When two hijacked planes crashed into New York's World Trade Center, one man rose to save the city. To his political opponents, Mayor Rudy Giuliani (James Woods) was a bully and a tyrant. To women, he was irresistible, but couldn't be faithful. Yet, on 9/11, he became an American hero. This is the inside story of the man who held a terrified city - and a shaken nation - together with sheer guts and heart as the skies rained fire on its citizens.
From his days as a tenacious D.A. to the mistresses who put him in the headlines, see how the events of his complicated life all led to one moment of extraordinary courage. Scandal may have rocked his personal life, ego may have dominated his professional life - but when it really mattered, Rudy stood tall even as the Twin Towers crumbled.
(c) 2003 Hamdon Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.
DVD Special Features: Bonus Documentary - The Day the Towers Fell Produced for The History Channel by Lou Reda Productions, West Easton, Pennsylvania (approx. 61 mins. col.), Rudolph Giuliani Timeline, Biographies, Selected Filmographies, Interactive Menus and Scene Selection.
With a standout performance by James Woods, Rudy: The Rudolph Giuliani Story is a warts-and-all portrait of New York City's lame-duck mayor, who rose from political disfavor to unexpected heights of heroism and leadership in the wake of September 11, 2001. Originally broadcast on the USA Network and based on Wayne Barrett's muckraking biography, it's a condensed, Cliff's Notes rendition of Giuliani's political career, with each commercial break serving as a chapter stop, beginning on the eve of 9/11 and alternating past and present highlights from Giuliani's rise to power. The film offers an unflinching portrait of a devoted public servant who's as fallible as he is competent: his wife (Penelope Ann Miller) understandably suffers while extramarital affairs and political fearlessness are all seen as byproducts of Giuliani's compulsion to improve the city he loves. As Robert Dornhelm's clunky direction combines actual news footage with exacting recreations of 9/11 and its aftermath, Woods's charismatic performance wisely avoids mimicry to show us a flawed but noble man who, in the final analysis, deserves our conditional respect. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Rudy as Abrasive Egomaniac:
I recall meeting Rudy Giuliani at a book signing. The bookstore employees warned us several times that Giuliani will be unable to speak with us or personalize the signatures because the turnout was much greater than expected. When we got there, he very pleasantly asked us how we were, what our names were, gave us a personalized signature and wished us a good day. He struck me as someone who, generally, would be a decent person to work with. I realize he is a politician and politicians know its wise to be... more info
Woods is great but the film is a hatchet job on Rudy.:
I have always liked James Woods and I always will. I did not much care for this film despite Woods' fine portrayal of Giuliani. The film is watchable, and more than watchable, that I'll grant. But it focuses obsessively on Giiuliani's marital problems and foibles, and only touches briefly on the truly wonderful things he did for New York. Golly, you don't suppose the producers were Democrats, do you? I mean, you could almost feel the pain of the producers of this film each time they were forced to discuss... more info
James Woods Shines:
This is a fascinating portrait of a complex political figure. James Woods gives an incredible performance. That said the film suffers greatly from an abrupt and weak ending. I also didn't understand some the of characters...The people in his life. Some of their motives and their backgrounds just weren't clear enough. Worth seeing for the effective 9/11 sequences and for Woods'performance in the title role.
Good:
James Woods actually looks pretty much like Guiliani and he acts beautifully as always but I must admit this movie could have been heaps better. Anyways, watching it means going back through september eleven again and it hurts just as when it first happened. It made me cry. Also there's things we never knew about Guiliani's life. According to the movie he made New York better than it was so...well done Rudy.
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