Taglines: Brace yourself. This politician is about to tell the truth!
Bulworth movie storyline. Senator Jay Bulworth is facing speculation-induced financial ruin, so he puts out a contract on his own life in order to collect a large, new insurance policy for his family. Living each moment on borrowed time, he suddenly begins spouting raw, unfiltered–and sometimes offensive in word but satirical in spirit — thoughts to shocked audiences and handlers in the speech of hip-hop music and culture. His newfound uninhibitedness and new relationship with Nina carry him on a journey of political and spiritual renewal.
Bulworth is a 1998 American political comedy film co-written, co-produced, directed by, and starring Warren Beatty. 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 (Warren Beatty), as he runs for re-election while trying to avoid a hired assassin.
About the Story
In March 1996, Democratic U.S. Senator Jay Bulworth of California is losing his bid for re-election to a fiery young populist. Bulworth’s socialist views, formed in the 1960s and 1970s, have lost favor with voters, so he has conceded to more conservative politics and to accepting donations from big corporations. In addition, though he and his wife have been having affairs with each other’s knowledge for years, they must still present a happy façade in the interest of maintaining a good public image.
Tired of politics, unhappy with his life in general, and planning to commit suicide, Bulworth negotiates a $10 million life insurance policy with his daughter as the beneficiary in exchange for a favorable vote from the insurance industry. Knowing that a suicide will void his daughter’s inheritance, he contracts to have himself assassinated within two days.
Turning up in California for his campaign extremely drunk, Bulworth freely begins speaking his mind at public events and in the presence of the C-SPAN film crew following his campaign. After dancing all night in an underground 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. Along the way he becomes romantically involved with a young black activist named Nina, who tags along with him on his campaign stops. He is pursued by the paparazzi, his insurance company, his campaign managers and an increasingly adoring public, all the while fearful of his impending assassination.
After a televised debate during which Bulworth drinks from a flask on air and derides insurance companies and the American healthcare system, he decides to hide at Nina’s family’s home, located in the South Central Los Angeles ghetto. While there he wanders around the neighborhood, where he witnesses a group of kids selling crack, and buys the group ice cream.
After saving the group from a racially motivated encounter with a police officer, he finds out they are “soldiers” of L.D., a local drug kingpin to whom Nina’s brother owes money. Bulworth eventually makes it to a television appearance arranged earlier by his campaign manager, during which he raps and repeats verbatim statements Nina and L.D. have told him about the lives of poor black people and their opinions of various American institutions, like education and employment. Eventually he offers the solution that “everybody should fuck everybody” until everyone is “all the same color” stunning the audience and his interviewer.
Bulworth (1998)
Directed by: Warren Beatty
Starring: Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Oliver Platt, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, Isaiah Washington, Christine Baranski, Adilah Barnes, Sean Astin
Screenplay by: Warren Beatty, Jeremy Pikser
Production Design by: Dean Tavoularis
Cinematography by: Vittorio Storaro
Film Editing by: Robert C. Jones, Billy Weber
Costume Design by: Milena Canonero
Set Decoration by: Rick Simpson
Art Direction by: William F. O’Brien
Music by: Ennio Morricone
MPAA Rating: for pervasive strong language and some drug content.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: May 15, 1998
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