The Front Runner

R

Released Nov 23, 2018

1 hr. 53 min.

Biography

Drama

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List

58%

231 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Critics Consensus

The Front Runner exhumes the wreckage of a political campaign with well-acted wit, even if it neglects to truly analyze the issues it raises.

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J. A

The sympathetic tone of this film screams: "it should be okay when democrats do it". Skip this indulgent pablum.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/04/23

Full Review

Gareth v

Nothing great. Comes across at times as if it's just going through the motions despite Jackman's best efforts.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

Full Review

meredith w

The acting is fine and the movie well-made, but there isn't a lot to it, meaning that even not knowing anything about its true-story subject matter of the scandal that derailed US presidential hopeful Gary Hart's campaign, it is difficult to feel interested or invested.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

James K

Well-acted, decently scripted, and yet the film never deeply probes or is as grippingly biting as it should be.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/22/22

Full Review

John B

While I appreciated what they were trying to do with the Gary Hart story, I just felt it dragged on without delivering much of anything. It made me wonder if there really was a story with Gary Hart that needed to be told and why they hounded him over such a minor incident in the grand scheme of things to be a leader.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/12/22

Full Review

Audience Member

I'm glad I rewatched this before rating. The first time around I didn't appreciate how much undercurrent emotion there is, but I did pickup on some of the observations that it doesn't do a solid enough job of truly highlighting, and then addressing issues raised throughout… What it does do well is show the issues as they came up during the campaign, as well as doing something to show how various people felt. The one issue it gives time to is privacy. It does feel unfortunate that it doesn't explore this in more detail, but equally, this isn't a documentary exploring the issues of the privacy of those running for Office. The rewatch bumped this from 2* to 3.5*. HJ played a great role

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

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Jason Reitman

Director

Hugh Jackman

Gary Hart

Vera Farmiga

Lee Hart

J.K. Simmons

Bill Dixon

Alfred Molina

Ben Bradlee

Mamoudou Athie

AJ Parker

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The Front Runner: Official Clip - This is Beneath You

2:48

The Front Runner: Official Clip - Have You Ever Committed Adultery?

3:33

The Front Runner: Official Clip - Feel Stupid for a While

1:56

The Front Runner: Official Clip - Too Much Time With an Unmarried Woman

2:49

The Front Runner: Official Clip - Can You Ever Forgive Me?

2:17

The Front Runner: Official Clip - Hunters and the Hunted

2:40

The Front Runner: Official Clip - The Other Woman

2:04

The Front Runner: Official Clip - Ambushed in the Alley

2:44

The Front Runner: Official Clip - It's Time to Go Home

2:36

The Front Runner: Official Clip - It's Not Going to Blow Over

2:43

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The Front Runner: Trailer 2

2:18

The Front Runner: Trailer 1

2:05

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Clarisse Loughrey

Independent (UK)

The Front Runner's timidity extends even to the portrayal of Hart himself... the film instead allows him to recede into the background, leaving Jackman and his trademark charisma with very little to do.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 10, 2020

Full Review

Andrea Gronvall

Chicago Reader

Most fascinating is the film's subtext that the blame for our present cultural morass doesn't rest solely with politicians or the media; in a way, they're only gladiators, thrashing to amuse an enervated citizenry that demands entertainment 24/7.

Feb 22, 2020

Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

The Front Runner is commendably even-handed in its portrayal of both the political system and the fourth estate. And Jackman's commanding performance should be required viewing.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 2, 2019

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...the movie boasts terrific work from a thoroughly impressive roster of players...

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 4, 2023

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Why has a film that is so focused on driving home the failings of the media come during the current administration’s effort to silence it? Entertaining, uneven, and questionable.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

Milana Vujkov

Lola On Film

The 1987 campaign story of disgraced Colorado senator, and Democratic Party front-runner, Gary Hart, is as tough as aspirin compared to what we now digest daily.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 30, 2021

Full Review

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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.

Director: Jason Reitman
Executive Producer: Matt Bai, Jay Carson, Michael Beugg, Jason Blumenfeld, Steven Thibault, Brenda Gilbert, David Gendron, Ali Jazayeri, Jason Cloth, Chris Conover, Edward Carpezzi
Screenwriter: Matt Bai, Jay Carson, Jason Reitman
Distributor: Stage 6, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Stage 6 Films, Right of Way Films, BRON Studios
Rating: R (Some Sexual References|Language)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.0M
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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