[7]

In this political drama from director Otto Preminger, Henry Fonda plays the president’s newly appointed Secretary of State, but before he can take the position he must pass the Senate’s nasty accusations of communism and homosexuality. Advise and Consent starts out very plot-driven and a little dry, unless you’re really interested in senate politics. But by the mid-point, I had invested in the ensemble of characters enough to thoroughly enjoy the movie’s dramatic and twisty final act. The movie was a little controversial for its time, simply for daring to address the taboo subjects of communism and homosexuality. It’s not controversial by today’s standards — in fact, the portrayal of homosexuality is a little melodramatic. Despite being featured prominently in the film’s marketing campaign, Henry Fonda actually appears in less than half the run-time. The real standout performance is Charles Laughton as a curmudgeonly southern democrat (his final film role). Why wasn’t he nominated for an Oscar?  I also enjoyed Walter Pidgeon, and as an added bonus we get to see a young, pre-Golden Girls Betty White. With Lew Ayres, Don Murray, Gene Tierney, and Burgess Meredith.