The Contender

White House drama about the behind-the-scenes conflicts involved in the appointment of a new vice-president. When the old vice-president dies, President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) choses Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) as his successor, thereby making her the first woman ever to occupy the post. But congressman Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman) opposes the appointment and, when he discovers photographs which seem to show Hanson taking part in an orgy, it seems that he will have no trouble undermining her position. Hanson's response is to stand firm and insist upon her right to privacy, but with the political storm gathering force around her, it is not clear how effective her principled stance will be. (Icon Home Entertainment)