On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 24/55 |
Reagen Sulewski |
It's misleading to call this an anti-Bush film, though you can see where that comes from. Typical Sayles, in that it's got great ensemble work, and a muddled, over-ambitious plot. |
| 73/133 |
Dan Krovich |
One of the lesser John Sayles' films but still adequate |
If you're Newmarket Films president Bob Berney and you've just overcome all measure of controversy to propel a potentially divisive film about the last hours of Jesus Christ to wildly unexpected heights, what do you do for an encore?
That's right, you pick up a film that heavily satirizes President George W. Bush and the current state of American democracy, and make plans to release it right in the middle of his presidential campaign. A political drama/murder mystery set in the "New West" of a small town in Colorado, the story will be set against the backdrop of a gubernatorial race that offers lampooning opportunities galore.
Chris Cooper, recent Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner for his performance in Adaptation., will play a character that Variety describes as a "thinly veiled caricature of George W. Bush." His character, the Colorado gubernatorial candidate, is grammatically challenged (we wonder if he'll say 'strategery') and a born-again Christian. As his campaign progresses to its critical juncture, a man's body is discovered in a local lake and the mystery surrounding his murder threatens the race for election, the special interest groups pulling the candidate's strings, and even the candidate's entire family empire.
Under the keen direction of John Sayles (Eight Men Out, Lone Star), the film should offer a great deal of editorial interest as it hits theaters during the frenzy of the presidential election campaign. The parties' respective conventions will have just ended and the race will be in the home stretch. It's an intriguing and daring concept and we here at BOP will be eagerly anticipating the fallout. (We'll also look forward to the accompanying angry e-mails that accuse us of being leftist commies and berate us for using our constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech to express our personal opinions.) (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Vital statistics for Silver City |
| Main Cast |
Chris Cooper, Maria Bello, Danny Huston |
| Supporting Cast |
Richard Dreyfuss, Daryl Hannah, Thora Birch, Kris Kristofferson, Mary Kay Place, Tim Roth, Cheech Marin, Billy Zane, Ralph Waite, Miguel Ferrer, Alma Delfina |
| Director |
John Sayles |
| Screenwriter |
John Sayles |
| Distributor |
Newmarket Film Group |
| Trailer |
Click Here for Trailer
|
| Official Site |
http://www.dickiepilager2004.com/ |
| Rating |
R |
| Running Time |
129 minutes |
| Screen Count |
113 |
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Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture |
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