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Recount

post #1 of 25
5/15/08 at 3:59pm
Thread Starter 
One of the best-ranked Black List scripts (from Danny "Jonathan" Strong) has assembled a pretty great cast. I'd heard about this, then it seemed to disappear. Turns out it was an HBO movie that's airing on the 25th. Didn't know Jay Roach was directing either.

http://www.hbo.com/films/recount/index.html
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post #2 of 25
5/15/08 at 5:59pm
I have tickets to a screening next Wednesday. I'm excited about the cast. Didn't know it was a blacklisted script. All the more reason to check it out!
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post #3 of 25
5/20/08 at 1:42pm
Looking forward to this, especially since there hasn't been anything really worth watching on HBO since John Adams ended. Nice to see Ed Begley Jr. and Tom Wilkinson continuing to get good roles.
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post #4 of 25
5/20/08 at 2:20pm
This is the movie I'm currently most excited about since nothing I really want to see hits theatres until Get Smart.
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post #5 of 25
5/20/08 at 2:21pm
I don't think putting Tom Wilkinson in the same sentence or league as Ed Begley Jr. is fair.

Doubt that wilkinson has any trouble getting roles.
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post #6 of 25
5/25/08 at 2:03am
I wanted to bump this thread in anticipation of the premiere of the movie on Sunday.

Charlie Rose on Recount.

It's a pretty good overview of the legal issues behind Recount, which I'm sure the movie won't touch on because it'll bore people to death. I'm actually surprised at how well Spacey understands what went down in Florida; he's a smart guy.

For what it's worth, I've read Bush v. Gore a couple of times in law school. Every time I read it, I get more and more enraged. It's just so blatantly political, despite the fact that the Court does its best to cloud its results-based decision.

Oh well. I'm just glad to see Denis Leary get some good stuff other than Rescue Me.
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post #7 of 25
5/25/08 at 4:43am
Too Soon
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post #8 of 25
5/25/08 at 11:59pm
Absolutely heartbreaking.
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post #9 of 25
5/26/08 at 12:06am
Best film so far this year. Should have been released in theaters. Best Actor for Spacey, Best Supporting Actor for Wilkinson.
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post #10 of 25
5/26/08 at 12:30am
http://chud.com/articles/blogs/422/T...ar-so-far.html
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post #11 of 25
5/26/08 at 12:34am
Dang....What a great movie! I really liked this one.

Tom Wilkinson, who played James Baker, was tied for the best acting imo. He was ruthless and cunning!!!

Laura Dern, who played Katharine Harris, was also the best! I wanted more of her!

Way to go HBO! (Hope you win awards for this one).

(P.S. Al Gore should've fought to count all the votes after the final supreme court decision. He gave up too early.)
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post #12 of 25
5/26/08 at 12:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan "Nordling" Cerny View Post

Good blog - I agree that the Bush campaign seemed really organized and focused. The democratic campaign was messy and disorganized, but of course they were the good guys - or were they?

I want to see it again.

I also think its funny how again the voters in Florida are AGAIN being disenfranchised and the votes are not being counted, but its the democrats and Howard Dean who are holding it up this time - or is it someone else? Who knows anymore!!!!
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post #13 of 25
5/26/08 at 2:52am
Saw this a little while ago and it was a really fantastic movie. It's on HBO, if you missed it I'm sure it will end up either repeated or on their "On Demand" option if you have that.
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post #14 of 25
5/26/08 at 6:46am
It was okay. It was more even-handed than I expected. I think it had stronger actors than it did script or direction. There was rarely a sense of urgency or drama. At the very least, there could have been a little post-script about continued voting problems or what happened to those involved in this drama. I didn't feel Spacey's passion to know who won but was reminded of the nation's fatigue at the end of the process.
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post #15 of 25
5/26/08 at 7:04am
This is probably my favorite movie of the year so far, or at least tied with The Wackness. Great performances. Restrained direction. And Danny Strong is a hell of a screenwriter. It's unfortunate that Kevin Spacey is so hit or miss as an actor, but it's even more unfortunate that Dennis Leary is never paired with material this good. I was 17 years old and a Republican when this all went down. It's pretty amazing to view it all, even in a streamlined 2 hour form, in hindsight.

There's a sense of fatigue that kicks in near the end that has to approximate what everyone went through at the time. But when you consider it in context of Bush's disastrous presidency and the fact that I have two great friends in Iraq at the moment...the whole thing kicks your ass. If you ignore the real life consequences and your personal politics, this is still a great story and a fantastic piece of filmmaking.
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post #16 of 25
5/26/08 at 7:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Bateman View Post
If you ignore the real life consequences and your personal politics, this is still a great story and a fantastic piece of filmmaking.
No to the former, yes to the latter. A real life story should be somewhat aware of its real-life consequences. I appreciate that Recount is trying to be in-the-moment but it lacks forward momentum. I felt like I was watching a laundry list of revelations and events but barely anything was tying them together. Every ten minutes or so, someone picks up a phone, yells "Wait!" gets a crucial bit of information and then says it to everyone else. There's barely any spark to bring this film beyond a reminder of a clusterfuck.
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post #17 of 25
5/26/08 at 11:30am
I really enjoyed it, gonna watch it again today. Only part I thought was a little awkward was when the movie briefly turned into "Attack of the white preppies." (Hate those preppies..."Why you kicking me?")

Anyway, loved the cast, loved the direction, wish this one got a theatrical release, but it has a great home and more people are likely to see it on HBO.
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post #18 of 25
5/26/08 at 2:40pm
It was entertaining, but also stirred up a lot of bad, depressing memories for me. I will never stop believing Bush and the Republicans stole that election. One thing does puzzle me: The final shot of Baker in the back of the limo, after Spacey asks him "Did the right man win?" and the expression slowly coming over his face. Are they trying to say that deep down Jim Baker knows Bush is not the right man for the Presidency? Or was he just relieved it was finally over?
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post #19 of 25
5/26/08 at 4:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cruikshank View Post
It was entertaining, but also stirred up a lot of bad, depressing memories for me. I will never stop believing Bush and the Republicans stole that election. One thing does puzzle me: The final shot of Baker in the back of the limo, after Spacey asks him "Did the right man win?" and the expression slowly coming over his face. Are they trying to say that deep down Jim Baker knows Bush is not the right man for the Presidency? Or was he just relieved it was finally over?
I'd say more it showed him thinking what an appropriate response would be to a man who destroyed not only his own future but Gore's political career as well. They set the sentiment early on in the film with Warren Christopher trying to explain that Gore was a young man and it's better to put the country ahead of party.

Edit -- oh, I thought you were talking about the face change after he asked him that question at the airport. Yeah, probably.
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post #20 of 25
5/27/08 at 10:27am
I agree that this may have been powerful to me as an explicit reminder rather than through its construction... I tuned out a little bit, too, when the angry protester-plants entered the building, and needed the actual news footage at the end to convince me that it happened. It just rhymed too much with partisan exaggeration, I needed a little bit more of how calculated it was to buy it, more of the person by the trailer handing out costumes.

I really like Laura Dern and was happy just to see her in the role, never thought of Baker as that Machiavellian. Thought, with all its Christopher Guest actors, it should have been a little bit more dark comedy than tragedy. I thought the more realistic reaction of Dem pollsters to minority voter suppression would be a lack of surprise, rather than dramatic music and empathy.

Still on the whole, utterly depressing and sad.
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post #21 of 25
6/6/08 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
Hey, who would have thought it'd be Jay Roach to remind Kevin Spacey he used to be a real actor?
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post #22 of 25
6/7/08 at 2:05am
I saw the movie this week and i was going to make the same comment.
This was made by Jay Roach? The Jay Roach?

It was very good. A tremendous cast and it kept me engaged all the way through.

Loved to see Spacey back.
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post #23 of 25
6/8/08 at 2:44am
Finally saw this after I had Tivoed weeks ago.

Once again HBO makes high quality film making that you don't get in theaters.

An engaging movie that doesn't get lost in all the legal jargen. Spacey once again proves why he's one of the best actors working today.
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post #24 of 25
6/8/08 at 2:45am
Forget to add that watching this movie it plays out so well in a dramatic fashion. Although we all know the tragic and unfortunate outcome it keeps you in suspense all the way through.
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post #25 of 25
1/24/09 at 5:21pm
I didn't follow ANY of this stuff back in 2000. I only started following politics because of CHUD and the Obama campaign. I found the film tense and riveting and was also happy to see Spacey all fired up in a film again.

The Jay Roach credit threw me for a loop as well!

I have to admit, the 'peaceful demonstration' in the middle of the film affected me as if it were propaganda. Haha.
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