• Rating:
• Genre: Comedy
• Movie Type: Comedy of Errors, Political Satire
• Themes: Cons and Scams, On the Campaign Trail
• Director: Jonathan Lynn
• Main Cast: Eddie Murphy, Lane Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Joe Don Baker, Victoria Rowell
• Release Year: 1992
• Country: US
• Run Time: 122 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

A smooth-talking confidence trickster makes his way into congress (where the cynical would suggest he'd have plenty of company) in this comedy. Thomas Jefferson Johnson (Eddie Murphy) is a con man from Florida who gets the bright idea that a scam artist could make a tidy sum if he was able to get inside the political arena. When a Florida senator named Jeff Johnson dies and a special election is held to replace him, Thomas puts his name on the ballot as "Jeff Johnson," and enough confused voters check the ballot for him that he wins the race and is on his way to Washington D.C. Johnson soon finds a mentor in Dick Dodge (Lane Smith), chairman of the Power and Industry Committee, who shows Johnson the ropes on raking in PAC money while the late Mr. Johnson's aide, Reinhardt (Grant Shaud), gives him the inside scoop on how things work in Washington. Johnson's plans are going just as he hoped until he meets Celia Kirby (Victoria Rowell), a volunteer lobbyist and political activist whose father is a noted religious leader, The Rev. Elijah Hawkins (Charles S. Dutton). Johnson quickly becomes smitten with Celia, but it's obvious that she's not buying his act, and if he wants to win her heart, he'll have to stop fooling people into thinking he's honest and actually be honest. Joe Don Baker and Sheryl Lee Ralph also co-star. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Eddie Murphy - Thomas Jefferson Johnson
• Lane Smith - Dick Dodge
• Sheryl Lee Ralph - Miss Loretta
• Joe Don Baker - Olaf Anderson
• Victoria Rowell - Celia Kirby

Grant Shaud - Arthur Reinhardt; Kevin McCarthy - Terry Corrigan; Charles S. Dutton - Elijah Hawkins; Victor Rivers - Armando; Chi - Homer; Sonny Jim Gaines - Van Dyke; Noble Willingham - Zeke Bridges; Gary Frank - Iowa; Richard Anders - Poultry Lobbyist; Dion Anderson - Distilled Spirits Lobbyist; Prudence Barry - Teacher; Cliff Bemis - Gun Lobbyist; Daniel Benzali - "Skeeter" Warburton; Tommy Boggs - Himself; Sarah Carson - Kimberly; Patricia Ciaffa - DC Correspondent; Tom Dahlgren - Chief of Police; John Doolittle - Ira Schecter; Tom Finnegan - Ethics Committee Chair; Susan Forristal - Ellen Juba; Frances Foster - Grandma; James Garner - Jeff Johnson; Brian Gelatto - Crabhouse Waiter; Doris Grau - Hattie Rifkin; Cynthia Harris - Vera Johnson; Cordis Heard - Voting Wife; Rosanna Huffman - Mrs. Bridges; Marty Kaplan - Ned Grable; Brad Koepenick - Rafe Simon; Stu Levin - Tobacco Lobbyist; Mel Owens - Bo Chandler; David A. Penhale - Voting Husband; Gary Price - Taxi Driver; Roger E. Reid - Florida Reporter; Angela Stribling - DC Anchor; Nina Totenberg - Election Anchor; Dianne Turley Travis - Mrs. Dodge; J.D. Williams - Himself; Autumn Winters - Mickey John; Daniel Petrie - Asbestos Lobbyist; Mary Goldberg; Julianna McCarthy - Blue Haired Lady

Credit

Marty Kaplan - Producer; Marty Kaplan - Screenwriter; Gabriel Beristain - Cinematographer; Dorree Cooper - Set Designer; Leslie Dilley - Production Designer; Randy Edelman - Composer (Music Score); Leonard J. Goldberg - Producer; Francine Jamison-Tanchuck - Costume Designer; Tony Lombardo - Editor; Jonathan Lynn - Director; Michael Peyser - Producer; Jonathan Reynolds - Screenwriter; Rick Sharp - Makeup; Mary Goldberg - Casting; Richard H. Prince - Production Manager; Anthony Lloyd - Makeup; Ed Verreaux - Art Director; Richard Turner - Camera Operator

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