The Front Runner

The Front Runner

Starring Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, Sara Paxton

Directed by Jason Reitman

The Story:
In 1984, Senator Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) lost his bid for the Democratic Party's choice for President to Walter Mondale, but in 1988 he once again ran and became the front runner for the nomination.  He was young and headstrong, who always stayed on message, and seemingly had the perfect family life with wife Lee (Vera Farmiga) and their two young children.

When word reaches the Miami Herald of Donna Rice (Sara Paxton) - a woman that Hart has been seeing on the side - they set out to investigate the claim and unearth a slew of immoral actions by Hart, but he doesn't seem to care, because all he cares about are the facts and not divulging his private life - but soon he might not have a choice.

The Synopsis:
A surprising fact people might not know about me is that I love following politics, but I never talk about it because all it does is stir up anger and no one's minds will be changed, but instead both sides will more than likely end up angrier than before.  I won't talk about what I believe because it's not relevant, but films like this really draw me in and leaves me wondering why the heck anyone would want to go into political office anyway.  Maybe it's the money, the prestige, or popularity, but none of those seem like adequate reasons to work in politics and deal with the press constantly scrutinizing your life with a fine-tooth comb.  Maybe they actually want to help the American people and make a change...somehow I managed to type that out without laughing hysterically.  In any event, politics has changed a lot since 1988, where this movie takes place.  Back then, a politician's private life was make or break for them, whereas now it seems more like an inconsequential side-note that won't disqualify someone from becoming a politician.

"The Front Runner" focuses on the story of Gary Hart, a successful Senator with aspirations of becoming President.  He ran for the Democratic nomination in 1984 but lost to Walter Mondale, and four years later he once again set his sights on the White House, and this time he became the front runner for the nomination.  Hart was young and debonair, offering something new to the world of politics which were often an older man's game, but he was incredibly stoic and secretive, not really talking about his personal life because he didn't feel it was necessary.

When word got out that Hart was having an affair on his wife, it was a national scandal.  Still, despite the rumors and innuendos swirling around him, Hart refused to talk about the situation and tried to keep course on his talking points, but no matter how many times he tried to sway the conversation, it always came back to his personal life.  It took a toll on not just him, but his wife, children, campaign workers, and even the woman he was having an affair with.  No one was left unscathed, which led to Hart suspending his bid for President (that's not a spoiler, obviously we never had a President Hart).

Jason Reitman is a terrific director who's given gems like "Up in the Air," "Juno," and "Thank You for Smoking" (as well as his other most recent work, "Tully"), and here he once again delivers a solid directorial performance, but the script itself had much to be desired.  Although Gary Hart was at the center of the controversy (as well as the film), there never seemed to be any real clarity as to why he did what he did, and the reasoning behind his unwillingness to talk about it.  The film could've been a powerful gut-punch to anyone wishing to enter politics, but instead it served as a way to possibly earn Hugh Jackman another Oscar nomination (although it's looking not-so-likely), at the cost of a thought-provoking story and underused supporting actors.

Speaking about Hugh Jackman, the film would've been terrible if he wasn't the star.  Even though he seemed too old for the part, he still gave it his all and produced another terrific performance that should be recognized, even if the film itself shouldn't.  He performs with static grace, never really showing any emotion other than forced anger at people who keep demanding to know about his personal life, which makes the viewer think there's much more seediness than what we're even given, which adds a sense of mystery to the man, but unfortunately that never gets fully flushed out - nor does anything else, for that matter.

Vera Farmiga and J.K. Simmons give decent performances as Hart's wife and campaign chairman respectively, and although they perform admirably, neither one is given anything more to work with than Jackman was, which is a shame because there could've been so much more that could've been done for them all than what the script entailed.

It's interesting to note the events leading up to Hart's resignation and the work the press did to expose him, and holding parallels to politics today.  The film makes several not-so-subtle references to today's toxic political climate, and Hart served as the first warning sign for all politicians - if you want to be President, prepare to have your life fully exposed, even if you don't want to.  Again, I have no idea why anyone would want to be a politician.

The Summary:
Although giving a terrific performance, "The Front Runner" was muddied by a lackluster script and no real depth of character, resulting in a slightly underwhelming film despite a solid performance by Hugh Jackman.

The Score: A-