THE
CONTENDER
The
first lesson of this film is: Make it authentic. If
you are going behind the scenes, you better be right.
Not here. A Republican wants to try to hold up a vice
presidential nomination. No one would care. The President
nominates someone who switched from Republican to
Democrat. Wouldn't happen. A freshman congressman
joins forces with an opposition leader to stop his
own President's appointment for VP. Not in a million
years. A woman accused of having sex with two men
strolls the grounds of the White House with the president
while both are smoking cigars. Right. The Republican
leader opposes the Senator because she is a woman,
and cares nothing about the fact that she is an atheist.
Not in my lifetime.
The
other lesson is: Make your hero drive the action.
This lead character, who is accused of improper sexual
behavior, is treated as a punching bag for the entire
film. She doesn't do anything but sit there with a
stiff upper lip. Basic story stuff, and it's still
true.
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