Hollywood's latest political potboiler could have been something. It could have lived up to its own title and been a real contender.

Forgive the indirect "On the Waterfront" quotation, but it seems particularly fitting to use when discussing "The Contender," which settles for being a good movie when it might have been a great one.

Though "The Contender" has a terrific cast and a plot that could have been ripped from today's headlines, this dramatic thriller doesn't heed its own advice about fair treatment, instead playing up the expected Hollywood cliches about the differences between liberal and conservative politics.

Consequently, the film winds up being only somewhat thought-provoking — simply because it's not as thoughtful as it should have been.

The title character is Sen. Laine Hanson (Joan Allen), a Democrat with a chance to become the first female vice president of the United States.

That's because the sitting veep has just died, and pressure is mounting for President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) to nominate a successor. And his first choice is a woman, namely Hanson — a bold political move that the president intends to be his final, lasting legacy in office.

As expected, her selection rankles many in Washington, especially Rep. Shelly Runyon (a scenery-chewing Gary Oldman), a conservative Midwesterner who is determined to bring her down by any means necessary. And he gets his chance during the judiciary committee hearings regarding her nomination.

During those hearings, Laine's sexual past comes back to haunt her, with allegations that she may have performed sexual favors for pay while in college. Staunchly believing in her right to privacy, she refuses to answer those questions.

Thanks to those allegations and her keeping-mum stratagem, it looks as though her nomination may be doomed. However, the president and his key adviser (Sam Elliott) aren't about to let it go away that easily, and the keys to turning this around may be Reginald Webster (Christian Slater), a freshman congressman serving on the judiciary committee, as well as Gov. Jack Hathaway (William Petersen), next in line for the position after Laine.

As a former entertainment journalist and critic (he worked for Los Angeles Magazine, among many others), you'd think filmmaker Rod Lurie would be able to avoid the usual movie cliches.

But despite a can't-miss setup and some clever dialogue, he often stoops to routine characterizations — with Runyon being duplicitous and villainous, and Laine being the paragon of virtue. And the speechifying makes the film rather talk-heavy in its second half.

In fact, Lurie should count himself lucky that he has such a talented cast, which helps to bail him out of some pretty swampy situations.

To no one's surprise, Allen performs solidly, adding depth to a one-dimensional character. But the real surprise is Bridges, whose wisely humorous work makes you wish the film had been about him instead. (The easy chemistry between Bridges and Allen also suggests that someone may want to pair these two again in the future.)

"The Contender" is rated R for frequent strong profanity and vulgar discussions of sexual activities, brief female nudity (shown in flashes) and brief simulated sex. Running time: 123 minutes.

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