Gary Hart, 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.
Acting
Hugh Jackman's haunted eyes doing all the work
Direction
Reitman's clinical observation without judgment
Production
painstaking 1987 period detail down to the aviator glasses
Director
Jason Reitman
Hugh Jackman
Gary Hart
Vera Farmiga
Lee Hart
J.K. Simmons
Bill Dixon
Mark O'Brien
Billy Shore
Molly Ephraim
Irene Kelly
Chris Coy
Kevin Sweeney
Alex Karpovsky
Mike Stratton
Josh Brener
Doug Wilson
Tommy Dewey
John B. Emerson
Kaitlyn Dever
Andrea Hart
Oliver Cooper
Joe Trippi
Jenna Kanell
Ginny Terzano
RJ Brown
Bill Martin
Alfred Molina
Ben Bradlee
Mamoudou Athie
A.J. Parker
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'monkey business' photo that destroyed Hart was actually taken by a Republican operative who followed Donna Rice for weeks — the film omits this to focus on journalistic rather than partisan malice.
Hart declined to consult on the film; his actual response to seeing it was reportedly 'they got the suits right.' The ultimate Hart move — refusal to engage with his own mythology.
US
