Search

The Contender

2000, Movie, R, 126 mins

CONTENDER, THE
starstarstarstar
A treat for a nation weaned on tawdry political scandal, televised House Judiciary hearings and The West Wing, this smart political thriller gets pulses pounding with zero pyrotechnics and only one car crash. Academy Award-nominee Joan Allen stars as a state senator who's tapped by President Jeff Bridges to fill the office of his recently deceased veep. She appears to be a shoo-in, until her political nemesis (Gary Oldman) uncovers something very nasty from Madame Senator's past. Read the complete review for The Contender
Year: 2000
Rated R

User Rating: (3 ratings)
Add Your Rating: 1 stars2 stars3 stars4 stars5 stars

Cast
Gary Oldman: Shelly Ruyon
Joan Allen: Laine Hanson
Jeff Bridges: President Jackson Evans
Christian Slater: Reginald Webster
Sam Elliott: Kermit Newman
William Petersen: Jack Hathaway

 

more The Contender cast & details

Loading...

Will Ever Carradine Bed Chief's Hubby?

C.J., you know we love ya, but there's a shiny new spin doctor in the White House, and she's being played by Ever Carradine on ABC's Commander in Chief (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET). As Kelly Ludlow, she puts the best possible face on Mackenzie Allen's scrutinized presidency, all the while fielding furtive glances from the first son and lending her ear to the first gentleman. Carradine, whose previous long-term series gig was as the girl-toy of Sela Ward's ex-husband on Once and Again, chatted with TVGuide.com about life in TV's "other" West Wing. TVGuide.com: I totally remember you as Once and Again's Tiffany. She was such a sad little… what's the wo read more

I've seen some beloved shows ...

Question: I've seen some beloved shows of mine — Angel (still sobbing and boycotting WB) and Dead Like Me (still P.O.'d, considering Showtime's recent clichéd and unoriginal attempts at drama) — canceled over the last few years. That's why I was so pleasantly surprised to see The Contender resurrected to air on ESPN next year. Do you think The Contender will be more successful next year considering it will be on a sports network with lower ratings expectations and with much better opportunities to promote the show (e.g., SportsCenter coverage)? Also, isn't it redeeming that in this money-obsessed, ratings-grabbing age of TV a show's producers believed in the show's concept? Sylvester Stallone vowed to fight for the show. I think it's great that he succeeded. Answer: I'm not sure I'd classify the resurrection of a reality dud on cable as a triumph, especially since it wasn't so much the quality of the show as the size of the producers' egos (Stallone, Mark Burnett, et al.) that accounts ... read more

Advertisement

Advertisement