Path to War
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Path to War
Plot
Inspired by author Robert A. Caro's massive biography of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, the made-for-cable Path to War retraces the world-shaking events occurring between LBJ's jubilant inaugural in 1965 and his tired, dispirited decision not to seek another presidential term in 1968. At the crux of these tumultuous three years is the war in Vietnam, which forces Johnson (here played by Michael Gambon) to shunt his proposed "Great Society" to the back burner. Though famous in political circles as a wrangler and compromiser, LBJ cannot seem to do anything right in pursuing the war; nor are his chief advisors, the hawkish Robert McNamara (Alec Baldwin) and the dove-ish Clark Clifford (Donald Sutherland), able to forge a permanent policy agreement. As Clifford warns Johnson that "escalation will ruin you, and all the great good you want to do," McNamara presses for a continuation of the war lest America lose face and Vietnam fall to the Communists. The story unfolds with the inexorability of a Shakespearean tragedy, with Johnson as a modern-day Macbeth, Richard III, and King Lear rolled into one. Of interest to non-history buffs is the appearance of two original cast members of the 1969 film M*A*S*H: Donald Sutherland as Clark Clifford and Tom Skerritt as William Westmoreland. Directed by political-movie veteran John Frankenheimer, Path to War made its HBO cable network debut on May 18, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviCast
- Michael Gambon - Lyndon B. Johnson
Credit
Scott Meehan - Art Director, John Frankenheimer - Director, Richard Francis-Bruce - Editor, Cary Brokaw - Executive Producer, John Frankenheimer - Executive Producer, Edgar J. Scherick - Executive Producer, Howard B. Dratch - Executive Producer, Gary Chang - Composer (Music Score), Waldemar Kalinowski - Production Designer, Stephen Goldblatt - Cinematographer, Guy Riedel - Producer, Daniel Giat - Screenwriter, The Orphanage - Visual Effects| Path to Stardom: Tracy Byrd (1997 Film), Path to Stardom: Tim McGraw (1997 Film) | |
| Pather Panchali (1955 Film), Pathfinder (2007 Film) |
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Path to War
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2010) |
| Path to War | |
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| Genre | Biographical television film |
| Directed by | John Frankenheimer |
| Produced by | Cary Brokaw Howard Dratch John Frankenheimer Guy Riedel Edgar J. Scherick |
| Written by | Daniel Giat |
| Starring | (first billed only) Michael Gambon Donald Sutherland Alec Baldwin Bruce McGill James Frain Felicity Huffman Frederic Forrest John Aylward Philip Baker Hall Tom Skerritt Diana Scarwid Sarah Paulson Gerry Becker Peter Jacobson |
| Music by | Gary Chang |
| Cinematography | Stephen Goldblatt Nancy Schreiber |
| Editing by | Richard Francis-Bruce |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Original channel | HBO |
| Release date | May 18, 2002 |
| Original airing | May 18, 2002 |
| Running time | 165 minutes |
Path to War is a 2002 American biographical television film, produced by HBO and directed by John Frankenheimer that deals directly with the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson and his cabinet members. It was the final film (theatrical or made-for-TV) that was directed by Frankenheimer, who died seven weeks after the film debuted on HBO.
The film stars Michael Gambon as President Johnson, Alec Baldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Donald Sutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds McNamara as Secretary of Defense.
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Synopsis
Lyndon B. Johnson wins the 1964 U.S. presidential election by a landslide. His administration strives to advance civil rights and do other good work, but the Vietnam War consumes it. Johnson's civilian and military leaders persuade him to take America's involvement in Vietnam deeper and deeper, against the advice of the President's trusted adviser, Clark Clifford, who opposes the strategy of the Cabinet's Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara.
The film examines Johnson's often misunderstood and challenging presidency, concluding with his decision not to run for re-election in 1968.
Featured cast
Awards
- Sutherland won a 2002 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for his performance as Clifford.
Academic usage
- Dominic Houlder, an adjunct professor of strategic and international management at the London Business School at the University of London in London, England, uses excerpts from the film for the Capstone course as part of the school's master of business administration program.[citation needed]
- Gerald Wetlaufer, professor of law at the University of Iowa, uses excerpts of the film in his course on Negotiations.
See also
- 2002 in television
- Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson
External links
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