The Congressman
Through May 9. Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa. 813-274-8286. tampatheatre.org.
When I first read the summary of The Congressman, I groaned: Not another political movie.
Yes, another political movie, but this one offers poignant (if not new) insight to elected officials who truly care about their constituents and perhaps have little tolerance for the media circus that can surround the most innocuous of actions (clearly I'm not speaking of the current presidential nominees, but, you know, everyone else). Need an example? How about this: Treat Williams plays a politician who refuses to say the pledge every morning and reminds reporters that children used to give the US flag the Bellamy salute (you may know it as the Nazi salute and no, the filmmakers are not making this up).
The Congressman marries Mr. Chips Goes to Washington with Wag the Dog, topping it with a little Lifetime movie. Rather than give you a blow-by-blow (if you can't IMDB by now, we really can't help you), here's the least you need to know: There's a small fishing community off the east coast of Maine, a congressman (Treat Williams) who concerns himself more with what he believes to be right than playing political games, an assistant (Ryan Merriman) who teeters on the edge of sleaziness, and, of course, a love interest (Elizabeth Marvel). Throw in one scene with slightly LGBT overtones, a dapper George Hamilton as the storied crooked politician, a maybe-not-so-bitter ex-wife, spectacular footage of a Maine fishing town (the film's working title was Catatonk Blues), some light humor, a few jabs at today's overly-sensitive political climate and that lovely Maine patois, and bam, you've got yourself a movie.
The Congressman's strengths lies in its storytelling and its setting. Does anyone really want to see another political movie set in DC? Take that same story and set it by (and on) the sea, and the already-interesting story (well done, writer Robert Mrazek) starts to suck you in deeper. The film more tells the story of the fishing community than political intrigue, which is perhaps its biggest strength as a political movie, and also as a plot-driven film.
Its weaknesses? It's a little too nice, as if trying to handle an R-rated world while keeping a PG rating (it does have an R rating, although if this movie isn't suitable for people under 17, I don't know that CNN is, either). The movie has a strong sense of story and well-motivated characters.
This is not your typical summer movie fare or even your typical movie fare, in that there are zero special effects, no superheros, no murders and no sex. It was a pleasure to watch.
Let's be clear: This isn't the funniest movie you'll ever see, and the political intrigue doesn't exactly reach NCIS levels, but it does offer a solid story framed by a well-made movie.
Even better? It gives you more hope for America than our current politicians do.
This article appears in May 5-11, 2016.