Bob-562
What drew me to this movie is purely personal: every year my family goes to midcoast Maine for a week, during which we take a day trip to Monhegan Island, so I thought this flick was a great find. On showcasing Monhegan, it didn't disappoint: the cliff walks, the wrecked ship on the surf, the snug homes & trails inland--it's all there. But happily the film didn't disappoint on the plot level; in fact it seems to be quite relevant for the Trumpian times we now live in. Treat Williams does a nice job as the beleaguered & fatigued congressman. The attacks on his supposedly unpatriotic actions may have come across as hyberbolic in an earlier age, but sadly not so now. So: it works as a postcard for Monhegan as well as a thought-provoking political message.
Bob Rutzel
Congressman Charlie Winship (Treat Williams) is tired of being a Congressman, drinks a lot, is undergoing a divorce and and won't stand during the Pledge of Allegiance in the House of Representatives to start the business day. There is a movement to recall him.Charlie gets invited to a small fishing town on an island that is having problems with poachers taking their lobsters. This is where he has a realization of what is important in life and comes to understand what being a Congressman is all about and he is determined to help the town.This is too simple a plot and we needed something more to sustain us. The acting is good all around; and the solutions to the poaching problems were telegraphed from the very beginning. So we just sat back and enjoyed the cinematography, which was very good. There could have been more drama regarding the Recall effort. There could have been more conflicts with the poachers, but all we got was a fishing boat being blown up. Notables: Elizabeth Marvel as Rae, Charlie's romantic interest on the fishing island; George Hamilton as Laird Devereaux who is the prime force to recall Charlie.We were concerned how Charlie would get himself out of being recalled for not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance in the House. This came to be the twist we hoped for. (5/10)Violence: Yes. A bloody nose on a basketball court and a fishing boat exploding. Sex: No. Sex: No. Language: Yes and much of it seemed forced.
lavatch
"The Congressman" is a feel-good film with a little romance sprinkled in with politics.Treat Williams seeks to channel Jimmy Stewart in the 1939 classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." In this case, Williams plays Rep. Charlie Winship, a workaholic congressman who may be run out of office by his rivals.Winship recharges his batteries in a visit to a tranquil island off the coast of Maine. He will fight for the rights of the beleaguered fishing community and fall in love on the island.But the most intriguing relationship in the film is that of Winship and his young protégé Jared Barnes (Ryan Merriman). Barnes gains some of the wisdom of Winship in the course of the action. Like the Jimmy Stewart film, "The Congressman" includes a heartfelt patriotic speech delivered effectively by Williams.While not a great film, "The Congressman" includes a good set of characters and beautiful scenery on the island and the seascape of Maine.
mo_kelley
Sometimes life moves at a pace that requires a 'reset' and the beauty of the coast of Maine stirs one's thoughts back to what is important. Treat Williams provides a great portrayal of a career politician, Congressman, who reconnects with the beauty of Maine and the people he represents. Interesting to gain perspective on the life and manipulations in politics. This movie grabs your attention immediately with a kickoff of time represented in pictures. The politics involved make you question how you would handle the situation that arises. The supporting actors are perfectly cast, grasping the lifestyle of a small lobster trapping town facing it's own Goliath. This is amust see film that you will enjoy watching time and time again.