The Front Runner Movie Review

The Front Runner (2018)

Rent The Front Runner on Amazon Video // Buy the Novel
Written by: Matt Bai & Jay Carson & Jason Reitman (written by), Matt Bai (based on the book "All The Truth Is Out" by)
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Based on the true story of American Senator Gary Hart's presidential campaign derailment in 1988 when he's caught in a scandalous love affair.

Verdict
This story of this scandal is tame by today's standards, and this fails to develop the characters or ask any of the underlying questions. This happens, but why? How does it affect the characters? That's not addressed. Jackman does a good enough job, but the movie is hollow. Are these scandals a side effect of power or ego?
It depends.

Review
We go back to the '80s when Gary Hart was the front runner for the democratic presidential nomination. It almost seems comical how an affair derailed his entire career when you compare that to not just what happened in the '90s but in the past ten years. Politicians with affairs, payoffs, and assaults keep working. They in part owe Hart a debt. He desensitized America to scandal.

From the beginning this is hollow. We get a lot of setup about how great Hart is, but it's mostly exposition. Hart's very private but that's not because of his affair, he was idealistic, wanting a distinct divide between public and private. I wish the movie explored this disconnect of Hart being a public figure but wanting his life to remain private. Even in the '80s that was unrealistic.

Hart is the future of politics. He's young, charismatic, and knowledgeable. There are rumors about his marriage, but nothing verified. That is until a tip is phoned in to a newspaper. This tip and Hart's denial that he has anything to hide set this into motion.

The script is more of an outline. We get the major facts of the event, but this doesn't really develop the characters. This doesn't delve into Hart's hypocrisy. He's not tortured about his deeds. We don't know how he feels about it. Hart's line is that his personal life should remain private.

This is an interesting look at politics becoming more tabloid, which is standard now, but the movie doesn't make this a landmark event that shaped the future. Hart's plan is to hide until it blows over while being told it won't blow over. Hart has to know being in the public eye leads to scrutiny. Did he think he wouldn't be caught? He bluffed and told reporters to follow him around. We don't know what drives him and that's a huge problem.

We get a lot of Hart demanding to be left alone after the affair is revealed. He claims politics should be about politics and not personality, but his personality is a big part of his success. He's self righteous from the beginning and not remorseful. How does that affect his wife? She didn't condone his actions, but she at least allowed for it. The movie never gets into their dynamic. We see a feeble attempt at a coverup from his campaign and then a counter attack that goes nowhere.
For a minute this looks at it from Hart's girlfriend's side, but that idea has nowhere to land.

Not a lot happens. Hart is a political all-star, he gets caught in an affair, and his campaign ends. This needs to develop characters and delve into Hart's mindset, but it doesn't. Did he cheat because of his power and position or because of his ego? Is that intertwined with becoming a successful politician? The movie should have taken a hard look at that. There just isn't much here. We don't even see much of Hart and girlfriend. That could have been used to explore the character and the why.

While what happened after is not in the movie, Hart returned to private practice as a lawyer, those he was moderately involved in public policy matters. He briefly considered a presidential bid in 2004, but didn't pursue it.