioned wielders. Robert Redford shines as Bill McKay, the lawyer who finds himself about to unseat the incumbent Senator from California; his performance is so convincing that there was talk of the actor actually running for office. If nothing else, The Candidate certainly proves that Robert Redford can make anything better — even the political process.
Nashville
(1975)
Dave
(1993)
Wag the
Dog (1997)
Bulworth (1998)
Primary Colors (1998)
Bill Clinton’s punching bag-factor was severely reduced by Bush's tenure, but Primary Colors — the loosely-veiled attack on Clinton’s 1992 campaign — is still one of the great political satires. Jack Stanton (John Travolta), Clinton’s onscreen doppelganger, has the potential to be a good president, but is held back by his incessant philandering. (Remember that?) Sharp and funny, the film gives an inside look (writer Joe Klein followed the Clintons on their campaign) at the craziness that’s behind every election.
Election
(1999)
Journeys
with George
(2002)
Head of
State (2003)
Man of the
Year (2006)
Recount (2008)
Most of America is still wondering what happened in the election of 2000, and HBO sympathizes. Enter Recount, this year’s Emmy winner about the Florida recount and the subsequent Supreme Court Case. Bush v. Gore is so recent that the film’s story is still eerily familiar; America’s ignorance of the events that were to follow the seminal election is chilling. The current election may seem dirty, but it doesn’t hold a candle to 2000’s bloodbath.
