Truman

I must admit, before seeing this movie my expectations were somewhat low. However, I was surprised to learn that it is a really intelligent, sober and most importantly, truthful TV movie describing how an "ordinary American" and farmer, Harry S. Truman, rose to become the leader of the free world in the atomic age. The acting is really impressing. Especially Sinise as Truman, is really breathtaking, showing once and for all that he is undoubtly one of Hollywood`s most underestimated actors. The movie is also true to a great number of historical details, which improves the film even more. For all you historical and political junkies out there, this is a must see.

This solid, theatrical caliber bio of President Harry S. Truman covers much ground and offers Gary Sinise giving one of his finest performances to date.

An Emmy-winning production, this also boasts lavish period detail and a strong supporting cast (lead by Diana Scarwid as Bess Truman). It also features one of my all-time favorite character actors, Richard Dysart. He plays Secretary of War Henry Stimson and is quite memorable in an otherwise minor supporting role. All in all I gave this an IMDb '10'. Even with a whitewash of some details, this has to be one of the best presidential bios ever. They obviously put lots of time, money and effort into it.

I didn't vote on it, just to be fair.

It was really pretty cool to be an extra, and to see the finished product. We shot one complete sequence at a "French" farm/farmhouse that never showed up in the final cut. It was Truman first receiving his troops. Too bad, approaching the farm outside Kanssa City, I figured the bomb-hole in the roof was faked, but could never quite focus well enough to stop fooling my eyes. It was tar paper under the red tiles of the roof, and was perfect! The horses, cannon, cheering/heckling were fun to do, too.

Shooting the opening scene, the muddy French battlefront outside KC,MO on a very cold 3AM or so Palm Sunday, they had to chip the ice off the cannon before each shot. We were being "showered", literally, with 5,000 gals of cold water (I forget what the amount on the tanker truck said). They gave up after the second load!

They had assigned me to stand on a particular hill with the younger guys. Ha, I was about 40!

We were in authentic militaria, my helmet's strap had the soldier's name, and Armentiers, I think, written in it. Some parts weren't period, but there were some re-enactors who brought the cannon, real rifles to add to the production's real and fakes, and the horses to pull them in both scenes.

I had to run in front of and dive/slip/get very muddy Gary Sinise riding into the scene. Finally, I thought I was too muddy to do it again, or be able to use the same costume for later shooting that week!

Gary Sinise was standing in the mud with the rest of us between takes. They put out ONE cannister of propane with a 1-foot square radiant heater atop. I stood a bit to the back of the group, and just hopped about, up and down, to keep my feet warm...-er. I was just concerned about keeping the same just-above-dead-frozen-yet-still- almost-completely-miserable temperature; the heater just LOOKED warm, and red, but didn't do much unless you kept spinning about, cooling off immediately, fast as you turned. It merely reminded you that you were cold.

Gary Sinise saw me hopping, felt sorry for me, and tried to get me to take his place close to it! Pretty nice guy, especially as I was just a grunt! (So much better than The Battle at the Met.)

Based on David McCullough's weighty biography of Harry S Truman, this film is a fascinating and gripping 'biopic'. By refusing to resort either to simple hagiography or revisionist 'debunking', Frank Pierson has directed an excellent account of Truman's road to and period in the White House. He lets characters and events speak for themselves rather than imposing on them some wayward, overly-personal, directorial interpretation (who knows what Oliver Stone would have made of this one). In an age when all politicians, whatever their merits, are usually the targets of ridicule, it was interesting to watch a film which portrayed the difficult, if not impossible, decisions with which political leaders are routinely faced (the use of the Atomic Bomb, the Korean War and recognition of the state of Israel were just some of problems with which Truman had to grapple). Of course, the director's job was made a great deal easier by an excellent cast and flawless acting. 'Acting' is not really an accurate or adequate way to describe Gary Sinise's portrayal of the former President and the word 'performance' suggests impersonation - on the contrary, he seems simply to have 'become' Harry Truman for the duration of the film.

I knew that I was going to be interested in this film from the beginning, having read and enjoyed David McCullough's book of the same name. What I wasn't expecting was the incredible performance turned out by Gary Sinise as Truman. While I thought that he was the *only* good thing about the film Forrest Gump, I still wasn't completely sold on his acting ability. This film changed my mind, because I felt like I was watching Truman himself in action. I can't even fathom the amount of research he must have put into his role, but he was amazing.

As for the film itself, it was very well done, used stock footage well (although I would swear that I caught a glimpse of FDR in some footage after he had supposedly died) and was a good overview of the very lengthy source it came from. Having read the book, I would have liked to have seen the film act as more of a thesis than a summary, so while adding another hour may have alienated some in terms of length; it would have provided a more in-depth portrayal of a sometimes underrated president.

--Shelly