Tanner '88

Robert Altman and Garry "Doonesbury" Trudeau teamed up to create this unforgettable look at American politics -- an ongoing series about Tanner, a fictional candidate for president, filmed against the backdrop of the real race (primaries, conventions, etc.) with real politicians playing themselves and interacting with the characters.

This one is as brilliant, funny and thought-provoking as the best of the writer and director's solo projects. All the performances are terrific -- Pamela Reed, in particular, shows why she's one of the most interesting American actresses working today.

This has been described as a political satire, but it's a bit difficult to see that when you watch it. It's not really funny and it doesn't seem to have any witty critiques of politics. This is just a political drama with a few overly wacky jokes sprinkled in.

The premise is creative, and Jack Tanner and TJ Cavanaugh are great characters. Everyone else though is either forgettable or immensely unlikeable. Deke, Molly, and Andrea are perhaps the most annoying. Deke, the cameraman, always manages to be creepy and shove cameras in people's faces for avant-garde documentary footage. The news reporter Molly shows up ready to fly off the handle over not getting a good story. While Andrea, a Tanner campaign employee, does toughen up, she never looses that underlying whiny naivety that makes you wonder how she wound up working for a political campaign in the first place.

In addition, the plot lines of episodes don't seem all that focused. They will usually pick up with the aftermath of what the last episode closed with and then move to something else, with the aftermath being dealt with in the following episode. It seems like each episode contained two halves of a different story. The end of the former episode and the beginning of the latter should have all just been one episode.

And yet, Tanner '88 seems to have moments that pull you back in when you've gotten annoyed with it. There's the speech at the end of the first episode (which may be the best episode), the cameos with other candidates and notable figures, and numerous scenes where TJ, always the commanding workaholic, is deftly managing a difficult campaign.

By no means is this a bad show. However, I definitely expected more from it, especially considering that this was an inspiration to the superior political drama: The West Wing.

This is a funny mockumentary of a very liberal congressman-Tanner among other things wants to legalize all drugs-running for president in 1988. The key feature of this work is it is an artful blend of fictional characters and situations along with real politicos and stuff that happens on campaigns. I was too young in 1988 to really remember the presidential race so I got a lot of laughs when I mixed up who was real and who was fake. (Kitty Dukakis is a good actress!)

The humor of this work is bone dry; its central criticism of the campaign process as being concerned with mere appearances rings louder today. Tanner is a great satirical character-it's never really answered why he is running for president because at the end of the day the answer is probably vanity. Like most Altman works this has the ensemble and multiple plotlines aspects where is feels like you are looking into a group of lives. Tanner is the central focus but a half a dozen or so stories are present. I especially liked the ongoing drama with TJ (campaign manager) and Ted Kennedy.

In a lot of ways this touches on Altman's central concerns and sensibilities. It is a cross section of both America and wide range of people-most episodes are literally in different states and there a dozens of people in this work. It has the great unresolved quality of so much Altman. The series ends on a plot cliffhanger while feeling complete as a commentary. It has the disappointment in and cynicism of American politics. It has the musical interludes. The direction is very much the fly on the wall free flowing camera Altman does so well.

I think people who aren't use to Altman's style or want a quick feel of his body of work would do well to start with this. Because this is episodic it is more accessible than Nashville. Altman wasn't wrong to think of this as his most creative work-it has the controlled chaos that defines the best parts of his work.

Where the whole world is holding its breath because of the upcoming 2004 election, it is refreshing to watch this TV series. Not only because of the superb acting of Pamela Reed & Michael Murphy and each and every one of the ensemble (something we almost take for granted with Altman pictures, which always give sublime acting) and the great writing, but also because it gives non-Americans some insight in Political USA.

Inspiring and clarifying, it makes one wonder first of all why it's always the wrong movie people that get elected in politics. Wouldn't we all be much more relaxed if USA politics had a bit of the Altman-touch to it...

Unfortunately, the inspiration of this Maverick doesn't seem to reach the oligarchy in power. Altman DOES show us that TV can be fascinating and uplifting, even though he got curtailed, which will keep us wondering how that 12th episode that was never shot would be like.

Does this TV-series, which is over before one knows it and doesn't seem to take the 12x 30 minutes it says on the DVD jewelbox, draw a true picture of political USA ? Being from Europe I sincerely hope not, but I'm afraid it is even worse than Tanner is showing us. 'Let's not tell too much and focus on the face'.

And even worse, after globalization and sugarfrosted horrors for breakfast, the 'old world' is quickly picking up on this terrible excrescence too...

A long-time Altman fan, I rented the video of Tanner 88 just in time for the final days of the 2000 election. In fact, on election night, I was flipping back and forth between Altman's clever take on presidential politics and the "real" thing, and I can tell you, Tanner 88 was much better television.

The mini-series of 10 half-hour episodes is available on three VHS tapes.

It was excellent, overall. Especially good was the way it punctured so many of the hot-air balloons and pretensions of American politics, but clearly sympathized with the people who want to believe in it. We see a liberal Democratic candidate, Jack Tanner, played skillfully by Michael Murphy, go through a campaign from the New Hampshire primary to the end of the convention. Typical of the series, Tanner is on the one hand shallow and full of empty rhetoric, while also sincere, idealistic and sometimes inspiring. Tanner's campaign manager, a woman, is also extremely smart, more than a little cynical, but capable of being inspired by her candidate whose weaknesses she knows very well. The first half of the series, which takes place in New Hampshire, is extremely funny, especially in showing how the citizens there have become inured to the hoopla of the candidates and the media. Also outstanding in this series is the way the working press is portrayed as part of the life of the campaign--these are real people, not just role players. The last two episodes, at the convention, lack the bite of the first five or or six, and could be skipped without losing much.