The Candidate

The Candidate follows Bill McKay, a California lawyer with strong civil-rights and environmental convictions, who is persuaded by Democratic Party figures to run for the U.S. Senate. He is the son of a former Democratic governor of the state, which makes his entry into politics easier, and he agrees on one condition: he can speak his mind openly. His opponent, Republican senator Crocker Jarmon, is an experienced campaigner, and McKay is not expected to win. When his frankness appeals to voters more than anyone anticipated, campaign manager Marvin Lucas pushes a more conventional and polished operation, forcing McKay into compromises as the race tightens.

Michael Ritchie directed the film, the second of the fifteen features listed for him, following Downhill Racer and preceding Prime Cut. Jeremy Larner wrote the screenplay, Walter Coblenz produced, and Robert Redford stars as McKay. Peter Boyle plays Lucas, Melvyn Douglas plays John J. McKay, and Don Porter plays Jarmon, with Allen Garfield and Karen Carlson also in the credited cast of twenty-two.

Made for about two million dollars and released in 1972, the film returned roughly three million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from around thirteen thousand votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.5 out of 10 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 7.5 out of 10 from thirty-five reviews places it slightly above the audience scores.