The Front Runner director Jason Reitman on how his timely new film tackles morality in media and politics

Jason Reitman's new film The Front Runner tells the story of Senator Gary Hart, who had a scandal bring down his presidential candidacy in 1988.

Young, handsome and charismatic, Hart was widely tipped to be the next U.S. president, until reports of an affair derailed his campaign. But The Front Runner​ isn't just historical drama, it also sheds light on the present moment in politics and how scandal has almost become routine. It asks questions about morality in both the political world and the media, and challenges us to think about what it is we want to know about our politicians.

Reitman sat down with q's Tom Power at the Toronto International Film Festival to talk why he wanted to revisit this story in 2018, and what it says about morality in politics and the media both then and now. The Front Runner hits theatres on Friday, November 16.

— Produced by ​Ben Edwards

Miss an episode of CBC q? Download our podcast here.