The Candidate

Name: The Candidate
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: June 29, 1972
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Allen Garfield, Don Porter, Karen Carlson, Kenneth Tobey, Melvyn Douglas

1972

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Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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7.0

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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The Candidate

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: June 29, 1972 | TV-14

Starring: Allen Garfield, Don Porter, Karen Carlson, Kenneth Tobey, Melvyn Douglas, Michael Lerner, Morgan Upton, Peter Boyle, Quinn K. Redeker, Robert Redford

Summary: Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.

Director: Michael Ritchie

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy

Rating: TV-14

Runtime: 110 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Arthur Knight

Redford, who dominates the picture, has never been more assured or appealing. Read full review

100

Staff (Not Credited)

The Candidate is an excellent drama starring Robert Redford as a naive liberal political novice who wises up fast...Redford’s superior acting talents, which not-often-enough are tapped by the scripts he decides to do, are nearly all on display herein in a virtuoso peformance. Read full review

Vincent Canby

One of the few good, truly funny American political comedies ever made. Read full review

Empire Kim Newman

With Redford giving one of his best comedic performances, helped by a Oscar winning script, The Candidate is witty and charming, while looking good and proving quite memorable, like Redford's lawyer. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Handlers, spin-doctors, and the good man they lead astray. Jeremy Larner's Academy Award-winning screenplay provides a voyage into the sea of politics; the result is a fascinating film that sometimes feels like a documentary. Despite minor glitches, this is a prophetic glimpse of politics in the age of TV. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Redford's inability to suggest any irony about himself finally sinks it—it's the only sanctimonious satire you'll ever see. Read full review

Andrew Sarris

But why would so many critics fall for a piece of cheese like “The Candidate?” Robert Redford cultism? Partly, I suppose. Read full review

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FantasticMrMe04

Jan 25, 2021

The Candidate is a good political drama. Since today is Election Day in the United States I decided to watch a policial drama. This film was a pleasant surprise it was a neat time capsule into the political climate of the early 70s. The plot is good it’s an entertaining and character drivenThe Candidate is a good political drama. Since today is Election Day in the United States I decided to watch a policial drama. This film was a pleasant surprise it was a neat time capsule into the political climate of the early 70s. The plot is good it’s an entertaining and character driven story. It’s a pretty simple story on the surface but deep down it’s really thought provoking. Slowly the story becomes deeper and more psychologically interesting. The pacing is good it’s well paced even though it can feel slow burn at times. The acting is great Robert Redford gives a great performance. His character is very charming and fun to follow throughout the film. His character honestly is a great example of a good man being seduced by political/social power. Allen Garfield and Peter Boyle give decent supporting performances as well. This film would have been a lot better than it already is if the supporting cast matched up to Redford’s performance. The direction is good from Michael Ritchie and Jeremy Larner’s script is great. It’s such a fresh and realistic script, it definitely deserved to win Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars in 1972. The cinematography is pretty good but nothing special or memorable. The comedy is decent this film has some well written and subtle humor. The humor mostly comes from witty one liners. The ending is a thought provoking and satisfying ending. Overall The Candidate is a witty and character driven political drama that is very memorable.

76% B+… Expand

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