The Candidate

"Bill McKay has a lot going for him...but nothing compared to what's coming."

1972 1h 50m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

🍅

89%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 196🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes●66Metacritic★7IMDB · 12,114

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.

“Bill McKay has a lot going for him...but nothing compared to what's coming.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

YouTube TVSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Robert Redford
Bill McKay
Peter Boyle
Marvin Lucas
Melvyn Douglas
John J. McKay
Don Porter
Senator Crocker Jarmon
Allen Garfield
Klein
Karen Carlson
Nancy McKay
Quinn K. Redeker
Rick Jenkin
Morgan Upton
Wally Henderson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Ritchie
Writers: Jeremy Larner
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Ritchie, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Rubinstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard A. Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Redford and Peter Boyle and Melvyn Douglas carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Bill McKay has a lot going for him...but nothing compared to what's coming.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Ritchie directs. Victor J. Kemper behind the camera. John Rubinstein scores. Richard A. Harris cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
254 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
4Directed by Michael Ritchie, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Rubinstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Richard A. Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Robert Redford and Peter Boyle and Melvyn Douglas carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Bill McKay has a lot going for him...but nothing compared to what's coming.".
9IMDB entry: tt0068334 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Victor J. Kemper
Original score: John Rubinstein
Editing: Richard A. Harris
Production design: Gene Callahan
Costume design: Patricia Norris
Runtime: 110 min · 1h 50m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,600,000
Box office: $2,500,000
Return: 156% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Candidate (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 66/100
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 12,114 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 3 wins & 1 nomination total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Michael Ritchie

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2015-07-18
★ 6/10
The cast is really good and Redford delivers a great performance. The story depicts the trip from an activist in the way to become the politician he was despising from the beginning, showing all the things that is is dropping in the raise to the election. However, the story is a bit rushed and the transfixing is not so evident as it could have been depicted.
Bazzjazz2018-05-10
★ 8/10
The Candidate: This film is a great look into the current administration in the White House. ‘The Candidate’ is a fine example of art imitating life!
CinemaSerf2025-06-25
★ 7/10
“McKay” (Robert Redford) is your stereotypical protest lawyer in California who is drafted in to fight the incumbent Republican “Crocker” (Don Porter) in what would appear to be little more than a box-ticking exercise for the Democrats. He only agrees to run if he is allowed by his election agent “Marvin” (Peter Boyle) to pretty much do and say what he likes throughout the campaign. Before long, that frankness and candour starts to resonate with an electorate coming to terms with some profound social and economic issues whilst already being represented by a man who has become somewhat distant and institutionalised by Washington and by a long term in the Senate. As the enthusiastic young man’s efforts gather pace, his erstwhile rather cynical advisor starts to take things more seriously and begins to impose himself on this fly by the seat of your pants process. If “McKay” is to actually succeed, just what and where is he going to have to compromise? Redford is a natural here and brings a degree of authenticity to hustings that all too often come across as being a procedure in which the voter is taken for granted. His ineptness, bluntness and open-mindedness is seen by many of his constituents as a source of hope and optimism, and he delivers that characterisation charismatically well. It’s set in the USA at the start of the 1970s, but it could quite readily be transferred to so many democracies where parliamentarians are elected and routinely re-elected based largely on the colour of their rosettes rather than on their representatives striving to serve the evolving needs of the communities. Although this doesn’t really offer us anything particularly revelatory, it’s a keen look at the effects of rocking the boat. Will he win, though?