Just from the trailer alone, HBO’s “Game Change,” the pay cable network’s feature film about Sen. John McCain’s failed 2008 presidential campaign, is an engrossing probe behind the political curtains into what really went down in the days leading up to the GOP convention.
The Tom Hanks-Gary Goetzman film offers enticing peeks into the reasoning and rationale behind the McCain camp’s decision to roll the dice and select the untested and polarizing Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, as his running mate — and what the ultimate consequences were.
Acclaimed actors Julianne Moore and Ed Harris embodied the roles of Palin and McCain, respectively, to the point where you quickly forget that they are impersonating them. “Game Change,” based on the book Game Changers, premieres March 10 and also stars Woody Harrelson (White Men Can Jump, Money Train, “Cheers”).
Moore, whose illustrious career includes roles in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and her Academy Award-nominating performance in Boogie Nights, said during the media screening that she devoured books, documentaries and TV shows on Palin and found her to be an “incredibly charismatic” personality who, when you peeled back the porcupine exterior, is a compassionate person.
“The family dynamic is very frankly is adorable. She is a very caring parent. It’s a daunting task to play somebody who is not only a living figure, but hugely well known,” Moore acknowledged. “The most important thing is accuracy. We are all very familiar with her and those iconic moments. It was just four years ago.”
However, upon further inspection, Palin left a lot to be desired as a major political figure. The Washington Post said the media gasped at Palin’s ignorance of the most basic of world politics and modern history:
“At a screening of the movie the previous night, critics seemed surprised to see Palin depicted as someone who, when she was named McCain’s running mate, was unclear why there was a North and South Korea, and had to be brought up to speed as to Germany’s role in World War II. They also seemed taken aback by the degree to which Palin is shown melting down during the intense campaigning that occurred between accepting the nomination and election night.”
The only thing you can hope is that “Game Changers” was “stretching it” on Palin’s knowledge (or lack thereof) of politics and history, that the people of that state did not elect someone so ignorant and so politically inept to run their affairs. That part of the movie, quite frankly, is almost frightening.
–terry shropshire
