IMDb > The Candidate (1972)
The Candidate
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The Candidate (1972) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
The Candidate (1972) -- Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.
The Candidate (1972) -- Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   3,377 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Jeremy Larner (writer)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Candidate on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

23 August 1972 (France) more

Genre:

Drama more

Tagline:

Too Handsome. Too Young. Too Liberal. Doesn't have a chance. He's PERFECT! more

Plot:

Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment. full summary | add synopsis

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more

User Comments:

A must for cynics more (48 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Robert Redford ... Bill McKay

Peter Boyle ... Marvin Lucas

Melvyn Douglas ... John J. McKay
Don Porter ... Senator Crocker Jarmon
Allen Garfield ... Klein
Karen Carlson ... Nancy McKay
Quinn K. Redeker ... Rick Jenkin (as Quinn Redeker)
Morgan Upton ... Wally Henderson

Michael Lerner ... Paul Corliss
Kenneth Tobey ... Floyd J. Starkey
Chris Prey ... David
Joe Miksak ... Neil Atkinson
Jenny Sullivan ... Lynn
Tom Dahlgren ... Pilot
Gerald Hiken ... Station Manager
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

El candidato (Spain) (Venezuela) [es]
O Candidato (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
A jelölt (Hungary) [hu]
Bill McKay - Der Kandidat (West Germany) [de]
Bill McKay - utmanaren (Sweden) [sv]
Il candidato (Italy) [it]
Kandydat (Poland) [pl]
Maktspel (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
O ypopsifios (Greece) [el]
Stem på McKay (Denmark) [da]
Valtapeli (Finland) [fi]
Votez Mc Kay (France) [fr]
Votez McKay (Canada: French title) [fr]
more

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (1972) | UK:PG (1988) | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Spain:T (video rating) | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | Australia:PG


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

A prop campaign button from this film is on display at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History in Washington. It is on display with several authentic campaign buttons. more

Goofs:

Continuity: The red convertible driven by Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) has three different license plates during the opening credits: "677 EIY", "185 ENV", and "772 DYD". All are from the 1972 era in California. more

Quotes:

[last lines]
Bill McKay: What do we do now?
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
A must for cynics, 1 November 1999
6/10
Author: saccenti from Laurel, MD

Robert Redford, the idealistic son of a former party machine governor, gets encouraged into running for the U.S. Senate by a coterie of professional handlers. Fascinating film, alternately satiric, cynical, subtle, and ironic. Shot mostly in a documentary style. A must for cynics and/or political junkies; others won't care. A good performance by Redford is complimented by fine work by Boyle and Garfield. Douglas is also great as the candidate's father. One of filmdom's classic closing lines. 2 stars of 4 on a tough scale.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Candidate (1972)
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From a reliable source BIG NEWS PLEASE READ bruce20207
Male Interns f-mattox
VHS-style video tapes back in 1971? cryptical70
Does McKay have an affair? the_ccramaster1
Sequel? robertb-4
Groucho Marx karmacoupe
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