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Bulworth is a 1998 American film co-written, co-produced and directed by the film's star, Warren Beatty. It was loosely based on the life of Beatty's friend, Tennessee political figure John Jay Hooker. It co-stars Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Don Cheadle, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, and Isaiah Washington. The film follows the title character, California Senator Jay Billington Bulworth (Beatty), as he runs for re-election while trying to avoid a hired assassin.

Plot[link]

A veteran U.S. Senate Democrat, Bulworth is losing his bid for re-election to a fiery young opponent. Bulworth's leftist views, formed in the 1960s and 1970s, have lost favor with voters, so he has conceded to moderate politics and to accepting donations from special interests. In addition, though he and his wife have been having affairs openly for years, they must still present a happy facade in the interest of maintaining a good public image.

Tired of politics and his life in general and planning to commit suicide, Bulworth negotiates a $10 million life insurance policy with his daughter as its beneficiary in exchange for a favorable vote for the insurance industry. Knowing that a suicide will negate his daughter's inheritance, he contracts to have himself assassinated within two days' time.

Turning up in California for his campaign extremely drunk, Bulworth begins speaking his mind freely at public events and in the presence of the C-SPAN film crew following his campaign. After ending up in a night club and smoking marijuana, he even starts rapping in public. His frank, potentially offensive remarks make him an instant media darling and re-energize his campaign.

Becoming romantically involved with young campaigner Nina (Halle Berry), Bulworth hides out in her family's home. He is pursued by the paparazzi, his insurance company, his campaign managers, Nina's protective drug-dealing brother, and an increasingly adoring public, all before his impending assassination.

Nina reveals she is the assassin he indirectly hired and will now not carry out the job. Bulworth happily accepts a new campaign for the presidency right before he is shot in front of a crowd of reporters and supporters by an insurance representative fearful of Bulworth's push for single-payer health care.

Cast[link]

• Warren Beatty as Senator Jay Bullington Bulworth^[3][4]
• Halle Berry as Nina
• Oliver Platt as Dennis Murphy
• Don Cheadle as L.D.
• Paul Sorvino as Graham Crockett
• Jack Warden as Eddie Davers
• Isaiah Washington as Darnell
• Joshua Malina as Bill Feldman
• Sean Astin as Gary
• Barry Shabaka Henley as the Bartender
• Christine Baranski as Constance Bulworth
• William Baldwin as Constance's lover (cameo)
• Larry King as Himself (cameo)
• Michael Clarke Duncan as Bouncer (cameo)
• George Hamilton as Himself (cameo)

Production[link]

Warren Beatty assembled a team of three writers: Aaron Sorkin, Jeremy Pikser, and James Toback. Due to family issues, Pikser contributed to the writing process remotely, communicating by phone and fax. Beatty also sought guidance from the writer Elaine May, but she was committed to working on the film Primary Colors with her former comedy partner, the director Mike Nichols. Bulworth was made in complete stealth and released by Fox only after protracted contractual wrangling, only for a brief period of time, and practically without any publicity. As Peter Swirski reports in his award-winning study of this film, "after 20th Century Fox backed out of producing Dick Tracy, Beatty used the leverage of a lawsuit to wangle unprecedented artistic freedom"^[5], disclosing only the barest outline of the story and essentially duping Fox into bankrolling the project.

Reception[link]

The movie generated a great deal of controversy and received a positive reception from movie critics.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

American Film Institute recognition:

• 2000: AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - Nominated^[11]

Box office[link]

Bulworth did well on limited release.^[12][13]

Nominations[link]

1999 Academy Awards - Writing (Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen)

See also[link]

• I Hired a Contract Killer
• Bob Roberts
• Network
• Bulworth soundtrack

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bulworth

• Bulworth at the Internet Movie Database
• Bulworth at AllRovi
• Bulworth at Rotten Tomatoes
• Bulworth at Metacritic
• Bulworth at Box Office Mojo

Citations[link]