# George Wallace (film)

George Wallace is a 1997 biographical television film, produced and directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Gary Sinise as George Wallace, the 45th governor of Alabama. The teleplay, written by Marshall Frady and Paul Monash, is based on the 1996 biography Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Frady. Mare Winningham, Clarence Williams III, Joe Don Baker, Angelina Jolie, Terry Kinney, William Sanderson, Mark Rolston, Tracy Fraim, Skipp Sudduth, Ron Perkins, and Mark Valley also star.
Sinise reprised his role as George Wallace in Frankenheimer's 2002 television film Path to War, about the Johnson administration's entry into the Vietnam War.
George Wallace premiered on TNT in August 1997, being broadcast in two parts. It was highly praised by critics and received various accolades: including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing (Frankenheimer), Outstanding Lead Actor (Sinise), and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Winningham), and Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Best Supporting Actress (Jolie).

## Plot

George Wallace portrays the political life of a complex man. Initially an ordinary Southern judge, Wallace transforms himself to achieve political success and glory, becoming one of the most reviled political figures in the U.S. Finally, a failed assassination attempt—which leaves him paralyzed and in pain—leads him to realize what he has become.
The film follows the story of Wallace's life from the 1950s, when he was a circuit court judge in Barbour County, to his tenure as the most powerful Governor in Alabama's history. The movie depicts his symbolic "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", where Wallace attempted to block black students from entering the University of Alabama. It details his stance on racial segregation in Alabama at the time, which proved popular with his white constituents, and also depicts Wallace's rise as a presidential hopeful. This eventually leads to his surprise victory in several states during the 1968 Presidential election, followed by his attempted assassination four years later.

## Cast

* Gary Sinise as George C. Wallace
* Mare Winningham as Lurleen Wallace
* Clarence Williams III as Archie
* Joe Don Baker as Jim "Big Jim" Folsom
* Angelina Jolie as Cornelia Wallace
* Terry Kinney as Billy Watson
* William Sanderson as T.Y. Odum
* Mark Rolston as Ricky Brickle
* Tracy Fraim as Gerald Wallace
* Skipp Sudduth as Al Lingo
* Ron Perkins as Nicholas Katzenbach
* Mark Valley as US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
* Scott Brantley as Arthur Bremer
* Kathryn Erbe as Mrs. Folsom
* Steve Harris as Neal
* Bobby Kirby as James Hood
* Ketema Nelson as Vivian Malone

## Reception

The New York Times' Caryn James, wrote that events were "recreated with startling veracity and tension in the two-part mini-series called simply George Wallace." James wrote that Sinise was "amazing" and Mare Winningham was "extraordinary."
The Associated Press stated that the film's version of Cornelia Wallace was depicted as "a shallow sex kitten" and therefore Cornelia Wallace had criticism towards the portrayal.

## Awards and nominations

George Wallace received award nominations: including eight Primetime Emmy Awards (winning three), four Golden Globe Awards (winning two), two Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning one), four Satellite Awards (winning one), nine CableACE Awards (winning four), a Directors Guild of America Award, and a Writers Guild of America Award. Also winning an American Cinema Editors Award, an American Society of Cinematographers Award, an Art Directors Guild Award, and receiving a Peabody Award.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Miniseries | Mark Carliner, John Frankenheimer, Julian Krainin, and Ethel Winant | Won | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Gary Sinise | Won | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Joe Don Baker | Nominated | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries | Angelina Jolie | Nominated | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Directing a Movie or Miniseries | John Frankenheimer | Won | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Writing a Movie or Miniseries | Paul Monash and Marshall Frady | Nominated | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Art Direction in a Dramatic Special or Serires/Movie or Miniseries | Michael Z. Hanan, Charles M. Lagola, and Douglas A. Mowat | Nominated | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Editing a Dramatic Special or Series/Movie or Miniseries | Antony Gibbs | Nominated | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | CableACE Awards | Makeup | Janeen Schreyer, John E. Jackson, Matthew W. Mungle, Patricia Androff, and Jamie Kelman | Won | [4] [5] |
| 1997 | Peabody Awards | Peabody Awards | TNT and a Mark Carliner Production | Won | |
| 1998 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Episode from a Television Mini-Series | Antony Gibbs (for "Part 2") | Won | |
| 1998 | American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Miniseries | Alan Caso | Won | |
| 1998 | Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series | Michael Z. Hanan, Charles M. Lagola, and Arlan Jay Vetter | Won | |
| 1998 | Artios Awards | Best Casting for Mini-Series | Iris Grossman | Won | |
| 1998 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television or Miniseries | John Frankenheimer | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Won | |
| 1998 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Gary Sinise | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Angelina Jolie | Won | |
| 1998 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Mare Winningham | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Television Mini-Series – Effects & Foley | Brady Schwartz | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Humanitas Prize | PBS/Cable Television | Paul Monash and Marshall Frady | Won | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Miniseries | Best Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Gary Sinise | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Editing in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Editing in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Lighting in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Lighting in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Music in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Music in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best New Titles Sequence in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best New Titles Sequence in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Miniseries | Mark Carliner, John Frankenheimer, Julian Krainin, Ethel Winant, Mitch Engel, and James Sbardellati | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Gary Sinise | Won | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Angelina Jolie | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Mare Winningham | Won | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Movie | John Frankenheimer | Won | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Movie | Iris Grossman | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie | Alan Caso (for "Part 1") | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Janeen Schreyer, Patricia Androff, Jamie Kelman, Cheryl Ann Nick, Keith Sayer, John E. Jackson, and Matthew W. Mungle | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Gary Sinise | Won | |
| 1998 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Joe Don Baker | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Mare Winningham | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Gary Sinise | Won | |
| 1998 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Mare Winningham | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Adapted | Paul Monash and Marshall Frady; Based on the book Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Marshall Frady | Nominated | |
| 1999 | Costume Designers Guild Awards | Excellence in Costume Design for Television | May Routh | Nominated | |