Game Change is a 2012 American HBO political drama film based on events of the 2008 United States presidential election campaign, directed by Jay Roach and written by Danny Strong, based on the 2010 book of the same name documenting the campaign by political journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. The film stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris and focuses on the chapters about the selection and performance of Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as running mate to Senator John McCain in the Republican presidential campaign.
The plot features a 2010 interview of the campaign's senior strategist Steve Schmidt, using flashbacks to portray McCain and Palin during their ultimately unsuccessful campaign. The film was well received by critics, with Moore's portrayal of Palin garnering praise. Schmidt praised the film. Palin and McCain described it as false and inaccurate, though neither chose to view it. Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times describes Moore's depiction of Palin as "a sharp-edged but not unsympathetic portrait of a flawed heroine, colored more in pity than in admiration." Game Change has earned many awards, including a Critics' Choice Award, a Golden Nymph Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and five Primetime Emmy Awards.
