| The Ides of March | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Clooney |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Farragut North by Beau Willimon |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Phedon Papamichael |
| Edited by | Stephen Mirrione |
| Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes[3] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12.5 million[4] |
| Box office | $76.3 million[5] |
The Ides of March is a 2011 Americanpoliticaldrama film directed byGeorge Clooney from a screenplay written by Clooney,Grant Heslov, andBeau Willimon. The film is anadaptation of Willimon's 2008 playFarragut North. It starsRyan Gosling and Clooney alongsidePhilip Seymour Hoffman,Paul Giamatti,Marisa Tomei,Jeffrey Wright, andEvan Rachel Wood.
The Ides of March was featured as the opening film at the68th Venice International Film Festival and at the 27thHaifa International Film Festival, and was shown at the2011 Toronto International Film Festival.[6][7] It was theatrically released on October 7, 2011, and grossed $76 million worldwide. The film received positive reviews from critics and was chosen by theNational Board of Review as one of thetop ten films of 2011. Gosling earned aGolden Globe Award nomination forhis performance, while Clooney, Heslov and Willimon were nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Stephen Meyers is a talented political staffer and the junior campaign manager forPennsylvania Governor Mike Morris. Just days before the pivotal primary elections inOhio andNorth Carolina, Stephen and senior campaign manager Paul Zara work to secure Morris theDemocraticnomination for president and defeat rival Ted Pullman.
The New York Times reporter Ida Horowicz seeks an inside scoop on the Ohio primary. Paul is confident in Morris's odds from his career experience while Stephen believes deeply in Morris's political cause. Ida warns Stephen that Morris will disappoint him. Before leaving, Paul tells Ida off the record that they're pursuing theendorsement of North Carolina Senator Franklin Thompson, aDINO whose control over 356pledged delegates would secure Morris the nomination.
Stephen takes a meeting with Tom Duffy, Pullman's senior campaign manager, who offers Stephen a job and calls him “the best media mind in the country.” Duffy claims the race is about to turn in Pullman's favor and reveals that they won Thompson's endorsement by promising him the post ofsecretary of state. Stephen criticizes this kind of "dirty politics", but Duffy argues that it is necessary to win. Stephen admits that he met with Duffy, angering Paul, and shares Pullman's deal with Thompson. Morris refuses to make a backroom deal, valuing a “clean” campaign.
Stephen begins a casual sexual relationship with Molly Stearns, a young intern and daughter ofDNC Chairman Jack Stearns. One night while Molly is sleeping, Stephen answers her phone to discover Governor Morris on the line. Molly confesses to a one-night stand with Morris that has left her pregnant. She asks Stephen for money to get anabortion, too afraid to ask herCatholic family. Stephen's faith in Morris begins to fade as he scrambles to avoid the scandal. He allocates funds for Molly's abortion and fires her from the campaign, claiming that mistakes mean you “lose the right to play.”
Meanwhile, Ida confronts Stephen about his meeting with Duffy. Paul reveals that he leaked the story to Ida and fires Stephen for disloyalty. Enraged, Stephen goes to Duffy to join Pullman's campaign, promising dirt on Morris. However, Duffy declines, nervous about Stephen's desire for revenge. He again praises Stephen's talent but admits that he sabotaged Stephen just to gain a political edge in the campaign. Duffy finally encourages Stephen to leave politics before he grows cynical and jaded.
After her abortion, Molly learns secondhand that Stephen was fired and swore to destroy the campaign. Fearing exposure of her affair and abortion, she fatally overdoses on post-abortion pills. Stephen discovers the scene and blackmails Governor Morris with a fictionalsuicide note from Molly.
To avoid the scandal, Morris fires Paul and promotes Stephen to senior campaign manager. He invites Thompson to become his vice president, securing Thompson's delegates and becoming the de facto Democratic nominee for president. On the way to a press interview, Stephen stonewalls Ida. Following a speech from Morris on dignity and integrity, Stephen prepares to explain how they secured Thompson's endorsement.
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In October 2010,Variety reported that George Clooney signed on to produce, direct, and star in thefilm adaptation of Beau Willimon'sBroadway playFarragut North. Exclusive Media Group,Cross Creek Pictures, Smoke House Pictures, andLeonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions financed the film.[10] Filming inCincinnati,Ohio began in February 2011 inDowntown Cincinnati atFountain Square,Over-the-Rhinehistoric district,Northside,Mount Lookout,Xavier University, other neighborhoods and at Miami University'sFarmer School of Business and Hall Auditorium (Miami University and Hall Auditorium are located in Oxford, Ohio).[11][12]Principal photography also took place in DowntownDetroit andAnn Arbor,Michigan. On 14 March, filming began at theUniversity of Michigan and included 1,000 extras.[13]
The theatrical release failed to recognize Cincinnati in the credits as a filming location. Producer and screenplay co-writer Grant Heslov said that "the omission of Cincinnati in the credits was an inadvertent mistake, something that slipped through the cracks." He also said that the credits would be corrected for the home release of the film.[14]
The Ides of March premiered on August 31, 2011, as the opening film of the68th Venice International Film Festival.[15]Sony Pictures Entertainment bought the distribution rights for the United States only, whileAlliance Films bought Canadian distribution. Sony wanted Clooney to keep the play's title, butThe Ides of March was picked as the title.[8]The Ides of March was originally planned to have alimited release in December 2011 and awide release in January 2012.[8] However, Sony eventually moved the film's opening date to 14 October 2011.[16] This was later moved again, to October 7, 2011.
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84% based on 243 reviews, with an average rating of 7.38/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "While not exactly exposing revelatory truths,The Ides of March is supremely well-acted drama that moves at a measured, confident clip."[17] OnMetacritic the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews".[18] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[19]
Some critics gave the film mixed or even negative reviews.[20][21]A. O. Scott of theNew York Times wrote, "But it is difficult, really, to connect this fable to the world it pretends to represent. Whatever happens in2012, within either party or in the contest between them, it seems fair to say that quite a lot will be at stake. That is not the case inThe Ides of March, which is less anallegory of the American political process than a busy, foggy, mildly entertaining antidote to it."[22]
| Awards group | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84th Academy Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | George Clooney,Grant Heslov, andBeau Willimon | Nominated |
| 65th British Academy Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Philip Seymour Hoffman | Nominated |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon | Nominated | |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association[23] | Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | |
| Casting Society of America[24] | Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Studio or Independent Drama Feature | Ellen Chenoweth, Amelia McCarthy | Nominated |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards[25][26] | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Best Ensemble | Nominated | ||
| Actor of the Year | George Clooney(Also forThe Descendants) | Nominated | |
| Actor of the Year | Ryan Gosling(Also forDrive andCrazy, Stupid, Love.) | Runner-up | |
| David di Donatello Awards[27] | Best Foreign Film | Nominated | |
| 68th Venice International Film Festival.[28] | Brian Award | Won | |
| Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards[29] | Best Film – International | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay – International | George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon | Won | |
| Best Actor – International | Ryan Gosling | Nominated | |
| 69th Golden Globe Awards[30] | Best Picture – Drama | Nominated | |
| Best Director | George Clooney | Nominated | |
| Best Actor – Drama | Ryan Gosling | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Movie Awards[31] | Hollywood Editor Award | Stephen Mirrione | Won |
| National Board of Review[32] | Top Ten Films | Nominated | |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival[33] | Chairman's Award | George Clooney(Also forThe Descendants) | Won |
| Producers Guild of America Award[34] | Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures | George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver | Nominated |
| World Soundtrack Awards 2012[35] | Best Score of the Year | Alexandre Desplat | Nominated |
| Best Soundtrack Composer of the Year | Alexandre Desplat | Nominated |
