All the King's Men
The story of an idealist's rise to power in the world of Louisiana politics and the corruption that leads to his ultimate downfall. Based on the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Robert Penn Warren, loosely based on the story of real-life politician Huey Long.
Critics Sentiment
Willie discovers the plot and gives his hicks speech
Jack discovers Judge Irwin's historical bribery scandal
The film drops significantly from Willie's inspiring campaign speech to the slow-paced investigation scenes that critics found glacially paced and melodramatically scored.
Critics found the film to be a well-intentioned but flawed political drama that suffered from miscasting, glacial pacing, and muddled plotlines. While Sean Penn's passionate performance in Willie's campaign speeches earned praise, the film lost momentum in its middle sections with overly melodramatic investigation scenes. Despite strong production values and an all-star cast, reviewers felt it never achieved the compelling drama of its source material.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 42
Sean Penn
Willie Stark
Jude Law
Jack Burden
Anthony Hopkins
Judge Irwin
Kate Winslet
Anne Stanton
Mark Ruffalo
Adam Stanton
Patricia Clarkson
Sadie Burke
James Gandolfini
Tiny Duffy
Jackie Earle Haley
Roderick "Sugar Boy" Ellis
Kathy Baker
Mrs. Burden
Talia Balsam
Lucy Stark
Travis Champagne
Tom Stark
Frederic Forrest
Willie's Father
Connor Fox
Tennis Boy
Montgomery John
Adam Stanton, Age 11
Glenn Morshower
Commissioner
Kevin Dunn
Alex
Tom McCarthy
Editor
Paul Desmond
Slade
Jay Patterson
Senator
Michael Cavanaugh
Mr. Peyton
Crew
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