# Truman (1995 film)

Truman is a 1995 American biographical drama television film directed by Frank Pierson and written by Thomas Rickman, based on David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1992 book, Truman. Starring Gary Sinise as Harry S. Truman, the film centers on Truman's humble beginnings, his rise to the presidency, World War II, and his decision to use the first atomic bomb. The film aired on HBO on September 9, 1995.

## Cast

* Gary Sinise as Harry S. Truman
* Diana Scarwid as Bess Truman
* Richard Dysart as Henry L. Stimson
* Colm Feore as Charlie Ross
* James Gammon as Sam Rayburn
* Tony Goldwyn as Clark Clifford
* Pat Hingle as Boss Tom Pendergast
* Harris Yulin as General George C. Marshall
* Leo Burmester as Frank Vassar
* Amelia Campbell as Margaret Truman
* Virginia Capers as Elizabeth Moore
* John Finn as Bob Hannegan
* Željko Ivanek as Eddie Jacobson
* David Lansbury as Lieutenant Jim Pendergast
* Remak Ramsay as Dean Acheson
* Marian Seldes as Eleanor Roosevelt
* Lois Smith as Madge Wallace Gates
* Richard Venture as J. Lester Perry
* Daniel von Bargen as General Douglas MacArthur
* Michael Murphy as Dinner Speaker (uncredited)

## Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 89% rating based on reviews from 9 critics. Steve Crum of the Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers rated it 5 out of 5, calling it a "Superb production with memorable Sinise performance in title role." TV Guide said, "Over-applauded by many critics, Truman is sturdy, standardized biographical moviemaking elevated by incontestably brilliant acting. Unfortunately, this cavalcade of facts and figures is conceived and executed impersonally like a docent delivering a speech in front of the waxworks at a Presidential museum. … [The audience lacks] a sense that Truman's travails have been shaped on screen by a filmmaker's passion. … Truman offers the satisfaction of textual thoroughness and seamless storytelling, but few flashes of inspiration or imagination."

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 1996 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television | Lisa Fruchtman | Nominated |
| 1996 | American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movie of the Week or Pilot | Paul Elliott | Won |
| 1996 | Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movie of the Week Casting | Mary Colquhoun | Won |
| 1996 | CableACE Awards | Movie or Miniseries | Movie or Miniseries | Won |
| 1996 | CableACE Awards | Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Gary Sinise | Won |
| 1996 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials | Frank Pierson | Nominated |
| 1996 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated |
| 1996 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Gary Sinise | Won |
| 1996 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Television Movies of the Week – Sound Effects & Foley | Brady Schwartz and Jeffrey Kaplan | Nominated |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie | Paula Weinstein, Anthea Sylbert, and Doro Bachrach | Won |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | Gary Sinise | Nominated |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | Diana Scarwid | Nominated |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Special | Thomas Rickman | Nominated |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Special | Mary Colquhoun | Won |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special – Single Camera Production | Lisa Fruchtman | Nominated |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Special | Ashlee Petersen, Gordon J. Smith, Russell Cate, Evan Penny, Joe Ventura, Raymond Mackintosh, Heidi Seeholzer, Louise Mackintosh, and Benjamin Robin | Nominated |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or a Special | Reinhard Stergar, Wayne Heitman, James Bolt, and Joel Fein | Nominated |
| 1996 | Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | Paula Weinstein, Anthea Sylbert, and Doro Bachrach | Won |
| 1996 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Gary Sinise | Won |