The Ides of March (2011 film)

The Ides of March
Theatrical release poster
Directed by George Clooney
Produced by George Clooney
Grant Heslov
Brian Oliver
Screenplay by George Clooney
Beau Willimon
Grant Heslov
Based on Farragut North
by Beau Willimon
Starring Ryan Gosling
George Clooney
Evan Rachel Wood
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Paul Giamatti
Marisa Tomei
Jeffrey Wright
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography Phedon Papamichael
Edited by Stephen Mirrione
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • August 31, 2011 (2011-08-31) (Venice Film Festival)
  • October 7, 2011 (2011-10-07) (United States)
Running time
 101 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $12.5 million[2]
Box office $76 million[3]

The Ides of March is a 2011 American political drama film directed by George Clooney from a screenplay written by Clooney, along with Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon. The film is an adaptation of Willimon's 2008 play Farragut North. It stars Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Evan Rachel Wood, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, and Jeffrey Wright.

The Ides of March was featured as the opening film at the 68th Venice International Film Festival and at the 27th Haifa International Film Festival and was shown at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.[4][5] It received a wide theatrical release on October 7, 2011.

Plot

Stephen Meyers is the junior campaign manager for Governor Mike Morris, who is competing against Senator Ted Pullman in the Democratic presidential primary. Both campaigns are vying for the endorsement of Senator Franklin Thompson, who controls 356 delegates that would clinch the nomination for either candidate. Meyers is asked by Pullman's campaign manager, Tom Duffy, to meet in secret. Meyers calls his boss, Morris campaign manager Paul Zara, who does not answer. Meyers decides to meet with Duffy, who offers him a position in Pullman's campaign; Meyers refuses. When Zara calls back, Meyers does not tell him about the meeting.

Meyers starts a sexual relationship with Molly Stearns, an attractive intern whose father is the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Meyers admits to an angry Zara that he met with Duffy, who said that Pullman will offer Thompson the position of Secretary of State in exchange for his endorsement. Zara and Meyers discuss the matter with Morris, saying they must make the same offer to Thompson. Morris refuses on principle, as he thoroughly disagrees with Thompson and his policies, and wants a "clean" campaign without such deals.

While Molly is sleeping, Meyers finds that Morris is trying to call her after he picks up her phone by mistake. He discovers that they had a brief sexual liaison several weeks previously, and Molly is now pregnant with Morris's child. Molly needs $900 for an abortion, but cannot tell her father because her family is Catholic. Meyers helps her with the money but warns her not to tell anybody, and fires her from the campaign to make the problem go away. Ida Horowicz, a reporter for The New York Times, reveals to Meyers that an anonymous source leaked his meeting with Duffy, and plans to publish an article unless Meyers gives her the details about the Morris campaign's overtures to Thompson.

After dropping Molly off at the abortion clinic, Meyers goes to Zara for help. Zara reveals that he leaked the meeting to Ida with Morris' approval as a pretext for firing Meyers over his purported disloyalty. An angry and desperate Meyers then offers his services to Duffy, who admits he only met with Meyers to influence his opponent's operation under the likelihood that either Meyers would come to work for him or be fired for taking the meeting. Duffy apologizes for using Meyers and advises him to quit politics before he becomes a cynic like him. Meyers offers to sell out Morris but Duffy declines, believing Thompson's endorsement of Pullman is assured.

Having been told that Meyers had threatened to take down the campaign, Molly fatally overdoses on pills in a hotel room. Meyers comes across the scene and steals her phone. Unbeknownst to the Morris campaign, he meets with Thompson to set the conditions for his endorsement and his delegates. Meyers confronts Morris and gives him an ultimatum: either give him Zara's job and offer Thompson his post, or Meyers goes the press with Molly's purported suicide note and expose the affair. Morris relents, giving up what is left of his personal integrity, and meets Meyers' demands. Zara takes his firing philosophically and is amicable when he chats with Meyers at Molly's funeral.

Thompson officially endorses Morris, making him the de facto Democratic nominee. Now senior campaign manager, Meyers is on the way to a remote TV interview with John King when Ida ambushes him and says her next story will be about how Meyers delivered Thompson and his delegates and got his promotion. He reacts by having security bar her from coming any further. Meyers takes his seat for the interview, just as Morris finishes a speech about how "integrity and dignity" matter, and is asked for insight as to how the events surrounding the primary unfolded.

Cast

  • Ryan Gosling as Stephen Meyers, Morris's junior campaign manager.[6]
  • George Clooney as Mike Morris, Governor of Pennsylvania and a Democratic presidential candidate.[6]
  • Evan Rachel Wood as Molly Stearns, an intern for Morris's campaign[7] and Meyers's love interest.
  • Philip Seymour Hoffman as Paul Zara, Morris's campaign manager and Meyers's superior and mentor.[8]
  • Paul Giamatti as Tom Duffy, Ted Pullman's campaign manager.[7]
  • Marisa Tomei as Ida Horowicz, a reporter for the New York Times.[7]
  • Jeffrey Wright as Franklin Thompson, Democratic Senator from North Carolina.
  • Jennifer Ehle as Cindy Morris, wife to Governor Mike Morris and the First Lady of Pennsylvania.
  • Gregory Itzin as former Senator Jack Stearns, father of Molly Stearns and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
  • Michael Mantell as Ted Pullman, Senator from Arkansas and Morris's opponent in the Democratic primaries.
  • Max Minghella as Ben Harpen,[8] a member of Morris's campaign staff.

Production

In October 2010, Variety reported that Clooney signed on to produce, direct, and star in the film adaptation of Beau Willimon's Broadway play Farragut North. Exclusive Media Group, Cross Creek Pictures, Smoke House Pictures, and Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions financed the film.[7] Filming in Cincinnati, Ohio began in February 2011 in Downtown Cincinnati at Fountain Square, Over-the-Rhine historic district, Northside, Mount Lookout, Xavier University, other neighborhoods and at Miami University's Farmer School of Business and Hall Auditorium (Miami University and Hall Auditorium are located in Oxford, Ohio).[9][10] Principal photography also took place in Downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan. On March 14, filming began at the University of Michigan and included 1,000 extras.[11]

The theatrical release failed to recognize Cincinnati in the credits as a filming location. Producer and screenplay co-writer Grant Heslov said that "the omission of Cincinnati in the credits was an inadvertent mistake, something that slipped through the cracks." He also stated that the credits would be corrected for the home release of the film.[12]

Release

The Ides of March premiered on August 31, 2011 as the opening film of the 68th Venice International Film Festival.[13] Sony Pictures Entertainment bought the distribution rights for the United States only, while Alliance Films bought Canadian distribution. Sony wanted Clooney to keep the play's title, but The Ides of March was finalized.[6] The Ides of March was originally planned to have a limited release in December 2011 and a wide release in January 2012.[6] However, Sony eventually moved the film's opening date to October 14, 2011.[14] This was later moved again, to October 7, 2011.

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 85%, based on 218 reviews, with a rating average of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "While not exactly exposing revelatory truths, The Ides of March is supremely well-acted drama that moves at a measured, confident clip."[15] On Metacritic the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews".[16] CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B" on an A+ to F scale.[17]

Nevertheless, some critics gave the film mixed or even negative reviews.[18][19] One such mixed review came from A. O. Scott, who wrote that "it is difficult, really, to connect this fable to the world it pretends to represent. Whatever happens in 2012, within either party or in the contest between them, it seems fair to say that quite a lot will be at stake. That is not the case in The Ides of March, which is less an allegory of the American political process than a busy, foggy, mildly entertaining antidote to it."[20]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Awards GroupCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
84th Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon Nominated
65th British Academy Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman Nominated
Best Adapted ScreenplayGeorge Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau WillimonNominated
Broadcast Film Critics Association[21] Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
Casting Society of America[22] Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Studio or Independent Drama Feature Ellen Chenoweth, Amelia McCarthy Nominated
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards[23][24] Best Film Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Best Ensemble Nominated
Actor of the Year George Clooney (Also for The Descendants) Nominated
Actor of the Year Ryan Gosling (Also for Drive and Crazy, Stupid, Love.) Runner-up
David di Donatello Awards[25] Best Foreign Film Nominated
68th Venice International Film Festival.[26] Brian Prize Won
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards[27] Best Film – International Nominated
Best Screenplay – International George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon Won
Best Actor – International Ryan Gosling Nominated
69th Golden Globe Awards[28] Best Picture – Drama Nominated
Best DirectorGeorge ClooneyNominated
Best Actor – DramaRyan GoslingNominated
Best ScreenplayGeorge Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau WillimonNominated
Hollywood Movie Awards[29] Hollywood Editor Award Stephen Mirrione Won
National Board of Review[30] Top Ten Films Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival[31] Chairman's Award George Clooney (Also for The Descendants) Won
Producers Guild of America Award[32] Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver Nominated
World Soundtrack Awards 2012[33] Best Score of the Year Alexandre Desplat Nominated
Best Soundtrack Composer of the Year Alexandre Desplat Nominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Ides of March (15)". E1 Films. British Board of Film Classification. September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  2. ↑ Kaufman, Amy (October 6, 2011). "Movie Projector: 'Real Steel' to crush 'Ides of March'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Ides of March (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  4. ↑ "TIFF 2011: U2, Brad Pitt, George Clooney Films Featured At 2011 Toronto International Film Festival". The Huffington Post. The Canadian Press. July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
  5. ↑ Evans, Ian (2011). "Ides of March premiere photos". DigitalHit.com. Retrieved 2012-03-20
  6. 1 2 3 4 Fischer, Russ (November 2, 2010). "Sony Picks up George Clooney's 'The Ides of March' For December 2011 Release". /Film. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 McNary, Dave (October 27, 2010). "Clooney to direct Gosling in 'Ides of March'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "The Ides of March (2011)". All Media Guide. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  9. ↑ "George Clooney films at Xavier". WCPO-TV. E. W. Scripps Company. February 28, 2011. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  10. ↑ Kiesewetter, John (February 28, 2011). "Clooney team films 'Ides' at fast pace". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Movie extras needed for George Clooney film in Ann Arbor". WXYZ-TV. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  12. ↑ "'Ides' credits forget to thank Cincinnati". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  13. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (June 22, 2011). "Venice confirms 'Ides' as opener". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  14. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (March 3, 2011). "Sony Sets Release Date for George Clooney's 'The Ides of March'". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  15. ↑ "The Ides of March". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  16. ↑ "The Ides of March Reviews, Ratings, Credits". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  17. ↑ Kaufman, Amy (October 9, 2011). "Box Office: 'Real Steel' KOs competition, including George Clooney". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  18. ↑ Murray, Noel (2011-10-06). "The Ides Of March | Film | Movie Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  19. ↑ Edelstein, David (2011-10-02). "David Edelstein on 'The Ides of March' and 'The Human Centipede 2' - New York Magazine Movie Review". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  20. ↑ Scott, A. O. (October 6, 2011). "Estranged Bedfellows". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  21. ↑ "17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards (2012) – Best Picture: The Artist". Criticschoice.com. December 13, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Casting Society of America Announces Artios Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. August 20, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  23. ↑ Tapley, Kristopher (January 2, 2012). "'Tree of Life' leads the way with Central Ohio critics nominations". HitFix. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) - 2011 Awards". cofca.org. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  25. ↑ Lyman, Eric J. (April 12, 2012). "Marco Tulio Giordana Drama Earns 16 Nominations for Italy's Top Film Honors". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Brian Award at Venice Film Festival 2011". Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics (in Italian). September 9, 2011. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  27. ↑ "AACTA International Award Nominees" (PDF). Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). January 15, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  28. ↑ "The Artist Leads 2011 Golden Globe Nominations With Six Bids". Time. December 15, 2011.
  29. ↑ "2011 Hollywood Film Awards Honorees". Yahoo! Movies. October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  30. ↑ Corliss, Richard (December 1, 2011). "Year-End Awards: National Board of Review Says 'We Go with Hugo'". Time.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  31. ↑ Pond, Steve (November 18, 2012). "Clooney gets Palm Springs film festival Chairman's award". Reuters. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  32. ↑ "PGA ANNOUNCES THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURE AND LONG-FORM TELEVISION NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 PGA AWARDS". producersguild.org. January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
  33. ↑ "World Soundtrack Awards". worldsoundtrackacademy.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
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