The Front Runner Falls Behind

The Front Runner (2018)

The Front Runner is the story of Gary Hart, a Democratic Senator who was running for president and was forced to resign after news of his extra-marital affairs came to light. It was a simpler time, when people had tube TVs and actually read newspapers. It was also when the news cycle changed from an objective style to the near constant editorial style we have today. The movie explored the rapid rise and fall of Hart, whose policies and knowledge were a shining light for the Democratic Party after 8 years of Reagan. The movie did little to actually show his political stances, which is a shame, because he did forecast several issues that we face today, particularly the environmental issues. The Front Runner did leave a lot of room for interpretation by the viewer, which bothered me. It can be used to affirm anyone’s beliefs about the issues of affairs, the reporting of affairs, and the right to privacy of public figures. That, by far, is my biggest gripe with the movie. I understand that the filmmakers wanted to provide an accurate account, but even documentarians have the artistic integrity to put themselves in their work. While the execution was weak, the cast was excellent, comprised of a few dramatic powerhouses, like Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, and Hugh Jackman, but the majority of the cast was comedians. In fact, seeing some of my favorite comics was my favorite part. But seeing funny people be serious wasn’t enough to make this a satisfying movie. The Front Runner was a mostly faithful telling of a historic event that would have been equally served by a Wikipedia entry. I give it 1 out of the 4 years as president that Hart never got to serve.