The Deal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Seinfeld episode, see "The Deal (Seinfeld episode)"
- For the political thriller starring Christian Slater, see "The Deal (2005 film)"
The Deal is a 2003 film made for television play directed by Stephen Frears starring Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and David Morrissey as Gordon Brown. The story, based on a book by James Naughtie, concentrates on the alleged 1994 meeting at the Granita restaurant in Islington where Blair is supposed to have convinced Brown to step aside as a contender for leader of the Labour Party (the Blair-Brown deal). In minor roles it stars Paul Rhys as Peter Mandelson, Dexter Fletcher as Charlie Whelan and Matt Blair as Ed Balls.
The film was first broadcast on Channel 4 during the 2003 Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth.
The film was commissioned originally by ITV but was passed to Channel 4. The Deal won the British Academy Television Award for best single drama.
Michael Sheen played Blair again three years later, again for Stephen Frears, in the film The Queen, set in 1997.
[edit] Plot
After the resignation of Neil Kinnock following the defeat of the 1992 General Election, Tony Blair, with the support of Peter Mandelson, encourages Gordon Brown to stand for leader of the Labour Party. Brown will not stand against fellow Scottish MP and mentor John Smith leading to a shift in allegiance by Mandelson from Brown to Blair. When Smith dies suddenly two years later Mandelson engineers a meeting between the pair to fix the leadership election.
[edit] External link
- The Deal at the Internet Movie Database
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