[SOLVED!] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Can't remember that film's name? Post the plot, and see if other users can help.
livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

[SOLVED!] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by livelove »

Hey everyone.

Clues for the film I'm looking for:

    • The protagonist is a US politician running for election (of US senator I believe, or else possibly US president or US congressman).

    • The politician has a love relationship and for some reason (I forgot why), he has to choose between dating the woman or running for office. The relationship is based on romance/love (it's not a sex-only relationship). From what I remember, the politician is a single person, so it's not an extra-marital affair and there is no unfaithfulness involved on his part.

    • As far as I remember, it's neither comedy nor science fiction, but a serious film (romance/drama).

    • release date: 1990-2015, not older I think

    • My faint memories suggest that the woman disappears (at least for a while) and the politician is looking for her.

    • I'm a bit lost as to who the actor was, but AFAIR the character was a young and upcoming politician, so I think the actor was looking rather young. Younger than Michael Douglas for example. I was thinking someone in the mold of Josh Hartnett, Ryan Gosling or Matt Damon maybe. But I looked through their cinematography and found no matching film. Could be a totally different actor of course. (My first guess was Josh Hartnett, but one of my favourite films is Wicker Park, in which Hartnett searches for a woman, who has disappeared, so I hope this plot doesn't erroneously bleed into point 4 above. :?)

Any ideas ?

films that (somewhat) fit the description but are not the one I'm searching for:
The Ides of March
The American President (from post #2)
Running Mates (from post #4)
The Adjustment Bureau (from post #6)
The Dead Zone (from post #10)
The Candidate (from post #11)
True Colors (from post #11)
Bob Roberts (from post #11)
Dave (from post #11)
Primary Colors (from post #11)
Bulworth (from post #11)
Maid in Manhattan (from post #12)
Last edited by livelove on Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:58 pm, edited 22 times in total.

BeeDub
Posts: 19
3137 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:25 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by BeeDub »

Sounds like The American President.

livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by livelove »

Thanks for your help. Your film indeed fits the description, but unfortunately it's not the film I'm looking for. Any other films that come to your mind ?

BeeDub
Posts: 19
3137 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:25 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by BeeDub »

Running Mates?

livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by livelove »

Thanks again! No, sorry, it was not comedy/satire. I added that to the clues in my OP.

dardan
Posts: 313
1636 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 9:08 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by dardan »

The Adjustment Bureau?

livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by livelove »

Thanks Dardan. The Adjustment Bureau would be a perfect fit (Matt Damon, politician, election, woman, forced to separate, etc.) but it's science fiction, whereas I remember my film to be one supposed to take place in our real world. I added that to the clues in my OP to further narrow down the film.

rklenseth
Posts: 289
11417 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by rklenseth »

Perhaps it is "Storyville" (1992)?

livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by livelove »

rklenseth wrote:Perhaps it is "Storyville" (1992)?

Thanks for your help. Sorry, I'm pretty sure that's not the one. But I will have to watch the film to confirm it 100%.

In the meanwhile, I hope you can keep the guesses coming.
All of your help is so kind!

rklenseth
Posts: 289
11417 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: [unsolved] US politician must choose between dating a woman or running for election

Post by rklenseth »

Here are a few you might want to check out...

"The Candidate" (1972) I know its a little bit older but some of the plot points you mentioned definitely fit so I figured it was at least worth mentioning. It is about a man running for the Senate and he does have an affair. It stars Robert Redford.
"True Colors" (1991) It is about a man running for a Congressional seat. I don't remember an affair but the man running for congress commits a lot of acts of corruption. It stars James Spader and John Cusack.
"Bob Roberts" (1992) It is about a man running for the Senate. I don't remember an affair. It is shot documentary style. It stars Tim Robbins.
"Dave" (1993) It is about a man who looks like the current President who is used to cover up the President's extramarital affair. It stars Kevin Kline.
"Primary Colors" (1998) It is a *fictional* telling of Bill Clinton running for the Presidential election in 1992. It involves allegations of an affair that is covered up. It stars John Travolta.
"Bulworth" (1998) It is about a man running for re-election to the Senate but is depressed and suicidal about the state of politics that he hires a hitman to kill him and then lives it up for his final few days of life. It stars Warren Beatty.

Post Reply