All the King’s Men (2006)

My Review

“All the King’s Men” is a political drama about a Southern politician’s rise to power, beginning as an idealistic crusader who falls into corruption after being elected Governor of Louisiana. Director-screenwriter Steven Zaillian (“A Civil Action” 1998) put together a flawed melodrama, with poor production values, bad writing, and terrible performances. It is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by Robert Penn Warren.

The worst performance was Sean Penn in the title role of politico Willie Stark. Penn was constantly over-acting, using an exaggerated, and very distracting, southern drawl. Co-stars include Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, James Gandolfini, Patricia Clarkson, Mark Ruffalo, Kathy Baker, Jack Earl Haley, Glenn Morshower, Kevin Dunn, Talia Balsam (daughter of Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten), and Gary Grubbs as Sheriff Boyle.

The unwatchable “All the King’s Men” was a flop at the box office for producer Kevin Zaillian, Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Pheonix Pictures, and Sony Pictures Releasing. A superior version of the film was released in 1949 from director-screenwriter Robert Rossen and Columbia Pictures, starring Broderick Crawford in the lead role. It won three Academy Awards including Best Picture.