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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Contender, The
DreamWorks


6.5

based on 35 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 7 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

Resurrecting the Champ

MPAA RATING: R for strong sexual content and language

Starring Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges, Sam Elliott, and Christian Slater

Sex secrets from a U.S. Senator's (Allen) past come to light as she is nominated for Vice President.

GENRE(S):	Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Rod Lurie
DIRECTED BY:	Rod Lurie
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: March 6, 2001 Video: March 6, 2001 Theatrical: October 13, 2000
RUNNING TIME:	126 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	France / USA

Received two 2001 Oscar nominations, for Best Actress (Allen) and Best Supporting Actor (Bridges). Allen and Bridges also received Golden Globe nominations.

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

One of those rare movies where you leave the theater having been surprised and entertained, and then start arguing.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Supplies the three key elements of the best political thrillers: suspense, credibility and the feeling that you're really sitting in the Oval Office.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

It's an intelligent and informed look at the preposterous ways our leaders are often picked and sabotaged.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

An assured and gripping political drama filled with remarkable performances and razor-sharp writing and editing.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Excellent performances in an entertaining if less than totally plausible story.

San Francisco Examiner Wesley Morris

The sort of smutty scandalmongering the average moviegoer can really get behind.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Lurie has made an impressive contribution to the bulging library of political film, and he has showcased some performances sure to get Oscar consideration.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

Heavy-handed and manipulative, it also proves formidably engrossing.

San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham

Thoroughly engrossing.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

A sharp, intricate political drama.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

It does move right along and it's enlivened by stronger, more enjoyable acting than this kind of picture usually provides.

Newsweek David Ansen

Silly as it is, The Contende has a lurid zest that keeps you hooked, and a rambunctiously good cast.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

As entertainment of a tawdry but compelling sort, The Contender certainly delivers.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

What Lurie has made is "The West Wing" without the constraining niceties of prime time.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

A cast that chews the scenery with such obvious enjoyment that you're happy to put up with its tin-eared oratory and preposterous plot turns for the sake of a good ride.

Slate David Edelstein

Has a nonsensical twist ending that almost wrecks it, but until then it has enough fast, hyperliterate venality to make it great fun.

TV Guide Ken Fox

This smart political thriller gets pulses pounding with no pyrotechnics and only one car crash. And it's a doozy.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

A potpourri of issue-oriented drama enlivened by superlative performances and smart dialogue.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Engages in the cinematic equivalent of not inhaling.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Misfires by constantly tossing out liberal feel-goodisms.

USA Today Mike Clark

Compelling and provocative -- though not memorable.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

Bridges and Allen are so bracingly good that you're encouraged to overlook how manipulative the proceedings are.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Until The Contender slips into partisan politics and platitudinous piety, it's a lively, entertaining ride.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

I can recommend the first two-thirds of this movie with great enthusiasm.

Variety Emanuel Levy

The large, talented cast elevates the film above the trappings of its loquacious debates, particularly Allen.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

Annoyingly shallow, filled with one-note characters, and not half as daring as it seems to think it is.

Mr. Showbiz Michael Atkinson

It's a polished, beautifully made movie with a rotten heart.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

The story is so calculated that it ultimately bears little relation to the real world.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Wonderfully cast and slickly directed, but so crudely written.

Film.com Tom Keogh

The film's very premise, while initially promising, doesn't hold up to lengthy scrutiny.

Film.com John Hartl

A sophomore writing-directing effort from former film critic Rod Lurie.

Village Voice J. Hoberman

Graceless writing and shameless plot contrivance.

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

The most offensive movie of the year.

Film.com Robert Horton

The film looks horrendous, poorly composed and staged, and the rhythm staggers.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

The most gutless and naive political drama of recent memory.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.5 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

cam gave it a4:
Likable for the first half but utterly spoiled by the the woeful, corny ending.

Vee B. gave it a10:
Terrific movie. Well plotted and well acted.

Gabor A. gave it a5:
Great dialogue. Everything else ranges from average to retched.

Chris C. gave it a 3:
If the movie had been muted, it might've looked like a well-directed and intriguing movie. But with the sound, you hear all the liber drivel and pure bullshit. How this has so many positive reviews is beyond me. But hey, i guess if you can stand watching pure crap for a couple hours, then go knock yourself out.

Blanco A. gave it a 9:
I was very entertained by this movie. Much more powerful and hard-hitting than "The West Wing," and I think Robert Wilonsky must have been on some kind of medication when he screened this thing. A bug up his ass, you say? I think so....

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Contender, The DreamWorks

Contender, The
DreamWorks