Eyes For Politics

Authors: Jason
Location: New York

"Eyes for Politics”

Directed by: Oliver Stone
Written by: Oliver Stone
Music by: John Williams

Principal Cast:

Joseph Sandaker- Leo DiCaprio
Professor Richard McFarland - Ed Harris
Helen Sandaker- Meryl Streep
William Devans- Philip Seymour Hoffman
Frank Conolly- Joaquin Phoenix

Tagline: "All he was looking for was a chance, even if he couldn't see it"

Synopsis: Joseph Sandaker was a poor boy who grew up during the 1920's in South Carolina . When he was 2 years old, he became blind. His mother, Helen Sandaker, grew a quick dislike towards him and blamed him for most of her problems. When Joseph was 6, his father abandoned him and his mother and moved to New York . Soon after, Joseph began to receive both physical and mental abuse from his mother. Helen would consistently call him stupid, when in fact, Joseph really was not. He was naturally smart and knew that he had to work hard to break away from his disappointing life. He knew that wasn't going to get anywhere through the use of reading and writing since they were acts that he could not perform. He decided that the best thing for him was to become politician. He was very much into politics and he understood all about it. He would listen to the radio and hear all about how the government worked and about the lifestyles of those in office. Helen thought it was a crazy idea and kicked him out of the house when he was 20, forcing him to live on the streets.

Just when he was about to give up on his dream, he met up with his former high school professor, Richard McFarland. Joseph told professor McFarland about how he had no place to live and how he was giving up his dream of becoming a politician. McFarland, an unmarried lonely man, decided to take in Joseph and help him reach his goal. After 20 years of guidance and support from professor McFarland, Joseph felt that he was ready for the world of politics. However, nobody wanted to give him a chance. Joseph ran for governor for three elections and lost every time. Nobody wanted a blind man as a part of their state's government. Joseph was very angry when in the last election, an unqualified candidate beat him. He wanted to make a difference and decided to run for president in the upcoming election. Along the way, he faced much criticism and many hardships. However, a new and open-minded political party gave him a chance and made him their final candidate for president. Joseph was determined to beat out his competitors and become the first blind man to be elected as President of the United States . His campaign began to grow and his speeches became more and more convincing and powerful. By the time November came around, it was a 3-way race for president with no clear frontrunner in sight.

What the press would say:

Oliver Stone delivers his latest masterpiece with "Eyes for Politics". The story is touching, inspiring, and very powerful. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Joseph Sandaker, a blind man who does not want his disability to hold him back from life's opportunities. We follow his struggles as he tries to become a politician, and later the President of the United States . DiCaprio perfectly captures Sandaker's saddened yet motivated attitude. Sandaker receives much aid from his former professor, Richard McFarland, played by Ed Harris. There are no words to describe Harris' incredible performance in this role. He beautifully portrays Sandaker's mentor who helps him gain the knowledge and spirit to accomplish his goals. Meryl Streep is at her finest playing Joseph's nasty and inconsiderate mother, Helen Sandaker. In the race for president, Sandaker is running against Republican candidate William Devans (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Democratic candidate Frank Conolly (Joaquin Phoenix). Both actors deliver solid performances. "Eyes for Politics" is a revolutionary film and will have everybody talking come Oscar season!

Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director: Oliver Stone
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Harris
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Original Screenplay: Oliver Stone
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Original Song
Best Original Score