Running Mates (2000 TV Movie) User Reviews (18)

"Running Mates" has its likeable moments . . . the scenes come fast and the editing kept the story moving.

[spteos · 6/10 · 17 August 2000]

TNT had been promoing this one since the winter primary season, so I expected something like a blockbuster. Fool me once . . . Actually, "Running Mates" has its likeable moments and it did close with an uplifting plot turn, though it was one you could see coming. The scenes came fast, which I thought worked, and the editing kept the story moving.

The disappointments were in the utter phony silliness of certain aspects of what was a crackling good presentation much of the time. For example, the character of the Texas VP hopeful; that style wouldn't have worked in a good movie or TV show 40 years ago. The four women all having something in common with Tom Selleck's Gov. Pryce was a forced issue and hard to believe -- and also unnecessary. The vice-presidential decision coming on the night of Selleck's acceptance speech was likewise fiction and likewise not necessary; just a cheap hook to keep viewers tuned in all the way to the final credits.

There were a lot of good vignettes, the real TV personalities gave the movie a newscast feel, and Selleck and Bob Gunton as the reluctant VP candidate were the best of a good cast. Overall, a slick production that was certainly watchable. But it seems to me if you're doing this kind of thing during a political convention and tying in so many real events, you'd want to make the entire movie as real as possible. The production/directorial decisions that deviated from that are hard to fathom.

Appealing Political Commentary

[Mac60 · 7/10 · 14 August 2000]

If only a real politician would act like this. Tom Selleck's character is a two term governor from Michigan, running for the Presidency, who still hasn't sold his soul to interest groups. Will he/won't he? That's the question. Good thing he wasn't offered money by Buddist nuns. All in all an entertaining film and far better than the reruns on this time of year.

I tuned in to see Laura Linney a tremendously underrated talent, and was pleasantly surprised with a good story and an ensemble cast of people I wish we saw more of.

Worth a watch...I gave it a 7.

Enjoyable but fantasy-like fare for election junkies

[scotthumphries · 7/10 · 3 November 2004]

I just watched this film tonight, quite coincidentally at the same time as the votes are being counted for the 2004 US presidential election.

The film concerns the political skullduggery involved in the nominating of a running mate for a Democratic presidential candidate played by an almost unrecognizable Tom Selleck. He is a bit of ladies' man inspiring unwavering devotion from his faithful followers and his legion of loved and discarded women who still work for him and believe in him even after the affair is done (could part of his character be modeled on that last charismatic Democrat president we ask ourselves?).

Laura Linney has a strong part as his clever campaign manager, Teri Hatcher a less showy part as a press secretary, and Faye Dunaway a very showy supporting part (the type of role she excels in these days) as the wife of a senator hoping to get a place on the ticket.

This is not a bad film and quite interesting for anyone interested in politics. It does not withstand comparison to the similar but superior "Primary Colors", but it is still not bad. The cast is good but the heartwarming ending is a little hokey for this hardened cynic.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - Again

[al-eaton · 4 September 2004]

I missed this TNT original back in 2000 and, honestly, forgot all about it. I was browsing through my Netflix listings one day and there it was. I sat down to watch it without any preconceived views and was pleasantly surprised by the result.

I've read some other critical reviews of this movie on this website. Frankly, I'm surprised by some of the comments. What the heck is wrong with just an old-fashioned, "feel good" movie? And who better to pull these off than a stellar cast like the one featured here? I'm not expecting aching Russian drama. I'm not really expecting the ironic, leave the theatre wondering twist of Redford's THE CANDIDATE.

I do agree with one reviewer that the build up to Selleck's final speech on the platform at the convention lacked tension. I was reminded of Rob Reiner's THE American PRESIDENT, when we see President Sheppard walking the halls of the White House, mulling things over after his scene with girlfriend Annette Benning. That build up to his final scene when he gives his passionate speech to the White House press Pool was nicely staged. We knew he was going to do the right thing. The tension was in wondering when, and especially how, he was going to do it.

Tom Selleck is a powerful presence on screen. Good looking and with a voice that carries charm and deep emotion. His portrait of Gen. Eisenhower (while he didn't actually look a hick of lot like Ike, or have Ike's high pitched voice) did convey honor and genuine, deep emotions. He gave us not an exact portrait of Ike, but an emotional one, much like George C. Scott's portrait of Gen. Patton.

It takes such an actor to deliver speeches like the one that climaxes both RUNNING MATES and THE American PRESIDENT. It is the emotional portrait, rather than an exact photograph that is at the core of movies like these. This may not be the way it is, we agree, but it darn well is the way it should be. Give me a good guy, a hero who must be tempted, and occasionally swayed, but who can be counted on in the end to do the right thing. Obvious and predictable? Sure. But what's wrong with heroes?

This film is also not at all a waste of the talents of Laura Linney, Teri Hatcher, Nancy Travis or Faye Dunaway. It's good entertainment. It's more of a MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON than it is THE BEST MAN, (Henry Fonda) one of the very best political dramas on stage or screen. Many film critics begin their reviews by saying that "this movie could have been so much better if only . . . " What they're really saying is, " . . . if only I had written the script or directed." I look at films for what they actually are and look for their strengths before complaining about their weaknesses, the famous "if only."

Good film could be great with one scene cut

[Nicholsworth1946 · 6/10 · 10 December 2005]

Good overall, but I thought the bathroom scene with 3 ex-lovers discussing their flings in the presence of the candidate's wife was gratuitously tacky and tasteless. Cut that scene, and this would get several more stars. The scene where the candidate waits to the end of his Acceptance Speech to reveal his choice of running mate is unrealistic, but dramatically effective. Tom Selleck is a commanding presence. Robert Culp is cast to type as the somewhat sleazy,untrustworthy chap. Faye Dunaway plays the role of the drunken,neglected wife convincingly. Laura Linney was well cast - as was the film as a whole. Selleck has been good in everything he has been in.

Good political film...for TV

[formula44xxx · 7/10 · 8 October 2001]

Sure some of the characters in this film, about a Governor (Tom Selleck) running for president, seem hollow and fake...but isn't that the way politics is? As it goes this is a decent entry, though you would be better suited watching 'Bob Roberts' from 1992. The cast here is good, with Laura Linney and Nancy Travis giving the film's best performances, while Faye Dunaway is embarrassingly bad at first, then delivers a poignant middle before settling down at the bottom again near the end. Why does this woman keep getting Golden Globe nominations for such overripe performances? I Recommend this mostly for political junkies or for viewing during election season.

Negative ad undermines a decent candidate

[rimjak · 5/10 · 9 October 2005]

As a political junkie, I am more likely to enjoy political-themed movies like this one. While 'Running Mates' has some good ingredients (mainly Bob Gunton's populist U.S. Senator), it has some bad ingredients too. The approach is heavy-handed, to say the least. For example, how do we know the U.S. Senator backed by big business is supposed to be a bad guy? He refers to Laura Linney's character (Selleck's campaign manager) as 'bitch' instead of using her real name while they discuss business in a professional setting. And Dunaway is awful, looking wretchedly made-up and overacting outrageously as a onetime flame of Selleck's. And for this she got a Golden Globe nomination? At least Robert Culp (as Dunaway's Senator husband) underplays his part (what little there is of it anyway). Tom Selleck is kind of low key and pretty bland in the lead. However, if he was trying to go for the bland politician look, he nailed it. How much safer of a candidate could Selleck be? Even his climatic convention speech is pretty tame, and that's the CLIMAX! Overall, a decent time, if you get past all of those clichés. The cast is pretty good (especially Gunton and Nancy Travis), aside from Dunaway's occasional outbursts and Bruce McGill's slime-ball Senator (though there's not much else he could have done with such a one-note character). And what's with that misleading movie poster? It shows Linney holding hands with Travis (who plays Selleck's wife), insinuating a possible same-sex twist to the story. However, as the movie unfolds, it is obvious that no such link exists. The two aren't even close! Did the filmmakers need to lure viewers that bad? This, nominally a 6, gets bumped down to a 5 because of that poster debacle. Talk about a cheap shot. If you want to see a good political movie check our Bob Roberts (with Tim Robbins). It is a more polished candidate, while Running Mates is more a political hack.

Pretty Good TV Movie---But.....

[kikib37 · 7/10 · 13 August 2000]

I enjoyed this movie. It was very reminiscent of the Clinton administration. While the presidential hopeful in this movie turns out to be a decent guy and makes for a happy ending, it makes the movie somewhat unrealistic. While it may fall short on realistically portraying the typical presidential candidate, Running Mates does a good job of portraying the media hoopla candidates receive and the behind-the-scenes work it takes to make the man.

More insults for women...

[Charles-31 · 4/10 · 22 August 2000]

Why is it that a woman cannot be a strong character in a movie without sleeping with the leading man? The campaign manager in this movie dreams of leading Tom Sellick to the White House. It's all she can think about. So, why on earth must she have had an affair with him? It added nothing to the plot and served only to demean successful women. The only value of that tidbit was the cute "we've all slept with your husband" scene.

Also, couldn't the people who made this movie have watched the national conventions they were spoofing? Airing between the two major political conventions only served to highlight their total ignorance of the nomination and selection process.

Dreadful..

[patbks · 1/10 · 27 December 2003]

Dreadful acting. A thinly veiled attempt to slam those on the left side of the aisle.

Women are subjugated and revolve around men. Tom Selleck shows his acting range from A to B.

A Fine but unfortunately a Sleeper

[john-kelly-3 · 10/10 · 9 June 2005]

I found this film totally enthralling from start to finish, and it's actors performances - in particular Tom Selleck and Teri Hatcher - if you had rasberried them with their respective performances on the small screen as Magnum PI and dumb Lois Lane, this is a film to watch..it will pleasantly surprise you and turn you around as it has me.

Faye Dunaway is absolutely brilliant, and Laura Linney and Nancy Travis' characters bounce so well off each other.

The cover of the DVD has "Tom Selleck is Stellar!" - So are the four ladies mentioned above..absolutely Stellar - this is a great ensemble cast.

It could be compared to a lot of modern films, "Dave", "True Colours" etc, bit it has a uniqueness all its own. Totally recommended..

Whew - a stinker on all counts

[av_m · 3/10 · 7 August 2022]

This is one of those - "what the heck was that all about?"

So, we have Tom Selleck - bemusingly unidentifiable without his mustache - his character? Trite, Mr. President goes to Washington sort

We have Laura Linney - bloodless "career gal" character uniquely unlikeable

We have Faye Dunaway & Robert Cult - one word for each: Why?

Script - trite characters, moronic witticisms, simplistic forces of right vs. Darth Vader "men in black".

Production - slick but pointless

Verisimilitude - all you need to know is they rely on cameo's by Arianna Huffington from her HuffPo glory days together w. A gaggle of other back-in-the-day newsbeat talking heads whose names nobody will even remember if you're watching in 2022 or beyond - for "cred" - other than that, the whole thing's just baloney - heck, baloney's better.

Nice little TV movie about presidential politics.

[TxMike · 16 April 2003]

Tom Selleck is just perfect as the governor who is chosen as Democratic nominee for president. Laura Linney is equally perfect, as his smart, energetic, workaholic campaign manager. The movie runs along nicely and sets us up for a good dramatic conclusion, but to me fumbled on the three-yard-line, and finished up as just an average movie, somewhat of a let-down after the fine build-up.

some SPOILERS follow, don't read further unless you've seen the movie.

The presidential nomination is boosted along by hard-edge politicians who offer Selleck a large sum of money with the understanding that he will be in their pocket. On the verge of choosing their man as VP running mate, he fires Linney. But at the last minute, he rejects all that and chooses the man that he should have in the first place. The disappointed politicians vow to block his favored legislation. To me, the ending just fell flat, and spoiled a fine build-up over the first 75 minutes or so. He did the right thing, but it just didn't have any passion connected with it. The median IMDb rating of 6 is about right.

Surprised to find this solid film on Youtube

[pik923 · 9/10 · 31 January 2023]

GREAT CAST speaking of star studded, quite amazing that this fine ensemble cast was brought together for a TV film.

Solid script, direction is fine as well.

Although described as a comedy, there are just powerful dramatic moments that reflect the energy behind these huge decisions that effect our lives.

The US process of nominating a presidential candidate during a convention is interesting all by itself. The numbers of delegates, the speeches, the balloons, the signs, the noise, the jubilation for the winners. And what happened behind the scenes - always interesting.

There are several very good films both dramatic and comedic that address these issues.

I'm surprised that this made for TV movie was so good.

Often honest, sometimes raw, sometimes filled with the disappointments for the staff members, sometimes like chess pieces. Many easily swept away and never remembered or appreciated.

Well worth your time! And it's on YOUTUBE

Faye Dunaway is always a gem - nominated as well.

Laura Linney always solid

Score is good as well.....and of course behind the backdrop of Hollywood and issues such as abortion are part of it.....

Not bad. More female roles.

[Raleigh-7 · 19 January 2003]

What I really liked was that this film is so different to the usual film fare. And I mean there were more female roles than male, and I am a male. It seems female actors have so many fewer parts to play and display their talents. Each of them was a real 3 dimentional player and added to the pleasure watching this film. This was not a dramatic film but a comedy with some serious moments and should be judged as such. Nancy Travis, Laura Linney and Teri Hatcher deserve to be seen more often before they have to take middle-age parts like Faye Dunaway. All in all I enjoyed this film.

Well done

[TerraFed · 16 August 2000]

This is a "Robert Kennedy" movie. It portrays things as they aren't and asks "Why not?"

Witty and topical, it reminds me of the somewhat superior "Barbarians at the Gate". It not "The Candidate" either, but it entertains effortlessly. If the ending is predictable, it is also emotionally satisfying.

The biggest surprise is the degree of language and nudity in a commercial cable movie. We get not one, but two lingering views of Teri Hatcher's backside. Even NYPD Blue hasn't shown this much skin for such long shots.

Average Telepic featuring aging film star, Faye Dunaway...

[michellehayworth · 23 September 2002]

I know it sounds corny but MATES, written by female scribe Claudia Salter, pulls out all the punches in letting you know this candidate, Magnum himself, is a man of dignity and pride. A man our country so desperately needs in our cynical, money grabbing world that is our society today. It's the Clinton aftermath and Pryce and his loyal campaign manager Lauren, (Laura Linney) who has wanted to be president herself ever since she was a child, is leading Pryce into a smooth victory using all the manipulating tasks and strategies that are most assuredly common place in today's elections. Including having Pryce's daughter run up to him while he is on camera for a `planned spontaneous emotional moment.'

This infuriates Mrs. Pryce (Nancy Travis) who tells the overzealous Lauren, `You are never to use my daughter again. She will not be a tool in your campaign agenda!' Meow! But something suggests these women have more in common than the concern of Governor Pryce. Lauren is also an ex-girlfriend of his, and so are his social secretary (Teri Hatcher) and one of his political chums (Faye Dunaway), who desperately wants Prcye to choose her husband (Robert Culp) as his VP. Apparently before Pryce devoted all his love to Mrs. Pryce he passed his love around generously.

RUNNING MATES, a TNT Original film, is good TV but without much controversy. Sure there is an established 'bad guy' (Bruce McGill) who would do anything to nab the job of vice president, it's quite clear he doesn't have a chance in hell of being president so why not the next best thing. But overall the film is consistently too nice. In one out of place scene Lauren has a dispute with Pryce and storms off to her hotel room and then, `knock-knock', she is suddenly surrounded by all his exes and his current wife. They all console her and then compare sex stories with Pryce, including his wife!? This comes out of no where when just minutes earlier the women didn't care for each other in the least. It seems to have been added only to fit the bill of having all these ladies (Travis, Dunaway, Hatcher, Linney) in a room together talking smut.

And just when you thought Pryce might turn out to be a sellout something remarkable happens right out of left field. No explanation is given as to why and a much needed previous scene to suggest his mind frame is non-existent. Instead we are left to read his mind and think, `He did it because it was the right thing to do, right?' But, then again, that's never stopped a politician before? So who knows!

Promising, yet disappointing

[roger.nelson · 15 August 2000]

The indiscriminate use of the "P" word turned me off to this made-for-TV movie. It had enough stars in it to make it a success, but I never used language like that and can't understand why TNT aired it as is. They edit other films for broadcasting with unacceptable language, so why is this one any different?

I grew up learning from my parents and peers what was acceptable language in mixed company and what was not. Maybe that's what is wrong with the world today.

Sincerely,

RN