LBJ

Led by a thunderous lead performance by Woody Harrelson in the titular role, Rob Reiner helms this eye-opening study of the controversial political career of Lyndon B. Johnson, ranging from his days as Senate Majority Leader to his sudden ascendancy to the presidency in the wake of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Aided by an impressive supporting cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Richard Jenkins, and Bill Pullman, Reiner offers a panoramic look at Johnson's long-debated presidency in a time of both major progress and strife for a nation at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and the dawn of the Vietnam War. (Hamptons International Film Festival)