Dre's American Movie: The Contender

On the surface this movie might not seem like an ideal candidate for a patriotic film. So much of the movie concentrates on everything that is wrong with our political process and culture as a whole. The Contender deals with the superficial aspects that suffocate Washington such as spin doctoring and sensationalism. We've become a tabloid nation, sometimes with little shame and it's always nice to see when something like this happens.

If you're a little in the dark, The Contender is the story of Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) who is selected by President Evans (Jeff Bridges) to become the first female Vice President in the history of the nation. But first she must pass through confirmation hearings, lead by Representative Sheldon Runyon (Gary Oldman). When accusations erupt that she took part in a deviant sex act in college, Runyan and his minions (one of them played by Christian Slater) are set for a political crucifixion.

For a while, you're never quite sure if the accusations are true because Allen's character fails to dignify them with a response and there lies the film's moral and ethical dilemma. In her eyes, it's immaterial as to whether or not she could handle the job as Vice President of this country. She becomes something of a Joan of Ark, feeling pressures from both sides of the aisle, but the great thing about Laine Hanson is she won't back down. It's a black and white issue.

Some critics have accused Joan Allen's character as being too saintly and unrealistic because she refuses to dignify the accusations with a response. She feels it is not only beneath her, but beneath the system, the very political process she wishes to guard. I normally wouldn't argue the point, but the film takes a very defined turn in it's last act. It is no longer a dark political film, but a truly inspiring one of American ideals. It does this really in the blink of an eye but it works because it hits the right notes at the right times.

In the film's final moments Jeff Bridges gives a speech that would make Frank Capra and Cargill's Capraesque patriotic pick, proud. Much like Michael Douglas's An American President speech, the one Bridges' stentorian voice speaks will raise the hair on your neck and get those goosebumps bumping. It's a speech and act that would never fly in real-life modern politics. The days of such earnestness are all but gone, but that doesn't stop us from dreaming; it didn't stop Capra.

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Dre writes three times a week for Film.com, covering Movies and DVD with his Floridian flare. E-mail him!

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