Exceptional portrait
Added 8/13/2009
George Wallace was a conflicted man, allowing himself to turn racist for the sake of power. Like many older Southern whites, he began by taking Black people for granted but morphed into a volatile segregationist who finally sees the error of his ways and seeks forgiveness in a Black church in his wheelchair, a very moving and tense scene. Sinese is outstanding. He's usually calm and cool and smooth in most of this other roles, but as George Wallace, he reveals a range not seen before.
Technically, this is a superb film; black and white footage mixed and blended with color, fading from authentic news footage to Sinese's outstanding performance. They've got the accents down pretty well but Angelina Jolie seems miscast somehow. Despite that, the film chronicles pretty well the history of that era and of George Wallace's career.
I found myself glued to the film. The addition of a fictional character, Archie, as Wallace's valet was a stroke of genius for one reason; Clarence Williams III's excellent performance illustrated the suppressed rage of Black people against white people. This is a good way for a quick course on segregation and de-segregation and to underestand the tenor of the times. Terrific.
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GEORGE WALLACE - RACIST OR POPULIST?
Added 7/12/2009
The film begins with Wallace and second wife, Cornelia (Jolie), passionately embracing on the bed. It seems an odd beginning but as we learn later, this would be the last or one of the last times George Wallace experienced any physical pleasure. The movie then begins a series of flashbacks and flash forwards of the life of this man who become such a lightning rod for the civil rights movement in America. He came to represent what so many saw as what was wrong with the South and their policies of segregation. Wallace's campaign slogan became 'segregation now, segreation tomorrow, segregation forever'. Was he a true racist or a populist who played the cards he thought would get him elected. He ran for governor of Alabama four times and for president four times. Many thought he had a serious chance to be elected President before the assassination attempt. This would have been the reverse of what happened in 2008, only 36 years earlier. Is this a summary of how far our country has come in the last four decades or was Wallace simply a political aberration? This is an outstanding film, the acting (especially Sinise) is terrific and it gives a balanced picture of this unusual politician. George Wallace is a very real part of American history and anyone under 40, especially, should watch this to understand why the subject of racism, while different than the 60's, has not gone away. There are actual archival scenes of civil rights protest mixed in the film. It is a three hour mini-series, not the 370 minutes it says on Netflix. Well worth watching to get a fair picture of this man and the period of civil rights struggles in our country.
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Historical Accuracy
Added 4/3/2009
Any time I see that Gary Senise is one of the actors in a film, I know that I want to watch it. Whether as Lt. Dan, Harry S. Truman, or George Wallace, Senise becomes the part that he is playing. Some actors, including many A list actors, bend a role to fit their own personalities. Gary Senise is not one of those actors.
"George Wallace" portrays the title character as he was, a pragmatic, many would say opportunistic, politician. Although Wallace began his career as more liberal than was the norm in Alabama at that time, he was willing to make deals with whoever would help to get him elected - including members of the Klan - and to say whatever those people wanted to hear.
That later in his life Wallace shifted away from his racist stance leads to the question: Who was the real George Wallace? This film helps to answer that question.
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I don't know what was worse, the acting or the history. The film was just one big hit piece on Wallace, and the only fair portrayal in the film was Mare Winningham's playing of Governor Lurleen. If you believe anything is sacred, don't buy this film!
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Great movie!
Added 2/20/2005
I may have to edit the opening scene some for my high school audience, but they will certainly be watching this movie. It was wonderfully made. I loved the mix of original pictures and movies intertwined with the story plot. I would highly recommend this for any Alabama history buff or for Gary Sinise fan. My mom even sat and watched this with me.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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