Truman (1995 film) explained

Director:	Frank Pierson
Music:	David Mansfield
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Producer:	Doro Bachrach
Editor:	Lisa Fruchtman
Cinematography:	Paul Elliott
Runtime:	135 minutes
Budget:	$8 million
Network:	HBO

Truman is a 1995 American biographical drama television film directed by Frank Pierson and written by Thomas Rickman, based on David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1992 book, Truman.^[1] Starring Gary Sinise as Harry S. Truman, the film centers on Truman's humble beginnings, his rise to the presidency, World War II, and his decision to use the first atomic bomb. The film's tagline is "It took a farmer's hand to shape a nation." The film aired on HBO on September 9, 1995.

Cast

• Gary Sinise as Harry S. Truman
• Diana Scarwid as Bess Truman
• Richard Dysart as Henry L. Stimson
• Colm Feore as Charlie Ross
• James Gammon as Sam Rayburn
• Tony Goldwyn as Clark Clifford
• Pat Hingle as Boss Tom Pendergast
• Harris Yulin as General George C. Marshall
• Leo Burmester as Frank Vassar
• Amelia Campbell as Margaret Truman
• Virginia Capers as Elizabeth Moore
• John Finn as Bob Hannegan
• Željko Ivanek as Eddie Jacobson
• David Lansbury as Lt. Jim Pendergast
• Remak Ramsay as Dean Acheson
• Marian Seldes as Eleanor Roosevelt
• Lois Smith as Madge Wallace Gates
• Richard Venture as J. Lester Perry
• Daniel von Bargen as General Douglas MacArthur
• Michael Murphy as Dinner Speaker (uncredited)

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 89% rating based on reviews from 9 critics.^[2] Steve Crum of the Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers rated it 5 out of 5, calling it a "Superb production with memorable Sinise performance in title role."^[3] TV Guide said, "Over-applauded by many critics, Truman is sturdy, standardized biographical moviemaking elevated by incontestably brilliant acting. Unfortunately, this cavalcade of facts and figures is conceived and executed impersonally like a docent delivering a speech in front of the waxworks at a Presidential museum. … [The audience lacks] a sense that Truman's travails have been shaped on screen by a filmmaker's passion. … Truman offers the satisfaction of textual thoroughness and seamless storytelling, but few flashes of inspiration or imagination."^[4]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
	American Cinema Editors Awards	Best Edited Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television	Lisa Fruchtman		^[5]
		Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movie of the Week or Pilot	Paul Elliott		^[6]
	Artios Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Movie of the Week Casting	Mary Colquhoun		^[7]
	CableACE Awards	Movie or Miniseries			^[8]
		Actor in a Movie or Miniseries	Gary Sinise
	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials	Frank Pierson		^[9]
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television			^[10]
		Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television	Gary Sinise
	Golden Reel Awards	Best Sound Editing – Television Movies of the Week – Sound Effects & Foley	Brady Schwartz and Jeffrey Kaplan
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Made for Television Movie	Paula Weinstein, Anthea Sylbert, and Doro Bachrach		^[11]
		Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special	Gary Sinise
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special	Diana Scarwid
		Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Special	Thomas Rickman
		Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Special	Mary Colquhoun
		Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special – Single Camera Production	Lisa Fruchtman
		Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Special	Ashlee Petersen, Gordon J. Smith, Russell Cate, Evan Penny, Joe Ventura, Raymond Mackintosh, Heidi Seeholzer, Louise Mackintosh, and Benjamin Robin
		Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or a Special	Reinhard Stergar, Wayne Heitman, James Bolt, and Joel Fein
	Producers Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television	Paula Weinstein, Anthea Sylbert, and Doro Bachrach
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries	Gary Sinise		^[12]

Notes and References

1. Web site: The New York Times. TV WEEKEND; Harry S Truman, Late Bloomer. John. J. O'Connor. September 8, 1995.
2. Web site: Truman . . February 3, 2024 .
3. News: Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers . Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers . July 6, 2006 . Steve . Crum.
4. Web site: . Truman Reviews . October 7, 2021.
5. Web site: Nominees/Winners . . April 3, 2019.
6. Web site: The ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110802060537/http://www.theasc.com/asc_news/awards/awards_history.php . 2011-08-02.
7. Web site: 1996 Artios Awards . . October 15, 1996 . October 18, 2023.
8. Web site: CableACE Nominations Are Dominated by HBO . Margulies . Lee . . September 11, 1996 . September 6, 2015.
9. Web site: 48th DGA Awards . . October 18, 2023.
10. Web site: Truman . . October 18, 2023.
11. Web site: Truman . . October 18, 2023.
12. Web site: The 2nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards . . March 10, 2023.