“The Front Runner” stars Hugh Jackman as presidential candidate Gary Hart.
In 1987, Hart had everything going for him. He had just stepped down as the senator of Colorado and was in the midst of leading the race for the Democratic nomination. And as the race progressed, it was apparent that his rhetoric stuck with the public.
He was the front runner – and the title of “President” was basically in the palm of his hand. As the audience is taken on Hart’s inspiring journey, we learn about his beliefs and morals and start to root for him just as most of America was at the time. The film is written by a compilation of the minds of; Jason Reitman, Matt Bai, and Jay Carson. Since the film is based on a true story, the audience is bound to leave with a few thoughts in mind. The main question this movie raises is how far is too far? When does the media need to turn the other eye in terms of private matters? When does it seem like they cross the line? The movie shows where the different spheres of Hollywood and Politics meet and intertwine.
The main source of trouble begins on a weekend in Miami when Hart attends a party on a yacht. He meets Donna Rice, played by Sara Paxton – and it’s fair to say his whole life changes after that. When a journalist receives a tip-off about a possible scandal between the two, he and his colleague travel to Washington to stakeout across the street from Hart’s townhouse. They quite literally stakeout in a car for days noting who comes in and out, taking pictures, and even confront Hart in an alley once.
It’s difficult to understand why there is so much interest in his private life while he’s running for a political office. A puzzled Hart states that people only care about gossip in Hollywood, not in politics. But he was about to be proven wrong as the world turned into a frenzy over the hidden affair. News outlets parked in front of the house his wife and daughter were staying at hoping to get a picture or quote from them. “They want to be outraged for me but the truth is it doesn’t belong to them,” says Hart’s wife, Lee. The cast does a phenomenal job in showing the downfall of a man who was about to have the highest seat in the country. It raises questions about what is right and what information the public is entitled to and what is newsworthy,
Even though the story takes place in the 1980’s Hart’s thinking is so antiquated it makes you stop and think about just how much everything has changed since then.
The Front Runner is out now.
