Director Stephen Frears
Genre Biography | Drama | Sport
Cast Ben Foster, Chris O'Dowd, Guillaume Ganet, Jesse Plemons
Rating R
Release Date March 18th, 2016
“An Irish sports journalist becomes convinced that Lance Armstrong’s performances during the Tour de France victories are fueled by banned substances. With this conviction, he starts hunting for evidence that will expose Armstrong.”
The Program, not to be confused with the 1993 cult-classic college football film of the same name, is directed by Stephen Frears (Philomena) and tells the story of the rise and fall of world-renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong. The cast includes Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, Alpha Dog), Jessie Plemons (Breaking Bad, Fargo Season 2), and Chris O’Dowd (St. Vincent, Girls).
The Program tells the incredible true story about a man who was beloved the world over, and it tells it in a way that will suck you in. I enjoyed the film and felt that it was well-made and had a strong sense of purpose but it was not without its fair share of faults. I will admit that I am not all that knowledgeable when it comes to Lance Armstrong the person and I was a little disappointed that the film did not delve more into his personal life and struggles outside of cycling. The writing felt lazy and instead of exposing the juicy behind the scenes details of Lance Armstrong’s personal life, the writers seemed content with offering just enough to keep you interested. Admittedly it would be difficult to cram all of the details of Armstrong's life into a 1 hour and 43 minute movie, but the script needed to be re-worked.
The acting in The Program is fantastic and I will say I didn’t expect anything less. Ben Foster absolutely steals the show and is a big reason why the film works at all. His character is full of emotion, intensity, and a will to win no matter what the cost. The fact remains that Armstrong did beat cancer while accomplishing some amazing things and Foster consumed the epitome of what that meant and really brought his character to life. Jesse Plemons was also strong in his supporting role. Chris O’Dowd did well as the relentless journalist determined to protect the integrity of the sport even if it meant bringing down its single most important contributor.
The Program is an entertaining film that tells a story that I feel everyone needs to experience for themselves. We did get a glimpse at the other side of Lance Armstrong but the film didn’t dig nearly deep enough. I feel the same way about Lance Armstrong as I did prior to watching the film and even though he did cheat to gain a competitive advantage, he is still someone who displayed incredible desire and did whatever he needed to do in order to be the best. Did he do it the right way? Of course not and he knows that. But as a cancer survivor fighting an uphill battle in life in general as well as in the sport he loved, Lance Armstrong fought hard and he fought right up until the very end. The Program introduces the audience to a man that made mistakes, but more importantly it showed us a man with a conscience. A man that desperately wanted to do something good with his life, no matter what the cost. What would you have done?
