The Contender
Dreamworks (2000)
Drama
In Collection
#645
7*
Seen It:  Yes
(6/13/2011)
667068780925
IMDB   6.8
127 mins USA/English
DVD  Region 1   R
Gary Oldman Rep. Sheldon Runyon
Joan Allen Sen. Laine Hanson
Jeff Bridges President Jackson Evans
Christian Slater Rep. Reginald Webster
Sam Elliott Kermit Newman
William L. Petersen Gov. Jack Hathaway
Saul Rubinek Jerry Tolliver
Philip Baker Hall Oscar Billings
Mike Binder Lewis Hollis
Robin Thomas William Hanson
Mariel Hemingway Cynthia Charlton Lee
Director Rod Lurie
Producer Marc Frydman
James Spies
Douglas Urbanski
Stephanie Antosca
Willi Bär
Rainer Bienger
Writer Rod Lurie

Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot.

"The most controversial movie in years," claims Joel Siegel of Good Morning America.

Power comes at a stunning price, in this electrifying thriller that features riveting performances by an all-star cast. The vice president is dead, and as the president (Jeff Bridges) makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival (Gary Oldman). When Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.

Critics rave that The Contender is "the most important American film in years…a remarkably powerful and provocative thriller," (Jeff Craig, Sixty Second Preview).
Edition Details
Chapters 20
Release Date 3/6/2001
Packaging Keep Case
Screen Ratio 1.85:1
Subtitles English
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Surround [CC]
ENGLISH: DTS 5.1 [CC]
Layers Single Side, Dual Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Date 12/1/2001
Owner Thomas Eisenmann
Store Best Buy
Purchase Price $14.99
Condition Excellent
Reviewed Widescreen Review
Bit Rate 448 KB
Anamophic Yes
Links IMDB

Features
Anamophic
In-Depth Commentary with Writer/Director Rod Lurie and Award-Winning Actress Joan Allen
Deleted Scenes
A Fascinating Behind-the-Scenes Featurette: The Making of a Political Thriller
Theatrical Trailer
Production Notes
Cast & Filmmaker Biographies

Widescreen Review
Story Synopsis:
United States President Jackson Evans (Bridges) has a tough decision on his hands after the sudden death of the Vice President. The frontrunner, Governor Jack Hathaway, is involved in an attempt to save an accident victim-which fails-and Evans feels it will be held against him. So, The Contender he chooses is Senator Laine Hanson (Allen), who, if confirmed, will be the first woman to hold this position. Of course, there are those-especially Congressman Shelly Runyon (Oldman)-who would like to see that her bid is rejected, and they will do anything to see that that happens. (Laurie Sevano)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78:1 DVD picture is smooth and solid, with sharp and nicely detailed images. Some scenes have a stylized, slightly soft appearance. Colors are well balanced, with accurate fleshtones and deep blacks. One has to really be searching to catch a trace of enhancement. This DVD has a very film-like appearance. The source element is clean, with occasionally detected film grain and infrequent artifacts. Very rarely does an image shimmer, or show signs of pixelization. (Suzanne Hodges)

Soundtrack:
The sonic presentations for the 5.1-channel discrete soundtracks have been well-recorded, though are somewhat louder than would be expected for this rather quiescent-natured film. Voices have been recorded with impressive clarity, though they tend to sound overprominent with emphasis in the mid-bass. Much of the soundstage is centric toward mono dialogue, though at times atmospheric sound effects are spread across the screen, albeit with very little surround envelopment. Although there are a few exceptions, the surrounds are virtually quiet throughout. Deep bass and the .1 LFE typically are limited as well, except for some effects and music, notably during the opening credits and the dramatic auto splash into the river. The DTS® Digital Surround™ version delivers somewhat more distinctiveness in terms of tonal definition and spatial articulation, compared to the Dolby® Digital version. Otherwise, these soundtracks deliver very fine fidelity, though both would benefit from some moderation in overall volume. (Perry Sun)

This Disc Contains The Following WSR-Rated Superb Qualities:
Collector Edition