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Jason Reitman

The Front Runner: The Race for Integrity

February 12, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Written and directed by Jason Reitman, The Front Runner follows the story of Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman), 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

Similar to last year’s Oscar-nominated, The Post, Front Runner depicts a government cover-up with a heavy emphasis on the nobility of the press. In some ways, the films are quite similar in their approach. For instance, both films are period pieces and spend a great deal of their runtime focussed on groups of people discussing the nature of the issues. However, while it could be argued that Spielberg’s film picture of the press borders on grandstanding, Reitman’s appeal is far more complex in its approach. Though Reitman shows the press as being honorable in their intent, he also recognizes that they aren’t always the heroes. Can the press be wrong? Do they have the right to uncover every detail of a public figure’s life? All of these questions muddy the waters of conversation surrounding the press’ engagement with Hart and his history.

Hugh Jackman stars in Columbia Pictures’ THE FRONT RUNNER.

As Hart, Jackman proves to be an inspired casting decision as he portrays him as a man of charisma, humility and self-righteousness simultaneously. Preaching family values, Hart’s personal life provides a stumbling block to his campaign by revealing his moral hypocrisy. By focussing on the ‘issues’, Hart fully believes that the only thing that the public should care about is what he will do with his political power, not his extra-marital affairs. Highlighting the gap between moral integrity and public persona, Front Runner reminds us that there is a relationship between the two. While telling the story of a presidential candidate 30 years ago, the film is clearly written for today’s culture which is wrestling with the same issues.

In fact, one of the best aspects of the film is the voice that it gives to Hart’s mistress, Donna Rice (played beautifully by star Sarah Paxton). In doing so, Front Runner allows Rice to become more than the ‘other woman’. The film depicts her as a woman conflicted by her relationship with a political icon, allowing her to express her personal struggles with the relationship. Is she a victim? An adulteress? As Rice, Paxton’s heartfelt performance offers shades of both innocence and guilt into her soul. Through her relationship with Hart, The Front Runner reminds us of the responsibility and influence that people in power have over those around them and how selfishly masculine energy can be used to demean women.

It’s hard to say whether or not The Front Runner will leave the same sort of cultural mark as Spielberg’s The Post did come Oscar time. More complex in its character-development and story-telling, Front Runner is content to sit in the midst of its conflict in a way that gives it less of a ‘crowd-pleasing’ finale. However, it could also be argued that the film also carries with it more to say in a culture that is searching for answers in the muddy waters of integrity.

The Front Runner is available now on home media.

Hugh Jackman stars in Columbia Pictures’ THE FRONT RUNNER.

Filed Under: DVD, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Hugh Jackman, Jason Reitman, The Front Runner

Tully – A Bit of Help to Find Happiness

May 18, 2018 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

When writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman collaborate (as they did earlier in Juno and Young Adult), the result is always an interesting bit of social philosophy set within the institution of family. Tully is their latest work, with a special emphasis on the trial and meaning of motherhood in today’s world.

We meet Marlo (Charlize Theron) shortly before her third child is born. She already is struggling to cope with the first two children and the romantically cooled off relationship with her husband Drew (Ron Livingston). Her brother, Craig (Mark Duplass), offers to pay for a night nanny to help Marlo get rest after the new baby is born. But Marlo resists the idea of having someone come in at night to care for the baby. Soon, however, it’s just too much for her, so she finds her brother’s note and a young woman named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) arrives.

(l to r.) Mackenzie Davis as Tully and Charlize Theron as Marlo star in Jason Reitman’s TULLY, a Focus Features release.

Tully is full of energy, just as Marlo is worn out. Tully is bright and perky, where Marlo is sullen and depressed. Yet the two women have a great deal in common and soon create a bond that allows Marlo to unburden herself of all the things she has been holding inside. This seems a wonderful therapeutic relationship that touches all the difficulties in Marlo’s life. Except…. (Yes, there is something more that I will not spoil here.)

Although a driving force in the story is Marlo’s post-partum depression, that can easily be expanded to the sense of ennui that often fills people lives just as they are reaching the point in life where they may think they should be finding happiness and fulfillment. It is not uncommon to instead discover life has become routine, perhaps even boring. We may miss the excitement of falling in and out of love and discovering new relationships. The responsibilities of family and work may fill our days so much that we fail to appreciate the treasures that might be there.

Mackenzie Davis stars as Tully in Jason Reitman’s TULLY, a Focus Features release.

The wisdom that Tully brings to Marlo’s life is the truth that finding such a boring place in life is really the sign of success. That boredom comes from having a life where love and security are so common that they go unnoticed. The search for love and security may seem exciting as we consider our earlier lives, but when we have reached those goals, we may, like Marlo, not recognize the gifts that are in our lives.

I think a case could easily be made that Qoheleth faced a similar ennui which led to his search for meaning that fills Ecclesiastes. Throughout that search, in all he finds along the way, he constantly returns to his “vanity of vanities” refrain, noting that wealth, religion, sensuality, and knowledge all fail to bring him satisfaction. It is the discovery of enjoying his life, as “vain” as it may be, that he finds his fulfilment. Marlo has a chance to make a similar discovery through her interactions with Tully.

Photos courtesy of Focus Features

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Charlize Theron, comedy, Diablo Cody, drama, Ecclesiastes, Family, Jason Reitman, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, post-partum depression, Ron Livingston

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