All the Way (2016 film)
{{short description|2016 television film directed by Jay Roach}}
{{Infobox television
| image = All The Way.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = Television release poster
| based_on = {{based on|All the Way|Robert Schenkkan}}
| writer = Robert Schenkkan
| director = Jay Roach
| starring = {{ubl|Bryan Cranston|Anthony Mackie|Melissa Leo|Frank Langella}}
| music = James Newton Howard
| country = United States
| language = English
| executive_producer = {{ubl|Steven Spielberg|Robert Schenkkan|Bryan Cranston|Jay Roach|Darryl Frank|Justin Falvey}}
| producer = {{ubl|Scott Ferguson|Jeffrey Richards}}
| editor = Carol Littleton
| cinematography = Jim Denault
| runtime = 132 minutes
| company = {{ubl|HBO Films|Amblin Television|Moon Shot Entertainment|Tale Told Productions|Everyman Pictures}}
| network = HBO
| released = {{start date|2016|5|21}}
}}
All the Way is a 2016 American biographical drama television film based on events during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Directed by Jay Roach and adapted by Robert Schenkkan from his 2012 play All the Way, the film stars Bryan Cranston, who reprises his role as Johnson from the play's 2014 Broadway production, opposite Melissa Leo as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson; Anthony Mackie as Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King Jr.; and Frank Langella as U.S. Senator Richard Russell Jr. from Georgia.{{cite web |url=https://www.looper.com/926197/what-you-probably-never-knew-about-anthony-mackie/|title=What You Probably Never Knew About Anthony Mackie |date=13 July 2022 }}
The film was broadcast on HBO on Saturday, May 21, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/HBOs-Adaptation-of-ALL-THE-WAY-Filmed-LADY-DAY-Receive-Premiere-Dates-20160107|title=HBO's Adaptation of ALL THE WAY, Filmed 'LADY DAY' Receive Premiere Dates|work=Broadway World|date=January 7, 2016}} The film has received positive reviews, with praise for Cranston's performance. It has been nominated for a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials, with Cranston also nominated for Individual Achievement in Drama for his work on the film. It was nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie as well as acting nominations for Cranston and Leo.{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-emmy-nominees-announced# |title=Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, Bryan Cranston Among 2016 Emmy Nominees |last=Clement |first=Olivia | work=Playbill | date=July 14, 2016}}
Plot
In 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President of the United States after the John F. Kennedy assassination, assisted and advised by his wife Lady Bird. Johnson enters the White House but soon must work on the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Martin Luther King Jr. pressures Johnson to pass the bill without amendments that would weaken it; Southern Democrats such as Richard Russell Jr. of Georgia oppose the bill so much that they may abandon the Democratic Party if the bill passes, and Republicans and Democrats on the fence offer amendments opposed by the liberals and the Civil Rights activists. At the same time, Johnson wants to declare a War on Poverty. The Gulf of Tonkin incident causes Johnson to ask Congress for a resolution endorsing a reprisal against North Vietnam, wary of being outflanked on the issue by the Republicans.
After successful passage of the Civil Rights Act over a filibuster, Johnson contends for election against Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election. This is complicated by the Freedom Summer movement and pulls between the northern liberal wing and Southern Dixiecrat wing of the Democratic Party. Johnson assigns J. Edgar Hoover to investigate the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi. The state of Mississippi also sends two delegations to the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City: the "normal" delegation from the Dixiecrat wing, which threatened to walk out on Johnson, and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), a renegade wing supported by the Civil Rights Movement, but vehemently opposed by other Southerners. Johnson, in a bid to save the South, offers the MFDP a compromise that satisfies neither side; the Mississippi delegation walks out, and the MFDP is unhappy with the two at-large delegates offered to them.
Johnson hits Goldwater hard in the election, portraying him as a dangerous fanatic who will destroy the world, but is worried. Johnson's aide and friend Walter Jenkins is arrested for "disorderly conduct" after he is found having sex with another man in a public restroom; Johnson has an uncomfortable conversation with Hoover on how this fact slipped by security screening. Martin Luther King wins the Nobel Peace Prize; Hoover, still distrusting King, sends him an insulting, anonymous letter demanding King commit suicide, which is ignored. Johnson wins the election conclusively, but the Democratic Party loses the states of the Deep South. After a phone call with Russell, Johnson ends with a monologue expressing intense paranoia towards those around him.
Cast
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
- Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon B. Johnson
- Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr.
- Melissa Leo as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson
- Frank Langella as Senator Richard B. Russell Jr.
- Bradley Whitford as Senator Hubert H. Humphrey Jr.
- Stephen Root as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
- Marque Richardson as Bob Moses
- Aisha Hinds as Fannie Lou Hamer
- Todd Weeks as Walter Jenkins
- Regi Davis as Aaron Henry
- Mo McRae as Stokely Carmichael
- Spencer Garrett as Walter Reuther
- Ken Jenkins as Representative Howard W. "Judge" Smith
- Jeff Doucette as Senator James Eastland
- Randy Oglesby as Senator J. Strom Thurmond
- Samantha Bogach as Luci Johnson
- Tim True as Deke Deloach
- Bruce Nozick as Stanley Levison
- Ned Van Zandt as Senator J. William Fulbright
- Joe O'Connor as Senator Robert Byrd
- Hal Landon Jr. as Speaker John McCormack
- Dan Desmond as Representative Bill McCulloch
- Stoney Westmoreland as Representative James C. Corman
- Ray Wise as Senator Everett M. Dirksen
- Eric Pumphrey as Dave Dennis
- Dohn Norwood as Ralph Abernathy
- Joe Morton as Roy Wilkins
- Toby Huss as Governor Paul B. Johnson Jr.
- Matthew Glave as Governor Carl Sanders
- Bo Foxworth as Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
{{div col end}}
Production
On July 16, 2014, it was announced that HBO Films had acquired the rights to the play All the Way with Robert Schenkkan writing the adaptation and Bryan Cranston reprising his role as Lyndon B. Johnson.{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2014/07/hbo-films-nabs-adaptation-of-play-all-the-way-with-bryan-cranston-starring-steven-spielberg-producing-805235/|title=HBO Films Nabs Adaptation of LBJ Play 'All the Way' with Bryan Cranston Starring & Steven Spielberg Producing|magazine=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=July 16, 2014}} Schenkkan and producer Steven Spielberg agreed that the adaptation would differ significantly from the play. Schenkkan says, "When Steven, Bryan Cranston and I brought this to HBO, what I said at the time was, 'Look, I have no interest in just shooting the play. What I want to do is a complete cinematic reimagining of this story.' Everybody was on board for that. It's obviously recognizably the same story with many – but not all – of the same characters. I took a really hard look at how I could best tell this story on screen now that I had all the things that cinema brings that I did not have in my toolkit when I was working on stage."{{cite web |url=http://creativescreenwriting.com/all-the-way/|title=Chopping in High Cotton: Robert Schenkkan on All the Way and Hacksaw Ridge|publisher=Creative Screenwriting|first=Christopher|last=McKittrick|date=October 4, 2016}}
On March 7, 2015, it was announced that Jay Roach would direct the film.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jay-roach-attached-direct-hbos-779935|title=Jay Roach Attached to Direct HBO's LBJ Biopic 'All the Way' (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Tatiana|last=Siegel|date=March 7, 2015}} On June 30, 2015, Anthony Mackie was cast as Martin Luther King Jr.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/anthony-mackie-martin-luther-king-jr-bryans-cranston-all-the-way-hbo-1201465008/|title=Anthony Mackie To Play MLK Opposite Bryan's Cranston's LBJ In HBO's 'All the Way'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Mike|last=Fleming|date=June 30, 2015}} On July 2, 2015, Melissa Leo was cast as Lady Bird Johnson.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/melissa-leo-cast-lady-bird-johnson-all-the-way-hbos-movie-lbj-1201467403/|title=Melissa Leo To Play Lady Bird Johnson In HBO's LBJ Movie 'All the Way'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=July 2, 2015}} On July 8, 2015, Stephen Root and Marque Richardson were cast as J. Edgar Hoover and Bob Moses, respectively.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/stephen-root-marque-richardson-cast-hbo-lbj-movie-all-the-way-1201472059/ |title=Stephen Root & Marque Richardson Join HBO's LBJ Movie 'All the Way'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=July 8, 2015}} On July 23, 2015, Bradley Whitford was cast as Hubert Humphrey.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/bradley-whitford-cast-all-the-way-transparent-1201483703/ |title=Bradley Whitford To Play Hubert Humphrey In HBO's 'All the Way'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=July 23, 2015}} On July 23, 2015, Aisha Hinds, Spencer Garrett, Todd Weeks, and Mo McRae were cast as Fannie Lou Hamer, Walter Reuther, Walter Jenkins, and Stokely Carmichael, respectively.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/hbo-lbj-movie-all-the-way-cast-bryan-cranston-1201484262/ |title=HBO's LBJ Movie 'All the Way' Adds Four To Cast|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=July 23, 2015}} On July 28, 2015, Frank Langella was cast as Richard Russell Jr.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/frank-langella-co-star-all-the-way-hbo-lbj-movie-1201486567/| title=Frank Langella To Co-Star In HBO's LBJ Movie 'All the Way'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=July 28, 2015}} On September 18, 2015, Bruce Nozick was cast as Stanley Levison.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/bruce-nozick-in-all-the-way-ernie-hudson-grace-and-frankie-season-2-1201534857/ |title=Bruce Nozick Joins 'All the Way', Ernie Hudson Returns For 'Grace And Frankie' Season 2|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Ross A.|last=Lincoln|date=September 18, 2015}} On September 29, 2015, Ned Van Zandt was cast as J. William Fulbright.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/ned-van-zandt-all-the-way-liana-liberato-luke-benward-measure-of-a-man-1201558373/ |title=Ned Van Zandt Cast In LBJ Pic 'All the Way'; Two Join Indie YA Adaptation 'Measure of a Man'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Anita|last=Busch|date=September 29, 2015}}
Filming began on August 13, 2015,{{cite web |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/471601-hbo-goes-all-the-way-with-bryan-cranston|title=HBO Goes All the Way with Bryan Cranston |publisher=Comingsoon.net |first=Silas |last=Lesnick |date=August 13, 2015}} and took place in Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/all-the-way-review-bryan-cranston-1201770604/|title=TV Review: 'All the Way'|last=Ryan|first=Maureen|author-link=Maureen Ryan|work=Variety|date=May 18, 2016|access-date=June 28, 2021}}
Reception
All the Way received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 87%, based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Anchored by Bryan Cranston's phenomenal performance as LBJ, All the Way is an engrossing portrayal of a complicated man during a pivotal moment in US history."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_the_way_2016/ |title=All the Way (2016) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=May 26, 2016}} On Metacritic the film has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.{{cite web |title=All the Way |website=Metacritic |access-date=May 26, 2016 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/all-the-way-2016 }}
All the Way drew approximately 1.11 million total viewers and a 0.2 rating among adults 18–49, making it the second most watched (at the time it aired) HBO original movie behind 2015's Bessie.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/bryan-cranston-all-the-way-viewership-hbo-confirmation-bessie-anthony-mackie-1201762102/|title=HBO's 'All the Way' Tops 'Confirmation' In Total Viewers But Not 'Bessie'|first= Dominic |last=Patten|date=May 24, 2016|access-date=October 28, 2017|publisher=Penske Business Media, LLC |website=Dateline: Hollywood}}
Awards and nominations
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|3791216}}
{{Jay Roach|state=expanded}}
{{Lyndon B. Johnson}}
{{Martin Luther King|state=collapsed}}
{{Civil rights movement}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:All the Way (film)}}
Category:2016 television films
Category:2016 biographical drama films
Category:2010s historical drama films
Category:2010s political drama films
Category:American films based on plays
Category:American biographical drama films
Category:American political drama films
Category:Biographical television films
Category:Civil rights movement in film
Category:Civil rights movement in television
Category:Cultural depictions of J. Edgar Hoover
Category:Drama films based on actual events
Category:American drama television films
Category:Films about Lyndon B. Johnson
Category:Films about Martin Luther King Jr.
Category:Films about presidents of the United States
Category:Films directed by Jay Roach
Category:Films scored by James Newton Howard
Category:Films set in the 1960s
Category:Films set in Washington, D.C.
Category:Films shot in Los Angeles
Category:Political films based on actual events
Category:Vietnam War films based on actual events
Category:2010s English-language films