Recount HBO Reviews

The made-for-television film Recount recalls the 2000 Presidential election between George W. Bush and former Vice President Al Gore and features Kevin Spacey as producer and actor.

Recount reviews run the gamut from The New York Times glowing words, "An astute and deliciously engrossing film on HBO" to Slate magazine's critique which states; "(Recount is) HBO's pointless film about the 2000 election."

• The Wall Street Journal: The Battle of Florida
  • "Even viewers who had thought they never wanted to hear about a dimpled chad again will find that Recount moves along at a satisfying clip and can make the old drama and suspense seem surprisingly fresh."

• Washington Post: Recount Review
  • " Writer Danny Strong tells the story with enviable skill and artful urgency. He makes such a good case for the seriousness of the situation -- even though it is laced with self-satirizing farce..."

• Variety: Recount Review
  • "Smart, star-studded and anchored by another fine-tuned performance from Kevin Spacey, "Recount" finds the sweet spot between theatrical fare and TV that's precisely the constituency HBO wants to reach."

• Los Angeles Times: Recount Review
  • "There is a tension problem -- we know how it ends -- and also an audience problem -- those who voted for George W. Bush in 2000 are probably not interested in revisiting what many saw as an attempt by the Democrats to steal the election. Meanwhile, for those who voted for Vice President Al Gore, the prospect of watching 'Recount' may seem like a lesson in futility and frustration."

• Broadcasting & Cable: Recount Review
  • "My only problem with 'Recount' is that screenwriter Danny Strong goes out of his way to concoct out of his own imagination some significant lines of dialogue, and even some entire key scenes, when hewing more closely to verifiable facts and events would have served just fine."

• NewsDay.com: Recount Review
  • "A watchable and skillfully made telefilm ( Jay Roach of "Austin Powers" fame directed) that is, nonetheless, marred by a melodramatic reliance on Good vs. Evil, and guess which side is which?"

• Boston.com: Recount Review
  • "'Recount' should be tight and tense, or, perhaps, wildly satirical. Instead, it just rehashes the mess all over again, in detail, with lots of news footage to support the dutifully invented backstage scenes."

• Chicago Tribune: Recount Review
  • "This sort of thin, predictable characterization doesn't make for good drama, and it certainly doesn't add to our knowledge of the events of 2000."