Summary
George Wallace is a 1997 biographical television film, produced and directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Gary Sinise as George Wallace, the 45th governor of Alabama. The teleplay, written by Marshall Frady and Paul Monash, is based on the 1996 biography Wallace: 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, and Mark Valley also star.
| George Wallace | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Genre | Biographical |
| Based on | Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Marshall 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 |
Sinise reprised his role as George Wallace in Frankenheimer's 2002 television film Path to War, about the Johnson administration's entry into the Vietnam War.[1]
George Wallace premiered on TNT in August 1997, being broadcast in two parts. It was highly praised by critics and received various accolades: including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing (Frankenheimer), Outstanding Lead Actor (Sinise), and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Winningham), and Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Best Supporting Actress (Jolie).
Plot
editGeorge 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 a circuit court judge in Barbour 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 the University of Alabama. It details his stance on racial segregation in Alabama at the time, which proved popular with his white constituents, and also depicts Wallace's rise as a presidential hopeful. This eventually leads to his surprise victory in several states during the 1968 Presidential election, followed by his attempted assassination four years later.
Cast
edit- Gary Sinise as George C. Wallace
- Mare Winningham as Lurleen Wallace
- Clarence Williams III as Archie
- Joe Don Baker as Jim "Big Jim" Folsom
- Angelina Jolie as Cornelia Wallace
- Terry Kinney as Billy Watson
- William Sanderson as T.Y. Odum
- Mark Rolston as Ricky Brickle
- Tracy Fraim as Gerald Wallace
- Skipp Sudduth as Al Lingo
- Ron Perkins as Nicholas Katzenbach
- Mark Valley as US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
- Scott Brantley as Arthur Bremer
- Kathryn Erbe as Mrs. Folsom
- Steve Harris as Neal
- Bobby Kirby as James Hood
- Ketema Nelson as Vivian Malone
Reception
editThe New York Times' Caryn James, wrote that events were "recreated with startling veracity and tension in the two-part mini-series called simply George Wallace." James wrote that Sinise was "amazing" and Mare Winningham was "extraordinary."[2]
The Associated Press stated that the film's version of Cornelia Wallace was depicted as "a shallow sex kitten" and therefore Cornelia Wallace had criticism towards the portrayal.[3]
Awards and nominations
editGeorge Wallace received award nominations: including eight Primetime Emmy Awards (winning three), four Golden Globe Awards (winning two), two Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning one), four Satellite Awards (winning one), nine CableACE Awards (winning four), a Directors Guild of America Award, and a Writers Guild of America Award. Also winning an American Cinema Editors Award, an American Society of Cinematographers Award, an Art Directors Guild Award, and receiving a Peabody Award.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997
|
CableACE Awards | Miniseries | Mark Carliner, John Frankenheimer, Julian Krainin, and Ethel Winant |
Won | [4] [5] |
| Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Gary Sinise | Won | |||
| Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Joe Don Baker | Nominated | |||
| Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries | Angelina Jolie | Nominated | |||
| Directing a Movie or Miniseries | John Frankenheimer | Won | |||
| Writing a Movie or Miniseries | Paul Monash and Marshall Frady | Nominated | |||
| Art Direction in a Dramatic Special or Serires/Movie or Miniseries | Michael Z. Hanan, Charles M. Lagola, and Douglas A. Mowat |
Nominated | |||
| Editing a Dramatic Special or Series/Movie or Miniseries | Antony Gibbs | Nominated | |||
| Makeup | Janeen Schreyer, John E. Jackson, Matthew W. Mungle, Patricia Androff, and Jamie Kelman |
Won | |||
| Peabody Awards | TNT and a Mark Carliner Production | Won | [6] | ||
1998
|
American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Episode from a Television Mini-Series | Antony Gibbs (for "Part 2") | Won | [7] |
| American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Miniseries | Alan Caso | Won | [8] | |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series | Michael Z. Hanan, Charles M. Lagola, and Arlan Jay Vetter |
Won | [9] | |
| Artios Awards | Best Casting for Mini-Series | Iris Grossman | Won | [10] | |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television or Miniseries | John Frankenheimer | Nominated | [11] | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Won | [12] | ||
| Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Gary Sinise | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Angelina Jolie | Won | |||
| Mare Winningham | Nominated | ||||
| Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Television Mini-Series – Effects & Foley | Brady Schwartz | Nominated | ||
| Humanitas Prize | PBS/Cable Television | Paul Monash and Marshall Frady | Won | [13] | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Miniseries | Nominated | [14] | ||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Gary Sinise | Nominated | |||
| Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Best Editing in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Best Lighting in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Best Music in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Titles Sequence in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Miniseries | Mark Carliner, John Frankenheimer, Julian Krainin, Ethel Winant, Mitch Engel, and James Sbardellati |
Nominated | [15] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Gary Sinise | Won | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Angelina Jolie | Nominated | |||
| Mare Winningham | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Movie | John Frankenheimer | Won | |||
| Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Movie | Iris Grossman | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie | Alan Caso (for "Part 1") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Janeen Schreyer, Patricia Androff, Jamie Kelman, Cheryl Ann Nick, Keith Sayer, John E. Jackson, and Matthew W. Mungle |
Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | [16] | ||
| Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Gary Sinise | Won | |||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Joe Don Baker | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Mare Winningham | Nominated | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Gary Sinise | Won | [17] | |
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Mare Winningham | Nominated | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Adapted | Paul Monash and Marshall Frady; Based on the book Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Marshall Frady |
Nominated | [18] | |
1999
|
Costume Designers Guild Awards | Excellence in Costume Design for Television | May Routh | Nominated | [19] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Levesque, John (May 19, 2002). "LBJ's vile realities pave HBO's 'Path to War'". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ James, Caryn (August 23, 1997). "Going Beyond Just Facts To Show a Hollow Soul". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- ^ "Widow of late Gov. George Wallace dies at 69". NBC News. January 9, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2022. - Alternate version ("Cornelia Wallace, 69, First Lady of Alabama, Dies") at The New York Times, January 9, 2009. Version ("Cornelia Wallace, 69, second wife of Alabama Gov. George Wallace") at The Hour (Norwalk, Connecticut), January 8, 2009. Alternate ("Former Alabama first lady Cornelia Wallace dies") at The Columbus Dispatch, January 8, 2009.
- ^ "CableAce Nominations". Variety. September 24, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ "CableAce Awards". Variety. November 17, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ "George Wallace". Peabody Awards. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "Nominees/Winners". IMDb. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ Karon, Paul (March 8, 1998). "ASC hands out awards". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "2nd Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards". Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ "1998 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. November 4, 1998. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "50th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "George Wallace – Golden Globes". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ "Past Winners & Nominees". Humanitas Prize. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "2nd Annual TV Awards (1997-98)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ "George Wallace". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "International Press Academy website – 1998 2nd Annual SATELLITE Awards". Archived from the original on February 1, 2008.
- ^ "The 4th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "Previous Nominees & Winners: 1998 Awards Winners". Writers Guild Awards. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ "The 1st Costume Designers Guild Awards (1999)". Costume Designers Guild. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
External links
edit- George Wallace at IMDb