Game Change

Game Change (2012)

Directed by Jay Roach

Written by Danny Strong

Based on the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann

Stars: Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson, Ron Livingston, Sarah Paulson and Peter MacNichol

It has been a while since I have reviewed a movie. I heard that people really responded to HBO TV movie, Game Change that was loosely based on the book about the historic 2008 campaign season. I;m glad that I got back in the thick of things.

The movie focuses mainly on campaign strategist, Steve Schmidt (Harrelson) meeting with Arizona Senator John McCain (Harris) about who will be the pick for his running mate as Vice President. By pulling a candidate out of their ass aka YouTube to find the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin (Moore). She is a fish out of water when she is catapulted to the national stage. It seems that her lack of foreign policy knowledge made her a joke to political pundits and SNL.

I remember when I first heard about Sarah Palin, I knew that the McCain campaign was trying to bridge the gender gap that was left when Hilary Clinton dropped out of the race for her bid as President. People didn't know anything about this woman with the bouffant and the weird accent. Everyone thought that she was a joke. Watching the movie, she was a great speaker, but the media tries everything that they can to make a mockery of her.

I learned that she was not a punchline. She was plucked out of obscurity and put in front of microphone. I don't blame her for flying off the rails or "going rogue" toward the tail end of the campaign. Julianne Moore was a dead ringer for the former Alaska governor. It was scary. Harrelson was phenomenal in his role. He was perfectly frazzled and want to correct his mistake of picking  Sarah. Ed Harris was fine as John McCain, but it's nothing to write home about. The rest of the cast was fine, but they seem to be overshadowed by Moore and Harrelson.

My Rating: