A riveting story of a humble man's rise to political power and the destructive force of corruption and betrayal that would ultimately unravel his soul, based on Robert Penn Warren's 1946 classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Willie Stark is an ordinary man from a rural town, demanding that crooked politicians and shady businessmen in Lousiana be held accountable for the collapse of a poorly built school. Urged to run for Governor by a dubious political advisor, Tiny Duffy, Stark finds his voice as a charismatic man of the people. He then befriends a young idealistic journalist, Jack Burden, who eventually ends up working for him. But when Stark asks Burden to dig deep for damaging information on an old family friend, Judge Montague Irwin, Burden begins to question his own morality and Stark's surprising transformation into an inflexible leader that will stop at nothing to remain in power.

Director: Steven Zaillian
Writers: Robert Penn Warren (novel), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)

Cast:
Kate Winslet ... Anne Stanton
Sean Penn ... Willie Stark
Jude Law ... Jack Burden
Anthony Hopkins ... Judge Irwin
Mark Ruffalo ... Adam Stanton
Patricia Clarkson ... Sadie Burke
James Gandolfini ... Tiny Duffy
Jackie Earle Haley ... Sugar Boy
Kathy Baker ... Mrs. Burden
Talia Balsam ... Lucy Stark
Travis M. Champagneš ... Tom Stark
Frederic Forrest ... Willie's Father
Paul Desmond ... Slade
Kevin Dunn ... Alex

Released on: September 22, 2006

Posters, Promotional Stills, On the Set, Trailer Captures, Screen Captures and DVD Featurettes captures

Meryl Streep was originally cast as Sadie Burke, but had to back out due to schedule conflicts.

Writer/director Steven Zaillian never saw the original film, and adapted the screenplay solely from Robert Penn Warren's novel.

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