The Runner

In the wake of the catastrophic 2010 BP oil spill, Colin Pryce (Nicolas Cage) – an idealistic, unknown congressman from New Orleans – rockets to political stardom after breaking down during a moving speech on the House floor. Suddenly, there's talk of a Senate run. Though the sky is the limit, Colin's personal life is in shambles. His marriage to Deborah (Connie Nielsen), a high-powered New Orleans attorney, has devolved into a loveless union bound only by shared ambitions. He has also been involved in a series of extramarital affairs, the latest of which – an interracial affair with a young fisherman's wife – is threatening to destroy everything he's worked for.After the affair is exposed, Colin is again in the headlines – this time as a hypocrite, stealing the national spotlight from the oil spill. He is forced to resign from office. His wife leaves him, and his career is in ruins. Six months later, Colin is self-funding a failing nonprofit, representing Gulf residents who have been devastated by the oil spill. He has succumbed to his alcoholism after years of sobriety. Struggling to rebuild his life, he clings to the hope that he'll one day find a way back into the political arena.Meanwhile, Colin reconnects with his former PR adviser, Kate Haber (Sarah Paulson). They fall in love, and suddenly he sees a chance for a new, more fulfilling life. But when Colin is dealt the devastating news that his father (Peter Fonda) – a disgraced politician himself – is dying, he is forced to confront his troubled past. He faces the question of whether to follow in his father's footsteps, blindly chasing ambition at all costs, or whether to hold onto his last shred of dignity while building a new life with Kate… even if it means never returning to the only calling he's ever known: politics.