THE SEDUCTION OF JOE TYNAN

My journey to see every movie featuring Meryl Streep continues. In Streep’s fourth film outing, she played Karen Traynor, a Louisiana lawyer whose family has been in politics for some time. The movie is The Seduction of Joe Tynan which was released in 1979.  It is an often-overlooked piece of Meryl's library of work... which is a shame.

Joe Tynan (Alan Alda) is a liberal U.S. Senator from New York who has had a rather mundane career in Congress. He has a solid relationship with his wife Ellie (Barbara Harris), though there is strain due to his extended absences in order to be in D.C. Ellie does not enjoy being personally pulled into the scrutiny and exposure that Joe’s public persona demands. They have two children, a daughter who is going through a teenage rebellious streak, and a younger son who is unphased by his dad’s public prominence.

Joe promises a conservative colleague that he won’t lead any organized opposition to a new Supreme Court Judge nominee, Edward Anderson. Anderson is a judge from Louisiana… the same state that Karen Traynor resides in. When Karen meets Joe Tynan, she shares information and evidence she has on Judge Anderson, namely that he has a long history of being a racist. Tynan must now decide whether to honor, or renege, on his promise.

This story deals with all machinations of politics, and the many struggles that result when morality and ambition collide. Alda is believable in his role (he also wrote the script), but it is Streep and Harris who turn in incredibly nuanced and Oscar-worthy performances (though neither was afforded a nomination). Alda’s chemistry with both women is fantastic. Another performance of note was that of Rip Torn as a bumptious southern Senator whose lust for personal gratification reset his moral compass long ago.

While the script holds up well over forty years later, the flute-heavy soundtrack screams “1970’s”! Additionally, some of the large crowd scenes seem possibly affected by the film’s budget. But these are minor distractions to what is overall a very keen and enjoyable flick.