The Candidate (1972)

Hard to believe it's not an election year, what with all the attention to who's running. In light of that, I moved the most obviously political movie to the top of my queue. I hear it's popular with politicians -- at least Democrats, seeing as the protagonist is one. (James Stewart declined a role because he disapproved of the opponent's portrayal.)

As grown-up as the focus is, the plot remains easy to summarize, as the laconic Netflix jacket reveals. Improbably named Sen. Crocker Jarmon (R-Calif.) seems to have a reelection in the bag. Election specialist Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) thinks the best he can do for the Dems is make a good impression, not secure a win. He chooses Bill McCay (Robert Redford), because McCay is both much younger than Jarmon and the son of a former governor (Melvyn Douglas), thus possibly appealing to different generations. Lucas tells McCay up front to say pretty much whatever he wants. This works out better than anyone predicted, which ironically leads to some pressure for McCay to start doing things more by the book....

With the cover image of McCay blowing a gum bubble, I wondered whether this movie would be for Redford what Bulworth was for Warren Beatty: a daydream about a blunt but pretty cool guy making a splash at the polls. Obviously, there'd be less of a focus on black voters, but McCay does pick up a few.

It turns out that TC is a lot more credible -- and that's a problem. More than one source calls it a comedy-drama, but I almost never got the sense that it was even trying to be funny. Was it the dark, bitter headiness of the '70s creeping in, what with McCay rarely enjoying himself? I must admit that the Silver Age of Hollywood didn't produce many laughs in my book. Those who didn't take the Mel Brooks approach wanted more attention to the serious side. I like Network, but at least it knows enough to exaggerate a bit.

I can't say I like the pacing of TC either. The film takes little time to set the campaign in motion. Before the first half hour was up, I already felt pretty wiped. Clearly, I would never make it as a real candidate.

In a way, the movie's relevance has endured. Democrats still embrace all the points that McCay covers, even if they're not the biggest hot-button topics of today. In another way, it's hopelessly dated, and I don't mean the fashion. Long before Donald Trump entered the race, McCay's style lost its edge. He may be a little raw, but I could hardly tell the difference as the story progressed. Exactly what asset stands out about him compared to other candidates of his party? (He did get some real-life write-ins that year, FWIW.)

Nowadays, you might do better to view TC as a slightly whimsical procedural rather than an outright satire. Either way, I found it only fitfully interesting.