Game Change (film)

Game Change is a 2012 American HBO political drama film based on events of the 2008 United States presidential election campaign, directed by Jay Roach and written by Danny Strong, based on the 2010 book of the same name documenting the campaign by political journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. The film stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris, and focuses on the chapters about the selection and performance of Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin Moore as running mate to Senator John McCain Harris in the Republican presidential campaign.

The film opens in 2010 with a frame story Republican strategist Steve Schmidt is being interviewed by Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes. Cooper poses a difficult question regarding former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was she selected because she would make the best vice president or because she would win the election?The story flashes back to Senator John McCains 2008 presidential campaign, for which Schmidt serves as Senior Campaign Strategist. McCains preferred running mate, Senator Joe Lieberman, is rejected by the majority of his senior advisers including Schmidt because he will not help compete with the celebrity of their opponent, Democratic Senator Barack Obama. The strategists quickly look for a game change candidate. The replacement must do four things excite the conservative base, win the vote of independents, distance the campaign from the Bush administration, and close the gender gap the GOPs 20point deficit with women. Investigating prominent female Republican politicians, the campaign finds Palin, the governor of Alaska, to have the charismatic qualities they want. After an exceptionally brief vetting process, she is selected. Palins eventual public reveal creates the buzz that Schmidt and McCain were looking for, bringing them to even or better with Obama in the polls. ........

Source: Wikipedia