'The Candidate' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times

A. O. Scott looks at this 1972 film and how it seems to predict subsequent developments in American political culture.
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Critics' Picks - Critics' Picks: 'The Candidate' -- NYTimes.com/Video
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[@Kimbahley]

I especially love when he gives that great inspired speech and then continues to re-hash it over and over until it loses any meaning for him.

[@crisguia]

Only in America can a political film like this be made. It attacks how almost everything is manipulated during a campaign and yet also seems to be somewhat admiringly amazed at what a well-oiled machine it is, how well it all works. It doesn't show outright what should be done to improve things, but it sure shows us where things need to be done differently. At the very least, this film makes an average viewer like me really think.

[@JakeandElwoodBlues]

Bill McKay was NOT based on Jerry Brown. The movie was released in 1972. Brown didn't become Governor (not Senator) until 1975. McKay was based on Sen. John Tunney, who, like McKay, was a young, charismatic lib Democrat who beat an older incumbent GOP incumbent, George Murphy. Tunney was defeated himself in 1976.

[@AMAN-qm4pj]

Senator YOU'RE no Jack Kennedy

[@AMAN-qm4pj]

Hii

[@b.spizale3231]

Make more videos! This is my favorite series The Times does.

[@endtheliesnow5906]

I never understood the ending, when he said, ""what do we do now?"..

[@saito3389]

.-.

[@CurlyAnocas]

@endtheliesnow5906 @saito3389 I think he asks that because he talked about so many problems and made promises (for example about crime) and he made people believe in him except he wasn't expecting to win at all so he doesn't know how to be a senator and he can't keep his promises or has any ideia of how to go so he's like "what do we do now? these people have so many expectations and we cant keep up with them"

[@diplomatt22]

He's spent so much time trying to win, he doesn't actually know what to do once he's won.

[@henryortiz595]

A film i have to watch before I die

[@dangelo1369]

Along with "Advise and Consent"; "The Best Man" and "The Last Hurrah" with Spencer Tracy. Along with "The Candidate" are the best movies about politics, ever. Yeah, "Bulworth", also.

[@forever_golfer1981]

The liberal version of Bob Roberts.

[@ubuibiok]

*****

[@spb7883]

Very frustrating to watch. Shows how diluted - dare I say, out of touch - Scott is/was. This isn’t prescient. This is *reportage* !