One of Redford's better films, which is a high bar, is The Candidate, from 1972. The dark political satire features Redford as the son of a former California governor who is thrown to the wolves. He is chosen to run against a formidable Republican opponent in what is considered an unwinnable congressional race. The steep odds make it unnecessary for him to cater to public opinion, so he gives California voters a piece of his mind. And they like it.
The political consultant who pushed him into the race now sees a possible win, so the candidate's message is pushed into the center. To everyone's surprise, Redford wins. At the victory party, he urgently asks his consultant, "What do we do now?" That's how the sausage is made, folks.
The Jeremy Larner script won an Oscar, and prompted a later real-life candidate by the name of Dan Quayle to say that he patterned himself after Redford's character. Larner's open letter to Quayle explained that the movie "is not a how-to picture, it's a watch-out picture. And you're what we've got to watch out for." It’s too bad they don't give Academy Awards for open letters.
Lodi's Michael David Winery has never missed a gimmick label, so, we naturally turn there to get a pairing for The Candidate. Politically Correct is a blend of Bordeaux grapes grown in dear ol' California. In addition to the wacky label, the wine's good, too. At least it better be, at $50.
It would happen this way: You may be walking one day and a car will slow down beside you. A door will open and someone you know - perhaps someone you trust - will smile and offer you a bottle of wine...
Redford may not be the spy in Three Days of the Condor, but he sure has the thrill-a-minute life foisted upon him. This guy can't pick up the mail without dodging bullets.
Redford's character - a CIA researcher - wants to come in from the cold, only to find he's already in, and the air conditioning is stuck on 32. He's so cold he has to open the fridge to get warm. It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
Redford's code name is "Condor," and the tactics the government uses in trying to keep him quiet sure have him feeling like an endangered species. Things do heat up a bit for Condor when Faye Dunaway realizes things could be worse than playing hostage to a guy who looks like Redford.
Now the car slows down, and the smiling man offers a refreshing drink of wine.
Condor's Hope Vineyard is named for its location in Santa Barbara County where condors are released into the wild. The winery releases big Zinfandels and Shiraz into the wild, but only 400 cases at a time. Most of their wines sell for under $20. They might be a little hard to find, but that's how condors are. If you order some, you might want to get it sent by FedEx.
In 1972's The Hot Rock, Redford starred in the story of a diamond heist which keeps going south, showing that even the best-laid plans can always blow up in your face. Take the making of this movie, for example. The critics thought it was good, but not great. The director, Peter Yates, said that despite an interesting story and a wonderful cast, the butts just didn't get into the seats. It's happened to the best of them.
As a tribute to the movie, punk rockers Sleater-Kinney named one of their albums after it, although I feel the film's catch phrase, "Afghanistan banana stand," would have been a more memorable name.
For The Hot Rock, let’s pair 19 Crimes wine with the film, since it seems like the band of criminals needed 19 chances to pull off their heist. They have a line of Snoop wines, Cali Red and Cali Rosé. The latter looks a lot like gin and juice.
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