Back in the late ‘80s, it seemed a given that Colorado Senator Gary Hart was a lock to secure his party’s nomination to be President of the United States. After finishing second to Vice President Walter Mondale in 1984—but making a huge splash in the process—he was the presumptive nominee in 1988. What happened? History has showed us that a sex scandal took down the charismatic politician in a way that was first of its kind.
That entire saga is chronicled in the supremely dramatic, new to DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download, The Front Runner starring Hugh Jackman—who gives a dazzling performance.
Jackman is Hart, and merely the tip of the cast iceberg of awesomeness. Vera Farmiga blows us away as his wife, Lee, J.K. Simmons is extraordinary as Hart’s campaign manager, Bill Dixon, Alfred Molina is Ben Bradlee, Washington Post senior editor (who we also saw recently in The Post), and Sara Paxton tackles the role of Donna Rice (the woman Hart had an affair with), while Ari Graynor portrays the late Ann Devroy, The Post’s political editor.
What is so fascinating about The Front Runner, among many elements, is that the film takes place in a time before sensational journalism blurred with political journalism and those writing these stories and those report on the presidential campaign were confronted with an at-the-time ethical dilemma. Never before had the news media paid any attention to the private life of those in office. It was widely known that John Kennedy and others—even Lyndon Johnson—had affairs, but it was a thing that the press ignored it. Suddenly with the Hart scandal, it was front page news and the 24-hour news stations could not get enough… there fore print media had to follow suite.
Watching Jackman as Hart is a marvel as he simply seethes with anger because of his long-held belief that this is not a story worth talking about, all while the issue was slowly, but surely, sinking his bid to be president. It is a powerful performance by a veteran actor whose range seems to know no bounds. One minute, he’s The Greatest Showman and the next he’s the greatest president that never happened. Through his performance, one can see how being the poster child for something that politicians have been getting away with for centuries is something else. The Aussie firmly commands in the role and it is one of his best performances to date. If the film had actually done better or garnered more attention than it did, we might be talking about him and an Oscar nomination.
For many, including this writer, The Front Runner is a tragic tale of the highest order. Hart would have made a brilliant, compassionate and courageous leader of the free world, just as our Cold War enemy was imploding. Instead, Hart was among the first to become fodder for sensational news outlets that normally troll for celebrity gossip and stay out of the Beltway. It does demand a debate. Do we require more of our public servants because of their innate moral responsibility as leaders? And if so, where do we as the public and journalists as well, draw the line between news we need and privacy they require? Get the impression that witnessing Jackman’s latest is going to get discussions going? You’d be correct.
Farmiga, as she always is, is sensational. There is one line of dialogue she delivers that tells us all we need to know about Hart’s wife. Lee Hart was a dedicated political wife and keenly was aware of the world that she and her family were firmly entrenched in. So, when she says, “I just always asked you not to embarrass me,” one can unequivocally discern that not only had Hart crossed the line professionally, but personally.
Simmons is his usual stellar self as the Oscar winner commands every scene he’s in and through his performance we see a man who keenly knows that the political world he once knew has passed and where his place in this new reality… well, that’s anyone’s guess.
The key to this entire sordid story is Ms. Rice. Paxton does something extraordinary. She commands empathy from the viewer, all the while we firmly know that she engaged in a sexual relationship with a married man. As The Front Runner illustrates, she was insolated by the campaign at first, and then released to the dogs of daily newspapers, television networks and anyone with a political opinion.
Jason Reitman co-wrote and directed this political piece of gold. The helmer has such an even hand with the nuances of a political cinematic experience that is also equally a study in interpersonal relationships as much as it is a look into the life of a presidential campaign. Earlier in the year, he gave us the stunning Tully. The Front Runner couldn’t be further from the landscape that the Charlize Theron-starring movie inhabits. Yet, both emit that Reitman command of character and his ability to get the most out of his cast collective.
From the point of view of history and political science, the Hart scandal can be seen as such a turning point and it is one that we have never recovered from since.
For more on the film itself, don’t miss our theatrical The Front Runner review.
The Unmasking of a Candidate bonus feature takes us inside the making of another Reitman gem. The cast and crew give incredible insight into their thoughts on the real Hart and how the film could not be more relevant today. After all, we have a leader who has all but admitted he has had multiple affairs and paid off the women to stay quiet. The fifteen-minute-plus featurette is utterly fascinating as it puts the film into a larger societal and political scope. Its spotlighting how the Hart scandal permanently changed the social, media and political worlds we inhabit. Also nice is hearing all the love the cast has for each other and for their helmer. Making The Front Runner sounds like it was pure bliss.
The other bonus feature is the filmmaker commentary track. After bringing this film home and adding it to your collection, the second time you view it, make sure you turn on that commentary. Reitman is joined by producer Helen Estabrook, his production designer Steve Saklad, Cinematographer Eric Steelberg and even costume designer Danny Glicker. That vast and diverse pool of brilliance adds so much to the experience that is The Front Runner. Each has their own two cents on the subject matter, and it is colorful.
Film Grade: B+
Bonus Features: B