Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for The Contender

The Contender

Seen it?

2000 | 126 min | Drama, Thriller

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It drew serious awards attention, though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Vice or The Parallax View, start here.
The mood
Tense.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 6 min.
What might put you off
Rated R: expect sex.

The vice president is dead, and as the president makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival. When Senator Laine Hanson is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    76% on Rotten Tomatoes, 59 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.7 out of 10

  • AwardsStrong

    Nominated for 2 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes and 2 SAG Awards.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $22 million worldwide on a $20 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 73K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Rod Lurie

  • Joan AllenLaine Hanson
  • Gary OldmanShelly Runyon
  • Jeff BridgesPresident Jackson Evans
  • Christian SlaterReginald Webster
  • Sam ElliottKermit Newman
  • William L. PetersenJack Hathaway
  • Saul RubinekJerry Tolliver
  • Philip Baker HallOscar Billings
  • Robin ThomasWilliam Hanson
  • Kathryn MorrisPaige Willomina