George Wallace (film)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
George Wallace
GeorgeWallaceDVDCover.jpg
George Wallace DVD Cover
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Produced by John Frankenheimer
Julian Krainin
Screenplay by Paul Monash
Marshall Frady
Story by Paul Monash
Based on Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace
by Marshall Frady
Starring Gary Sinise
Mare Winningham
Clarence Williams III
Angelina Jolie
Joe Don Baker
William Sanderson
Terry Kinney
Tracy Fraim
Music by Gary Chang
Cinematography Alan Caso
Edited by Antony Gibbs
Distributed by Turner Network Television
Release dates
 August 24, 1997
Running time
 178 minutes
Language English

George Wallace is a 1997 television film starring Gary Sinise as George Wallace, the former Governor of Alabama. It was directed by John Frankenheimer, who won an Emmy award for it; Sinise and Mare Winningham also won Emmys for their performances. The film was based on the 1996 biography Wallace : The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Marshall Frady, who also co-wrote the teleplay.

Frankenheimer's film was highly praised by critics: in addition to the Emmy awards, it received the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries/Motion Picture made for TV. Angelina Jolie also received a Golden Globe for her performance as Wallace's second wife, Cornelia.

Plot

George Wallace portrays the political life of a complex man. Initially an ordinary Southern judge, Wallace transforms himself to achieve political success and glory, becoming one of the most reviled political figures in America. Finally, a failed assassination attempt which leaves him paralyzed and in pain leads him to realize what he has become.

The film follows the history of its namesake, from the 1950s when Wallace was a circuit court judge in Barbour County, to his tenure as the most powerful Governor in Alabama's history. The movie depicts his symbolic "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", where Wallace attempted to block black students from entering the University of Alabama. It details his stance on racial segregation in Alabama at the time, which proved popular with his white constituents, and also depicts Wallace's rise as a presidential hopeful. This eventually leads to his attempted assassination—and his surprise victory in several states during the 1968 Presidential election.

Historical Inaccuracies

In a sequence taking place in 1955 introducing Cornelia Wallace Nee Snively despite her in real life being 16, she is shown carried on the arms of Governor Jim Folsom at a much younger age.[clarification needed]

Production

The film was shot in California because the then-Governor of Alabama, Fob James, refused to cooperate with location shooting in Wallace's home state.

Reception

The New York Times Caryn James wrote that events were "recreated with startling veracity and tension in the two-part mini-series called simply George Wallace." James wrote that Sinise was "amazing" and Mare Winningham was "extraordinary."[1]

Featured cast

Actor Role
Gary Sinise George C. Wallace
Mare Winningham Lurleen Wallace
Clarence Williams III Archie
Joe Don Baker Big Jim Folsom
Angelina Jolie Cornelia Wallace
Terry Kinney Billy Watson
William Sanderson T.Y. Odum
Mark Rolston Ricky Brickle
Tracy Fraim Gerald Wallace
Skipp Sudduth Al Lingo
Ron Perkins Nicholas Katzenbach
Mark Valley Robert F. Kennedy
Scott Brantley Arthur Bremer
Kathryn Erbe Mrs. Folsom
Steve Harris Neal
Bobby Kirby James Hood
Ketema Nelson Vivian Malone

Awards and nominations

1998 American Cinema Editors (Eddies)

  • Won - Best Edited Episode from a Television Mini-Series — Antony Gibbs (for part 2)

1998 American Society of Cinematographers

  • Won - Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Mini-Series — Alan Caso

1998 Art Directors Guild

  • Won - Excellence in Production Design Award for a Television Movie or Miniseries — Michael Z. Hanan, Charles M. Lagola, Arlan Jay Vetter

1997 CableACE Award

  • Won - Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries — Gary Sinise
  • Won - Best Directing a Movie or Miniseries — John Frankenheimer
  • Won - Best Makeup — Janeen Schreyer, John E. Jackson, Matthew W. Mungle, Patricia Androff, Jamie Kelman
  • Won - Best Miniseries — Mark Carliner, John Frankenheimer, Julian Krainin, Ethel Winant, Mitch Engel, James Sbardellati
  • Nominated - Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries — Joe Don Baker
  • Nominated - Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries — Angelina Jolie
  • Nominated - Best Art Direction in a Dramatic Special or Serires/Movie or Miniseries — Michael Z. Hanan, Charles M. Lagola, Douglas A. Mowat
  • Nominated - Best Editing a Dramatic Special or Series/Movie or Miniseries — Antony Gibbs
  • Nominated - Best Writing a Movie or Miniseries — Paul Monash, Marshall Frady

1998 Casting Society of America (Artios)

  • Won - Best Casting for TV Miniseries — Iris Grossman

1998 Directors Guild of America

  • Nominated - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials — John Frankenheimer

1998 Emmy Awards

1998 Golden Globe Awards

1998 Humanitas Prize

  • Won - PBS/Cable Category — Marshall Frady, Paul Monash

1998 Motion Picture Sound Editors (Golden Reel Award)

  • Nominated - Best Sound Editing - Television Mini-Series - Effects and Foley — Brady Schwartz

1997 Peabody Award

  • Won - Peabody Award — Mark Carliner

1998 Screen Actors Guild Awards

  • Won - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries — Gary Sinise
  • Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries — Mare Winningham

1998 Writers Guild of America Awards

  • Nominated - Best Screenplay Adapted Long Form — Paul Monash, Marshall Frady

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/23/arts/going-beyond-just-facts-to-show-a-hollow-soul.html?scp=1&sq=sinise%20jolie&st=cse

External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=George_Wallace_(film)&oldid=2848768"