Warner Bros. Pictures
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The Candidate
Bill McKay has a lot going for him...but nothing compared to what's coming.
Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.
- Original title
- The Candidate
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $1,600,000
- Revenue
- $2,500,000
CinemaSerf
Jun 25, 2025 · via TMDB
“McKay” (Robert Redford) is your stereotypical protest lawyer in California who is drafted in to fight the incumbent Republican “Crocker” (Don Porter) in what would appear to be little more than a box-ticking exercise for the Democrats. He only agrees to run if he is allowed by his election agent “Marvin” (Peter Boyle) to pretty much do and say what he likes throughout the campaign. Before long, that frankness and candour starts to resonate with an electorate coming to terms with some profound social and economic issues whilst already being represented by a man who has become somewhat distant and institutionalised by Washington and by a long term in the Senate. As the enthusiastic young man’s efforts gather pace, his erstwhile rather cynical advisor starts to take things more seriously and begins to impose himself on this fly by the seat of your pants process. If “McKay” is to actually succeed, just what and where is he going to have to compromise? Redford is a natural here and brings a degree of authenticity to hustings that all too often come across as being a procedure in which the voter is taken for granted. His ineptness, bluntness and open-mindedness is seen by many of his constituents as a source of hope and optimism, and he delivers that characterisation charismatically well. It’s set in the USA at the start of the 1970s, but it could quite readily be transferred to so many democracies where parliamentarians are elected and routinely re-elected based largely on the colour of their rosettes rather than on their representatives striving to serve the evolving needs of the communities. Although this doesn’t really offer us anything particularly revelatory, it’s a keen look at the effects of rocking the boat. Will he win, though?
Bazzjazz
May 10, 2018 · via TMDB
The Candidate: This film is a great look into the current administration in the White House. ‘The Candidate’ is a fine example of art imitating life!
Andres Gomez
Jul 18, 2015 · via TMDB
The cast is really good and Redford delivers a great performance. The story depicts the trip from an activist in the way to become the politician he was despising from the beginning, showing all the things that is is dropping in the raise to the election. However, the story is a bit rushed and the transfixing is not so evident as it could have been depicted.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Spectrum On Demand
Robert Redford
Bill McKay
Peter Boyle
Marvin Lucas
Melvyn Douglas
John J. McKay
Don Porter
Senator Crocker Jarmon
Allen Garfield
Klein
Karen Carlson
Nancy McKay
Quinn K. Redeker
Rick Jenkin
Morgan Upton
Wally Henderson
Michael Lerner
Paul Corliss
Kenneth Tobey
Floyd J. Starkey
Joe Miksak
Neil Atkinson
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood
Fred R. Harris
Sen. Fred Harris
Beans Morocco
—
Victor J. Kemper
Director of Photography
Michael Ritchie
Director
Marcia Lucas
Assistant Editor
Robert Redford
Executive Producer
John Rubinstein
Original Music Composer
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