Sixteen years after its critically acclaimed debut on HBO, Tanner '88 remains bracingly relevant (especially given the recent, nasty political climate). Directed with miraculous subtlety by Robert Altman, the series--created by Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau--followed the fictional presidential campaign bid (warts and all) of 1988 Democratic hopeful Jack Tanner (played to perfection by Michael Murphy) to win his party's nomination against real-life opponents Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, Ralph Nader, and Richard Gephardt. It's no surprise that many of these delicious half-hour episodes (11 in all, the first running closer to an hour) are enriched with Doonesbury-like sarcasm, much of it arising from the comedic chaos of Tanner's campaign, which is led by manager T.J. Cavanaugh (Pamela Reed, mastering one of her finest roles), and watched closely by Tanner's teenage daughter (Cynthia Nixon, long before her success on Sex and the City). As comedic fiction blends with political fact, Tanner '88 dates itself in specifics--and in the relative civility of the campaign trail, compared to the cutthroat present--but in general this remains one of the most astutely observant and richly humorous political series' ever created, with much to say about the media's role in boosting or destroying careers, and it's worthy of permanent residence in the White House of American political satire. DVD extras include a new conversation between Altman and Trudeau. Highly recommended. [Note: also newly available from Sundance Channel Home Entertainment is the 2004 follow-up mockumentary Tanner on Tanner from the same team, priced at $19.99 on DVD.] (J. Shannon)
Tanner '88
Criterion, 2 discs, 353 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 20, Issue 1
Tanner '88
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: