Following the critical acclaim of Sundance hit Dope, Rick Famuyiwa’s monumental new film for HBO revisits the high profile 1991 confirmation hearing in which Anita Hill accused her former colleague and Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.
Confirmation integrates archival news footage around its stunning dramatic performances; another striking example of the Superprime director’s knack for blending old-school and modern filmmaking elements to drive the narrative.
The film tells the sensational true story of Judge Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearings, which turned into a political and legal scandal. Written by Susannah Grant who was Oscar-nominated for her work on Erin Brockovich, it stars Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, Greg Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Eric Stonestreet and Jennifer Hudson.
Thomas’ 1991 Senate hearings to become a Supreme Court Justice become a media spectacle when Hill gave 11th hour testimony alleging that he had sexually harassed her. The proceedings trapped both Hill and Thomas in a political labyrinth, sparked national debate over race relations, and subjected Hill, a young African-American law professor, to character assassination once she made the choice to take a stand.
In an interview with Today’s Savannah Guthrie, Hill, cast back into the spotlight said, “It’s important for us I think to relive the story and continue to learn the lessons from it.” Washington too, discussed the case’s continued relevance at a recent panel, saying she hopes the film will help to educate people on “the machine of politics and how it chews everybody up.”
Vanity Fair‘s Chief TV Critic, Brian Lowry, said the film is, “Meticulously produced, cast to the hilt and boasting powerful performances by Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce in the lead roles.” Concluding his review saying, “Confirmation needn’t engage in hyperbole or excessive dramatization to feel relevant and shed light on the system, then and now. That adds up to a “Yea” vote for a movie that, frankly, pretty much had it at hello.”
Confirmation airs April 16 on HBO.
