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| George Wallace | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Genre | Biographical |
| Based on | Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace byMarshall Frady |
| Screenplay by | Paul Monash Marshall Frady |
| Story by | Paul Monash |
| Directed by | John Frankenheimer |
| Starring | Gary Sinise Mare Winningham Clarence Williams III Joe Don Baker Angelina Jolie Terry Kinney William Sanderson Mark Rolston Tracy Fraim Skipp Sudduth Ron Perkins Mark Valley |
| Theme music composer | Gary Chang |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Mark Carliner |
| Producers | John Frankenheimer Julian Krainin |
| Cinematography | Alan Caso |
| Editor | Tony Gibbs |
| Running time | 178 minutes |
| Production company | TNT Original |
| Original release | |
| Network | TNT |
| Release | August 24, 1997 (1997-08-24) |
George Wallace is a 1997biographicaltelevision film, produced and directed byJohn Frankenheimer and starringGary Sinise asGeorge Wallace, the 45thgovernor ofAlabama. The teleplay, written byMarshall Frady andPaul Monash, is based on the 1996 biographyWallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Frady.Mare Winningham,Clarence Williams III,Joe Don Baker,Angelina Jolie,Terry Kinney,William Sanderson,Mark Rolston, Tracy Fraim,Skipp Sudduth,Ron Perkins, andMark Valley also star.
Sinise reprised his role as George Wallace in Frankenheimer's 2002 television filmPath to War, about theJohnson administration'sentry into the Vietnam War.[1]
George Wallace premiered onTNT in August 1997, being broadcast in two parts. It was highly praised by critics and received various accolades: includingPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Directing (Frankenheimer),Outstanding Lead Actor (Sinise), andOutstanding Supporting Actress (Winningham), andGolden Globe Awards forBest Miniseries or Television Film andBest Supporting Actress (Jolie).
George Wallace portrays the political life of a complex man. Initially an ordinary Southern judge, Wallace transforms himself to achieve political success and glory, becoming one of the most reviled political figures in the U.S. Finally, a failed assassination attempt—which leaves him paralyzed and in pain—leads him to realize what he has become.
The film follows the story of Wallace's life from the 1950s, when he was acircuit courtjudge inBarbour County, to his tenure as the most powerful Governor in Alabama's history. The movie depicts his symbolic "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", where Wallace attempted to block black students from entering theUniversity of Alabama. It details his stance onracial segregation inAlabama at the time, which proved popular with hiswhite constituents, and also depicts Wallace's rise as a presidential hopeful. This eventually leads to his surprise victory in several states during the1968 Presidential election, followed by his attempted assassination four years later.
Principal photography began on 13 January 1997.[2]
The New York Times'Caryn James, wrote that events were "recreated with startling veracity and tension in the two-part mini-series called simplyGeorge Wallace." James wrote that Sinise was "amazing" and Mare Winningham was "extraordinary."[3]
TheAssociated Press stated that the film's version of Cornelia Wallace was depicted as "a shallowsex kitten" and therefore Cornelia Wallace had criticism towards the portrayal.[4]
George Wallace received award nominations: including eightPrimetime Emmy Awards (winning three), fourGolden Globe Awards (winning two), twoScreen Actors Guild Awards (winning one), fourSatellite Awards (winning one), nineCableACE Awards (winning four), aDirectors Guild of America Award, and aWriters Guild of America Award. Also winning anAmerican Cinema Editors Award, anAmerican Society of Cinematographers Award, anArt Directors Guild Award, and receiving aPeabody Award.