- Actors: Nick Nolte, Sela Ward, Skylar Astin, Heléne Yorke, Chris Lowell
- Directors: Joshua Michael Stern, Bob Balaban, Robert Weide, Iain B. MacDonald, Frank Coraci
- Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Region: Region 1
- Number of discs: 3
- Studio: Lionsgate
- DVD Release Date: February 7, 2017
- Run Time: 300 minutes
If the last
election period was an indicator of any one thing, regardless of party lines,
it was frustration by the American people of politicians and their double-talk.
It has gotten to the point that you can no longer ever trust what a politician
says, as they seem to say whatever is necessary in order to win elections. This
is why the television show “Graves” may be the
timeliest of the political satires to be released in recent years. And calling
it a satire may not even be completely accurate, because there is a level of
sincerity in the show’s writing that is more optimistic than one might
anticipate. Even while there is obvious criticism of the political system, the
emphasis remains on hope rather than cynicism.
Nick Nolte gives
a Golden Globe-nominated performance as former two-term president, Richard
Graves, a man whose legacy has taken a beating since leaving office. Despite
being a Ronald Reagan-level icon for the Republican Party, Graves
begins to see the damage many of his policies did to average Americans, and
sets out to repair these wrongs. Even without the power of having a position in
office, Graves uses his influence to voice
concerns and take action. In many ways, this show is merely a liberal fantasy,
imagining a world in which a conservative politician might open his eyes to the
hypocrisy and act like a decent human being. It may not be realistic, but it
also feels like the type of show many Americans long for in the face of the
current administration.
While President
Graves is going through his own personal midlife crisis, his wife (Sela Ward)
pursues political aspirations of her own. The hijinks of the former president
threaten to damage her own campaign to run for Senate, which often takes
backseat in the storyline as well as their marriage. The former president and
first lady also must deal with their two emotionally unstable children,
presumably damaged from the neglect and public scrutiny they felt growing up in
the White House. Olivia (Heléne Yorke) is recovering from a public divorce with
destructive behavior, which includes a relationship with a Mexican drug
trafficker, while Jeremy (Chris Lowell) returns from serving in the military to
become an unfiltered political commentator.
Even though the Graves family is the focus of the show, we experience
their dysfunctional behavior through an outsider when idealistic conservative
Isaiah Miller (Skylar Astin) takes a job as the former president’s assistant.
Forced to endure the chaos of their family dynamic, this character is also
often the only voice of reason. At times his involvement can feel somewhat
shoehorned into the rest of the plot, including the addition of a romantic
interest that also has a bizarre connection to both the former president and
his son. The saving grace of the show’s faults is the sincerity of the
performances and the strength of much of the dialogue given to the actors.
All ten season
one episodes are included in this three-disc set, along with a few special
features on the last disc. Along with a typical making-of featurette, there is
also a brief look at the ensemble cast and a gag reel from the season one
footage.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 5/10
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