POLITICS WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME.
In 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain (Ed Harris) is facing Barack Obama and needs a game-changing name on his ticket; Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) is selected… but not properly vetted. This portrayal of how Palin was launched onto the national stage shows a charismatic, devoted mother firmly rooted in her native state, who knows too little about the world and displays an alarming lack of judgment… which campaign manager Steve Schmidt learned the hard way. In a compelling and very entertaining way, the film shows how the McCain campaign frequently walked into traps. Anchored by Moore’s uncanny performance.
2012-U.S. Made for TV. 117 min. Color. Produced by Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman. Directed by Jay Roach. Teleplay: Danny Strong. Book: Mark Halperin, John Heilemann. Cast: Julianne Moore (Sarah Palin), Woody Harrelson (Steve Schmidt), Ed Harris (John McCain), Peter MacNicol, Jamey Sheridan, Sarah Paulson.
Emmys: Outstanding TV Movie, Actress (Moore), Directing, Writing. Golden Globes: Best TV Movie or Miniseries, Actress (Moore), Supporting Actor (Harris).
Last word: “I wanted to confirm that the book that was our primary source was accurate, which it was – that became very clear, in the first couple of interviews – and I wanted to incorporate as much information as I could from those interviews, from the people who actually lived it and the people that we were actually portraying.” (Strong, Collider)