Synopsis
Gary Hart, former Senator of Colorado, becomes the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1987. Hart's intelligence, charisma and idealism makes him popular with young voters, leaving him with a seemingly clear path to the White House. All that comes crashing down when allegations of an extramarital affair surface in the media, forcing the candidate to address a scandal that threatens to derail his campaign and personal life.
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Cast
- Hugh JackmanGary Hart
- Vera FarmigaLee Hart
- J.K. SimmonsBill Dixon
- Mark O'BrienBilly Shore
- Molly EphraimIrene Kelly
- Chris CoyKevin Sweeney
- Alex KarpovskyMike Stratton
- Josh BrenerDoug Wilson
- Tommy DeweyJohn B. Emerson
- Kaitlyn DeverAndrea Hart
Recommendations
- 100
Film Threat
Every line of dialog, every camera angle, every beat is precisely engineered. - 83
The Playlist
Yes, Jackman’s impressive portrayal of Hart is at the center of “The Front Runner” (it’s one of the best performances of his career), but Reitman uses a large cast of characters to give depth to the events in question. - 80
The Guardian
There’s an authenticity underpinning the portrayal of events in The Front Runner that lifts it above the less-than-groundbreaking set-up. - 80
Screen Daily
The Front Runner may cover a lot of ground and raise more questions about morality and the media than it can ever answer, but it remains a punchy, absorbing political drama. - 75
The Film Stage
Reitman and company let actions do the talking for a good two-thirds of the runtime and it’s a true joy to experience. The actors have brilliant comic timing with one another and everyone feels as though they’ve been on the road to cultivate relationships built on respect. - 75
IGN
The Front Runner is too afraid to take a side in its central debate, but a strong ensemble cast and interesting ideas about accountability and newsworthiness make this a timely and thought-provoking film. - 60
The Hollywood Reporter
The film never quite clarifies its own attitude toward Hart. It simply doesn’t spend enough time with him to allow the audience to decide whether he was a truly transformative politician undone by tabloid reporters or just another slick operator. This robs the film of a tragic dimension that it might have achieved. - 60
Variety
Hugh Jackman proves an inspired candidate to embody Hart, downplaying his brawny movie-star persona, while still conveying the twinkle-eyed sex appeal that was not only Hart’s undoing, but one of the qualities that would have made the photogenic and well-spoken senator from Colorado a logical choice to follow the country’s first movie-star president.
