George Wallace (TV film)

George Wallace
George Wallace DVD Cover
Genre	Biography Drama
Based on	Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Marshall Frady
Screenplay by	Paul Monash Marshall Frady
Story by	Paul Monash
Directed by	John Frankenheimer
Starring	Gary Sinise Mare Winningham Clarence Williams III Angelina Jolie Joe Don Baker William Sanderson Terry Kinney Tracy Fraim
Theme music composer	Gary Chang
Original language(s)	English
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mark Carliner
Producer(s)	John Frankenheimer Julian Krainin Ethel Winant (co-producer) Mitch Engel (line producer) James Sbardellati (line producer)
Cinematography	Alan Caso
Editor(s)	Antony Gibbs
Running time	178 minutes
Production company(s)	TNT
Distributor	TNT
Release
Original network	TNT
Original release	August 24, 1997

George Wallace is a 1997 television film starring Gary Sinise as George Wallace, the former Governor of Alabama. It was directed by John Frankenheimer, who won an Emmy award for it; Sinise and Mare Winningham also won Emmys for their performances. The film was based on the 1996 biography Wallace : The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace by Marshall Frady, who also co-wrote the teleplay.

Frankenheimer's film was highly praised by critics: in addition to the Emmy awards, it received the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries/Motion Picture made for TV. Angelina Jolie also received a Golden Globe for her performance as Wallace's second wife, Cornelia.

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 history of its namesake, from the 1950s when Wallace 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 attempted assassination—and his surprise victory in several states during the 1968 Presidential election.