SummaryThe world needs heroes and Lance Armstrong (Ben Foster) was the ultimate sporting hero. Following a gruelling battle with cancer, Lance returned to his cycling career in 1999 more determined than ever and with his sights set firmly on winning the Tour de France. With the help of the infamous Italian physician Michele Ferrari and team director Joh... Read More
Directed By:Stephen Frears
Written By:John Hodge, David Walsh
The Program
Metascore
Mixed or Average
53
User score
Generally Favorable
6.4
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
53
35% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
65% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Oct 19, 2015
80
This fearless reconstruction drives home the dark lie that Lance Armstrong lived – it’s just a pity it doesn’t dig a little deeper.
Sep 15, 2015
80
It’s a fluid and nippy telling of a tale that still seems strangely urgent.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.4
45% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
55% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Sep 7, 2023
8
Famous to be apploused. But still the best in the 20 century. The good lifestyle must meet the body need. Not doped!
Jul 9, 2019
8
Très bon film de Stephen Frears sur le roi des dopés et sur ce sport en particulier qui brasse tellement d'interêt et d'argent que les scandales successifs et récurrents n'égratignent pas... Mais le cyclisme n'est que l'arbre qui cache la forêt, la forêt du dopage dans le sport en général : des jeux olympiques au Tour ou aux 100 mètres ou tout ce qu'on veut, tous les "sportifs" sont chargés comme des mules. Pour autant, c'est aussi le portrait d'un homme qui voulait simplement "gagner" et s'est donné tous les moyens pour y parvenir ; un portrait en demi-teintes de gris qui peut être touchant par moments. Très documenté, le film se laisse suivre comme un polar et explique très bien les tenants et les aboutissants d'une véritable petite organisation mafieuse. Certes un peu longuette, la démonstration s'avère en tout cas concluante et fait froid dans le dos. Il ne reste plus qu'à s'occuper de l'athlétisme, du tennis, du football, du basket et du reste... la liste est longue comme le bras, car le sport moderne est avant tout une affaire de tricheurs...
Mar 17, 2016
63
It’s basically a narrative spin on Alex Gibney’s 2013 documentary “The Armstrong Lie,” only with less cycling footage. This is a plus for those of us easily bored by such things (so many interchangeable mountain passes and neon jerseys!), but there isn’t a ton of new material here.
Oct 20, 2015
58
The Program works when it has you questioning how on earth this secret could be kept so quiet for so long when so many people knew exactly what was going on.
Mar 16, 2016
50
The Program is flashier and more self-conscious than many biopics, but it's ultimately just as hollow.
Sep 15, 2015
42
A couple of exhilarating cycling scenes, and a pretty solid lead performance, does not a good movie make.
Mar 17, 2016
40
The Program pedals fast, but the end result is little more than a psychologically shallow recap reel.
Jun 12, 2016
7
This is a fine telling of one of the biggest lies in the history of the sporting world. The film documents Armstrong's continues lies and the fact he hid behind his charity for cover. I appreciated the fact they showed how he would act toward others though I wish they would have shown in more detail the lives he tried to ruin and in some cases did ruin. Overall a solid effort though. B
Jun 10, 2016
7
-The Program (working title Icon) is a 2015 British-French biographical drama film about Lance Armstrong directed by Stephen Frears, starring Ben Foster as Armstrong and Chris O'Dowd as journalist David Walsh. -The film is based on Walsh's book Seven Deadly Sins. It premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2015 and was theatrically released in France on 16 September and the United Kingdom on 14 October. --Development: -Screenwriter John Hodge has said that he primarily based his screenplay on Seven Deadly Sins, in addition to other journalism and affidavits from cyclists. Hodge says he ruled out using Armstrong's own accounts of his behavior during this period, and that scenes shown from Armstrong's perspective are fiction. --Casting: -Lee Pace joined the cast in November 2013. Dustin Hoffman joined the cast in December 2013. -To better understand his role, Foster took performance enhancing drugs while shooting the film.
Nov 1, 2022
5
Didactic, elementary and superficial. The story of the greatest and most arrogant scammer in sports history needed to be explored better in terms of both narrative and character exploration. Definitely not one of the best Frears movies.
Nov 28, 2021
5
This is an ok biopic. Its a bit bland and not especially exciting as such, for a sports drama but its, you guessed it, ok. I like Chris O'Dowd, so when I heard he was in it, I wanted to see it. I do like a good biopic and character focussed dramas, so this should have been interesting but it felt just a bit too long drawn out and given its got a running time of slightly under an hour and three quarters long, that does say something. However, there is a decent cast, with Dustin Hoffman and the main character played by Ben Foster, who does give a fairly convincing performance. Lance certainly comes across as a cocky, brash sort of guy. Perhaps its because its based on a true story that it feels a bit uncomfortable but usually I'm quite keen and even find films more compelling if I know their based on true stories but in this case, it just didn't quite feel great but it isn't entirely bad - its watchable and with a good cast, just not at all compelling or memorable really. Overall, unsurprisingly, I wouldn't recommend it, no.
May 17, 2016
5
What this Program needs is a little bit of explaining to do. Alright sure, don't be asking me for a raise just to see this movie again because it possibly won't, but depends on the person I make contact on. This is a biography about Lance Armstrong and it couldn't work itself to get favorable reviews.
Production Company:
- Anton
- Momentum Pictures
- StudioCanal
- Working Title Films
Release Date:Mar 18, 2016
Duration:1 h 43 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Winning was in his blood
Website:
