The Program (working title, Icon) is a 2015 biographical drama film about Lance Armstrong directed by Stephen Frears, starring Ben Foster as Armstrong[3] and Chris O'Dowd as journalist David Walsh.[4]
The Program | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Stephen Frears |
Screenplay by | John Hodge |
Based on | Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Danny Cohen |
Edited by | Valerio Bonelli |
Music by | Alex Heffes |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | StudioCanal |
Release dates |
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Running time | 103 minutes[1] |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Box office | $3.3 million[2] |
The film is based on Walsh's 2012 book, Seven Deadly Sins.[5] It premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival 14 September 2015, and was theatrically released in France 16 September and the United Kingdom 14 October.
Cast
edit- Ben Foster as Lance Armstrong
- Chris O'Dowd as David Walsh
- Guillaume Canet as Michele Ferrari
- Jesse Plemons as Floyd Landis
- Lee Pace as Bill Stapleton
- Denis Menochet as Johan Bruyneel
- Dustin Hoffman as Bob Hamman
- Edward Hogg as Frankie Andreu
- Elaine Cassidy as Betsy Andreu
- Laura Donnelly as Emma O'Reilly
- Sam Hoare as Stephen Swart
- Kevin Hulsmans as Filippo Simeoni[6]
- John Schwab as Travis Tygart
- Lucien Guignard as Alberto Contador
- Nicolas Robin as Christophe Bassons
- James Harkness as Wayne
- Josh O'Connor as Rich
- Nathan Wiley as Charles Pelkey
Production
editDevelopment
editDirector Stephen Frears had the idea to make a film about Lance Armstrong after reading a review of Tyler Hamilton's book, The Secret Race.[7] Unable to acquire the rights for Hamilton's book, he settled on Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins instead.[8] Frears turned to screenwriter John Hodge to write the script, partly because of Hodge's experience as a doctor.[9]
Hodge has said that he based his screenplay primarily on Seven Deadly Sins, in addition to other journalism and affidavits from cyclists. Hodge says that he ruled out using Armstrong's own accounts of his behavior during this period, and that scenes shown from Armstrong's perspective are fiction.[10]
Casting
editLee Pace joined the cast November 2013.[11] Dustin Hoffman joined the cast December 2013.[12][13]
To better understand his role, Foster took performance-enhancing drugs while shooting the film.[14]
Filming
editPrincipal photography began October 2013.[15]
Reception
editBox office
editThe Program grossed $3.3 million worldwide.[2] It was released for U.S. rentals on DirecTV 19 February 2016,[16] with a cinema release 18 March 2016.[17][18]
Critical response
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 62%, based on 111 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's consensus reads, "Ben Foster's impressive efforts to channel Lance Armstrong are often enough to power The Program past director Stephen Frears' frustrating unwillingness to delve deeper into its real-life story."[19] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 53 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[20]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "THE PROGRAM (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ a b "The Program". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ Lee, Esther (24 October 2013). "Ben Foster as Lance Armstrong In Biopic: See The First Photo!". Us Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- ^ Luckhurst, Samuel (7 July 2014). "Chris O'Dowd To Play David Walsh In Lance Armstrong Film". The Huffington Post. AOL. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ Greenslade, Roy (20 April 2014). "David Walsh, who exposed Lance Armstrong, on cycle scandal film". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Hulsmans 'aartsvijand' van Armstrong". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 18 November 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (9 September 2015). "TIFF: Stephen Frears' 'The Program' Is a Crime Film, "A Very American Tragedy" (Q&A)". Hollwoodreporter.com. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "The Program (2015)". BFI. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Mulcahey, Matt (21 March 2016). "Lance Armstrong as Modern Crime Story: Stephen Frears on The Program". Filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ McKittrick, Christopher (31 March 2016). ""Gyllenhaal can ride a bike, but can he take drugs?" The Program". Creative Screenwriting. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ Venable, Nick (14 November 2013). "Lee Pace Joins Ben Foster In Stephen Frears' Untitled Lance Armstrong Biopic". Cinemablend. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- ^ "Actor Dustin Hoffman Joins Stephen Frears' Untitled Lance Armstrong Biopic". Vibe. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ "Dustin Hoffman Joins Stephen Frears' Lance Armstrong Project". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ "Chris O'Dowd: Ben Foster's drug use for The Program 'was smart'". BBC News. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Lance Armstrong Biopic Begins Filming As Ben Foster Displays Cycling Skills". The Huffington Post. AOL. 17 October 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- ^ "Armstrong feature film 'The Program' available on DirecTV". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "The Program (2015) - Release Info". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "The Program Trailer Starring Ben Foster". /Film. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "The Program (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ "The Programs reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 August 2016.