DramaThriller

The Contender

- Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot.

The vice president is dead, and as the president makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival. When Senator Laine Hanson is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.

Release Date : 2000-10-13

Language :GermanEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : CinerentaCinecontender InternationaleBattleplan ProductionsSE8 GroupDreamWorks Pictures

Production Country : GermanyUnited KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Laine Hanson

Original Name : Joan Allen

Gender : Female

Character Name : Shelly Runyon

Original Name : Gary Oldman

Gender : Male

Character Name : President Jackson Evans

Original Name : Jeff Bridges

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reginald Webster

Original Name : Christian Slater

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kermit Newman

Original Name : Sam Elliott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jack Hathaway

Original Name : William Petersen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jerry Tolliver

Original Name : Saul Rubinek

Gender : Male

Character Name : Oscar Billings

Original Name : Philip Baker Hall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lewis Hollis

Original Name : Mike Binder

Gender : Male

Character Name : William Hanson

Original Name : Robin Thomas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paige Willomina

Original Name : Kathryn Morris

Gender : Female

Character Name : Fiona Hathaway

Original Name : Kristen Shaw

Gender : Female

Character Name : Makerowitz

Original Name : Douglas Urbanski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Timmy

Original Name : Noah Fryrear

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dierdra

Original Name : Angelica Page

Gender : Female

Character Name : Paul Smith

Original Name : Joseph Lyle Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Congressman Skakle

Original Name : Kevin Geer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Congressman Harding

Original Name : Doug Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cynthia Lee

Original Name : Mariel Hemingway

Gender : Female

Character Name : Congressman Marshall

Original Name : Bev Appleton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Glenda

Original Name : Sandra Register

Gender : Female

Character Name : Peter Crenshaw

Original Name : Anthony Booth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Steve Poullet

Original Name : Andrew Boothby

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maggie Runyon

Original Name : Irene Ziegler

Gender : Female

Character Name : Director Friend

Original Name : Del Driver

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wilke

Original Name : Sean Pratt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anchorman

Original Name : Bill Bevins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Show Producer

Original Name : Ed Sala

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stevenson

Original Name : Kirk Penberthy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stagehand

Original Name : Justin Dray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter #4

Original Name : David Laubacher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aide

Original Name : David Bridgewater

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secret Service Chief

Original Name : Kevin Grantz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Congressman Fletcher

Original Name : Michael Kennedy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Congressman Jones

Original Name : David Londoner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Larry King

Original Name : Larry King

Gender : Male

Character Name : ABU Hunter

Original Name : Amit Mehta

Gender : Male

Character Name : Patricia Lavameer

Original Name : Catherine Shaffner

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sheila

Original Name : Liz Marks

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Sherri Richmond

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Teresa Jones

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Lynn West

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elaine Bidwell

Original Name : Heather Rosbeck

Gender : Female

Character Name : Secretary

Original Name : Dawn Westbrook

Gender : Female

Character Name : Maid

Original Name : Jolene Carroll

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Michael Goodwin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aide (uncredited)

Original Name : Ashly Covington

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nurse (uncredited)

Original Name : Cynthia Webb

Gender : Female

Character Name : Drowning Victim (uncredited)

Original Name : Caryn Mower

Gender : Female

Character Name : Congressman (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Shepherd

Gender : Male

Character Name : White House Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : Denis Maloney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Congressional Aid (uncredited)

Original Name : Lucas N. Hall

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-08-28

Joan Allen is an American senator who is nominated to replace a recently deceased Vice-President by Jeff Bridges ("President Evans"). Once her confirmation hearing begins, she finds her rather interesting private life under the scrutiny of hostile committee chairman Gary Oldman who is determined to expose every aspect of her life - past and present - to the public. Oscar-nominated Allen is good as the feisty, intelligent, senator but the rest of this is all rather lacklustre and frequently overly contrived, with plenty of dramatic events designed to enhance the plot rather then create any sense of plausibility. Against the backdrop of the Clinton impeachment trial, the film had a certain resonance and it certainly does not show the constitutional processes, nor the male-dominated American establishment's approach to women, in a good light, but the older it gets, the less that causal impact it has and is now little better than a run-of-the-mill political drama that struggles to distinguish itself.