jjnxn-1 In many ways Wallace was a reprehensible man so a three hour film of his rather infamous life should be a struggle to get through, that its not is almost wholly because it has such a high quality cast. Clarence Williams III offers quiet support in the difficult role of Wallace's long time servant and the many familiar faces that are in support all are fine in their various roles. The real spotlight is on the three main characters and its here that the film really delivers.Mare Winningham is both strong and soft as Lurleen Wallace standing by her man who is devoted to her. Their relationship does much to humanize Wallace. Angelina Jolie, during the very brief period of her career spent in TV, is equally strong as Cornelia Wallace showing that she was more than the trophy wife she was sometimes painted. Even with all this excellent work the film would be nothing without a knockout lead actor and Gary Sinise is that. He is totally committed to the character whether showing his bigotry or his humanity, a splendid piece of work. Frankenheimer's direction is sure handed keeping the interest level high as he moves through a most complicated man's life.

MartinHafer "George Wallace" is a made for TV documentary about the famous and very controversial governor of Alabama. Gary Sinese plays the title role and won an Emmy for his performance. The film runs about three hours and is a very long film. Very, very long. While there was more than enough material on the man to make a very long film like this possible, I question the need. Now this isn't to say it's a bad film. It's just that it seems to go on too long and loses some of its momentum through the course of the film. Yet, despite this, the film still is exceptional and is a quality production throughout--and I strongly recommend it. Another reason I recommend it is that while George Wallace is a rather famous historical figure, the WHOLE picture is not known by most people. How the repellent man changed through the course of the film is THE reason to see the film, as it's a rare chance to see a true story about redemption and change.By the way, look closely during the scene in Boston about midway through the film. One of the hard-hatted protesters is Ron Jeremy!

bkoganbing Gary Sinise delivers a superb performance in the biographical television film George Wallace. I well remember Wallace from back in the sixties and Sinise is so good in the part you think you're seeing home movies of Wallace, albeit a slightly skinnier version.No southern politician since Huey Long had the impact of Wallace on the national scene. He was a product of the white backlash to the Brown vs. Board of Education School integration decision of the Supreme Court. Wallace, previously a moderate who lost a gubernatorial primary in 1958, courted the die-hard segregationist vote in 1962 and won the first of several terms as Governor of Alabama. It was a platform that he used to rattle both the Democratic and Republican parties for several years.He unleashed a lot of dark and evil forces beyond even what he knew and maybe he never realized the full extent of them even after the attempted assassination of him at a presidential campaign rally in Laurel, Maryland in 1972. But he had to come to grips with pain and suffering as he never did before and maybe he caught a bit of empathy for those of the disenfranchised he'd demagogued against previously.It is a fact that the former poster boy for race segregation got a large amount of black support in his final race for Governor in 1986.Sinise is aided and abetted by good performances by Clarence Williams, III who serves as a kind of Greek Chorus, a fictional black servant at the Governor's mansion who is Wallace's sounding board as neither his two wives became. Mare Winningham who is the small town girl Lurleen who he married and who just wanted a normal home life. She became part of his ambitions when she was elected Governor herself in a ploy to get around Alabama's term limit law. Winningham is as I remember Lurleen Wallace and conceive of what she was like in her private life. Angelina Jolie in a break out role for her plays Wallace's second wife Cornelia who was the niece of former Governor Jim Folsom played her ably by Joe Don Baker. After Wallace was shot and paralyzed and lost the control of a number of lower body functions, she tries as best she can to adjust. A whole lot is against it though in both her's and his personalities.George Wallace is a much better than average made for TV product, it probably should have gotten a theatrical release. It's a portrait of some dark corners of America and shouldn't be missed.

jackie080254 George Wallace is a wonderful piece of cinema portraying the life of the politician who became Governor of the state of Alabama. The film starts with a campaign and ends with repentance, showing how suffering can change a man. Intertwined with news features from the time and capturing moments like the Selma march and Martin Luther King and his "dream" speech, the film portrays life in this turbulent period of American history to perfection. For lovers of political dramas this is an excellent film, starring the excellent Gary Sinise as Wallace for which he won an Emmy and directed by John Frankenheimer. The film also stars Angelina Jolie and Joe Don Baker.