Review of The Candidate (1972) by Natalie M — 04 Sep 2012

The Candidate is an ageless masterpiece. The handsome and talented Robert Redford plays lawyer turned politician. When Bill McCay (Redford) is asked to run for senate, Marvin Lucas (Boyle) promises him that he can say whatever he wants. The catch is he cannot win the race again Crocker (the enemy Republican). Unlike many political movies, The Candidate sneaks in many surprises and laughs.

One of the best moments is when McCay is walking through a crowd of fans. An older man offers him a hot dog. McCay takes it and then,out of nowhere, the man punches him square in the face. When he can't get a soda out of the machine, he loses his cool and attacks it. McCay is late for a television appearance, and when he arrives he gets a fit of the giggles. Another great scene-When he's in the back of the car, and he just starts making weird faces and gives us the peace sign. All of these tiny moments makes this movie unique and hilarious.

In many ways The Candidate reminded me of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Robert Redford is as lovable and contagious as James Stewart. It absolutely deserves the Oscar it won for writing.

There's a quote in the beginning that many probably overlook, but to me it defies the whole movie completely. A gentlemen walks up to McCay after his first speech and says"I've heard it all before, but never quite like that".

I've seen a fair amount of election movies, and none of them are quite like The Candidate.