The Candidate

The Candidate (1972)
Director: Michael Ritchie
Cast: Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglass
Memorable Line: "What do we do now?"

A charismatic anti-establishment candidate, Bill McKay (Redford), guaranteed to lose takes on the established candidate to make a statement. And make a statement he does. When it looks like he's narrowing the margin, suddenly the ground rules change and he's forced to decide whether to comprise a little here and slide his stances a little that way until he's not sure if he's establishment or not anymore.

A wonderful look at the political process from the candidates view, the strength is in the script that shows us the good, the bad and the ugly of the process of running for office. There are some unforgettable scenes with one sterling example being when the candidate visits a TV studio simply cracks up trying give his campaign spiel for the thousandth time.

Redford is perfect cast for the role of Bill McKay. He has the star power, charm, and genuineness to embody the role of the idealistic candidate. Peter Boyle is quite convincing as the campaign manager with the silver tongue. Melvyn, playing McKay's estranged father, does a fine turn as experienced and elder statesman who the younger McKay must ask for an endorsement.

Although made in 1972, this movie is nearly timeless in its message. If you want an inside portrait into the political process, give "The Candidate" a try.