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Contender, The
DreamWorks

Contender, The reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 59 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.5 out of 10
based on 35 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 7 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

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.

What The Critics Said

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.
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88
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.
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88
Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
It's an intelligent and informed look at the preposterous ways our leaders are often picked and sabotaged.
83
Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy
An assured and gripping political drama filled with remarkable performances and razor-sharp writing and editing.
75
New York Post Lou Lumenick
Excellent performances in an entertaining if less than totally plausible story.
75
San Francisco Examiner Wesley Morris
The sort of smutty scandalmongering the average moviegoer can really get behind.
75
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.
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75
Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Heavy-handed and manipulative, it also proves formidably engrossing.
75
San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham
Thoroughly engrossing.
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75
Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
A sharp, intricate political drama.
70
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.
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70
Newsweek David Ansen
Silly as it is, The Contende has a lurid zest that keeps you hooked, and a rambunctiously good cast.
70
Washington Post Stephen Hunter
As entertainment of a tawdry but compelling sort, The Contender certainly delivers.
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70
LA Weekly Ella Taylor
What Lurie has made is "The West Wing" without the constraining niceties of prime time.
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70
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.
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70
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.
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70
TV Guide Ken Fox
This smart political thriller gets pulses pounding with no pyrotechnics and only one car crash. And it's a doozy.
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67
Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
A potpourri of issue-oriented drama enlivened by superlative performances and smart dialogue.
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67
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
Engages in the cinematic equivalent of not inhaling.
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63
Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
Misfires by constantly tossing out liberal feel-goodisms.
63
USA Today Mike Clark
Compelling and provocative -- though not memorable.
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60
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Bridges and Allen are so bracingly good that you're encouraged to overlook how manipulative the proceedings are.
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60
Rolling Stone Peter Travers
Until The Contender slips into partisan politics and platitudinous piety, it's a lively, entertaining ride.
60
Washington Post Desson Thomson
I can recommend the first two-thirds of this movie with great enthusiasm.
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60
Variety Emanuel Levy
The large, talented cast elevates the film above the trappings of its loquacious debates, particularly Allen.
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58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
Annoyingly shallow, filled with one-note characters, and not half as daring as it seems to think it is.
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55
Mr. Showbiz Michael Atkinson
It's a polished, beautifully made movie with a rotten heart.
50
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
The story is so calculated that it ultimately bears little relation to the real world.
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50
Boston Globe Jay Carr
Wonderfully cast and slickly directed, but so crudely written.
40
Film.com Tom Keogh
The film's very premise, while initially promising, doesn't hold up to lengthy scrutiny.
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40
Film.com John Hartl
A sophomore writing-directing effort from former film critic Rod Lurie.
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40
Village Voice J. Hoberman
Graceless writing and shameless plot contrivance.
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20
Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky
The most offensive movie of the year.
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20
Film.com Robert Horton
The film looks horrendous, poorly composed and staged, and the rhythm staggers.
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20
Salon.com Charles Taylor
The most gutless and naive political drama of recent memory.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!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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