The Man has a really fascinating premise, and if you rent it, you'll have to place yourself back in time to 1972. The Civil Rights Act had only recently been passed, and the idea of an African-American president was hardly popular or realistic. But, in this movie, James Earl Jones plays the cabinet member who gets locked in the proverbial bunker should anything happen to the executive branch. Something does, and to the shock of Washington politicians and rest of the country, the Constitution dictates that Jones take the oath of office. Many are frustrated and believe he can just be a figurehead while they run things behind the scenes, like Burgess Meredith, William Windom, Lew Ayres, and Martin Balsam. Barbara Rush's character is terribly villainous. She insults her husband for not fighting for the presidency (even though he couldn't have beaten out the Constitution), and he comes back with, "It's a pity you weren't born a man. You would very likely be President." Barbara gets the last word in: "That apparently is a misfortune we both share."
I loved how tired the White House staff looked at the start of the film. I really believed they'd stayed up all night talking about policy and impossible plans. I didn't love Janet McLachlan, who played the First Daughter, and her attitude problem. I didn't believe for a second that her father had become President of the United States. She was just another young adult from the 1970s who like to protest and support social causes. There was no reverence, support, or respect for her father; and she didn't give a moment's pause before embarrassing him at an important function by arguing with Barbara. Barbara was already embarrassing herself; had Janet responded with classy indifference, it would have been much more powerful.
The first half hour of this movie is fascinating, but it derails into a 1970s message statement about race which probably felt appropriate at the time. As an avid fan of political films when they're realistic, I would have liked to see more Advise & Consent in the screenplay, to see the transition of power and the battle between the President and his staff. You can't have everything, though; if the premise appeals to you, you can give it a try.
The first half hour of this movie is fascinating, but it derails into a 1970s message statement about race which probably felt appropriate at the time. As an avid fan of political films when they're realistic, I would have liked to see more Advise & Consent in the screenplay, to see the transition of power and the battle between the President and his staff. You can't have everything, though; if the premise appeals to you, you can give it a try.