Confirmation (film)

2016 HBO film by Rick Famuyiwa

This article is about the 2016 American TV film. For the 2016 Canadian film, see The Confirmation.

Confirmation

Television release poster

Written by| Susannah Grant
Directed by| Rick Famuyiwa
Starring|

* Kerry Washington
* Wendell Pierce
* Greg Kinnear
* Jeffrey Wright
* Eric Stonestreet
* Bill Irwin
* Zoe Lister-Jones
* Grace Gummer
* Treat Williams
* Dylan Baker
* Erika Christensen
* Jennifer Hudson

Theme music composer| Harry Gregson-Williams
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
Production
Producer| Darren M. Demetre
Cinematography| Rachel Morrison
Editor| Dirk Westervelt
Running time| 110 minutes
Production companies|

* HBO Films
* Groundswell Productions
* ABC Signature

Original release
Network| HBO
Release| April 16, 2016 (2016-04-16)

Confirmation is a 2016 American television political thriller film, directed by Rick Famuyiwa and written by Susannah Grant. It is about Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court nomination hearings, and the controversy that unfolded when Anita Hill alleged she was sexually harassed by Thomas. It stars Kerry Washington as Hill and Wendell Pierce as Clarence Thomas, with Erika Christensen, Jennifer Hudson, Greg Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Irwin, and Eric Stonestreet in supporting roles. The film aired on HBO on April 16, 2016.[1]

## Plot

[edit]

Anita Hill, a law professor at the University of Oklahoma, is contacted and questioned about Clarence Thomas. Hill, a former employee of Thomas, is prompted to speak about his workplace treatment. Anita Hill tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that, inter alia, Clarence Thomas had spoken to her about pornographic movies and actors such as Long Dong Silver. A psychologist tells a U.S. senator that Anita Hill has erotomania.

A hearing takes place at which Anita tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that, inter alia, Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her 10 years prior. From there, a slew of events unfolds as the Committee tries to determine who is telling the truth, with the world watching. The subpoena to Angela Wright, another accuser of Thomas, is withdrawn.

## Cast

[edit]

* Kerry Washington as Anita Hill
* Wendell Pierce as Clarence Thomas
* Greg Kinnear as Joe Biden, U.S. Senator (D-DE)
* Jeffrey Wright as Charles Ogletree
* Eric Stonestreet as Kenneth Duberstein, former White House Chief of Staff
* Kristen Ariza as Judy Smith, White House Deputy Press Secretary.
* Bill Irwin as John Danforth, U.S. Senator (R-MO)
* Zoe Lister-Jones as Carolyn Hart, aide to Senator Biden
* Grace Gummer as Ricki Seidman, aide to Senator Kennedy
* Dylan Baker as Orrin Hatch, U.S. Senator (R-UT)
* Treat Williams as Ted Kennedy, U.S. Senator (D-MA)
* Erika Christensen as Shirley Wiegand, friend of Anita Hill
* Alison Wright as Ginni Thomas, Thomas' wife
* Malcolm Gets as Arlen Specter, U.S. Senator (R-PA)
* Peter McRobbie as Alan K. Simpson, U.S. Senator (R-WY)
* Kimberly Elise as Sonia Jarvis
* Jennifer Hudson as Angela Wright
* Tom Virtue as Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator (D-VT)
* Jan Radcliff as Pat Schroeder, U.S. Representative (D-CO)
* Frank Hoyt Taylor as Strom Thurmond, U.S. Senator (R-SC)
* Matthew Hennessy[2] as an aide to U.S. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
* Michael G Starr as Howell Thomas Heflin, United States Senator from Alabama

## Production

[edit]

### Casting

[edit]

On March 12, 2015, it was announced that Kerry Washington would star as Anita Hill in an HBO television film.[3] Washington's role on ABC Network's hit television show Scandal was loosely based on Judy Smith, who appears as a character in the film. On April 28, Wendell Pierce was cast as Clarence Thomas.[4] On May 12, Eric Stonestreet joined as Kenneth Duberstein.[5] Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Hudson, and Jeffrey Wright were reported to have joined the cast as Joe Biden, Angela Wright, and Charles Ogletree, respectively, on May 29.[6] On June 5, Bill Irwin and Treat Williams were added, to respectively portray John Danforth and Ted Kennedy.[7] Later that same day, Erika Christensen, Cobie Smulders, Dylan Baker, and Grace Gummer were announced as cast as Shirley Wiegand, Biden aide Harriet Grant, Orrin Hatch, and Ricki Seidman, respectively.[8] On June 16, Kimberly Elise, Kristen Ariza, and Malcolm Gets joined the cast, as Sonia Jarvis, Judy Smith, and Arlen Specter, respectively.[9] On July 2, Daniel Sauli was cast as Mark Paoletta.[10] On July 9, it was reported that Smulders had exited the film due to breaking her leg; Zoe Lister-Jones replaced her in the Harriet Grant role (a composite of aides to Biden).[11][12]

### Filming

[edit]

Principal photography began in Atlanta, Georgia on June 14, 2015, and was completed on July 24.[13]

Actual news footage taped by CNN of United States Senate staff during the lead-up to the hearings was used, to give the film a more realistic tone.

## Reception

[edit]

Confirmation received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised Washington's performance as Hill and the film's depiction of its subject matter. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 84%, based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Stellar performances and gripping subject matter help Confirmation overcome production values that occasionally feel as dated as the infamous real-life case it covers."[14] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[15]

### Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Nominee(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2016

| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Movie Made for Television or Limited Series | Nominated  | [16]
Best Actress in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series | Kerry Washington | Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards  | Best Motion Picture  | Nominated  | [17]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Limited Series  | Kerry Washington  | Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | Michael London, Janice Williams, Kerry Washington,
Susannah Grant, and Darren M. Demetre  | Nominated  | [18]
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | Kerry Washington  | Nominated

2017

| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series | Darren M. Demetre  | Nominated  | [19]
Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series | Wendell Pierce | Nominated
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series | Kerry Washington  | Won
Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated  | [20]
NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special | Nominated  | [21]
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special | Kerry Washington  | Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)  | Rick Famuyiwa | Won
Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated  | [22]
Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Wendell Pierce  | Nominated
Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Kerry Washington  | Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Nominated  | [23]
Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Original | Susannah Grant  | Won  | [24]
[25]
Paul Selvin Award | Won

## Credits

[edit]

During the film credits, the onscreen text states that as a result of Hill's accusation of sexual harassment, more women were elected to public office in 1992 than previous periods, official sexual harassment complaints doubled, and an important workplace discrimination law was passed (referring to the Civil Rights Act of 1991).[26]

## See also

[edit]

* Strange Justice

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Petski, Denise (February 2, 2016). "'Confirmation' Premiere Date Set By HBO". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
2. ^ "Leadership".
3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2015). "Kerry Washington to Star as Anita Hill in HBO Movie 'Confirmation' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
4. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 28, 2015). "Wendell Pierce Set as Clarence Thomas in HBO's 'Confirmation' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
5. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 12, 2015). "Eric Stonestreet to Co-Star in HBO's Anita Hill Pic, 'Confirmation' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 29, 2015). "Jennifer Hudson, Greg Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright Join HBO's 'Confirmation'". The Hollywood Reporter.
7. ^ Goldberg, Lesley; Stanhope, Kate (June 5, 2015). "Treat Williams, Bill Irwin Join HBO's 'Confirmation' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 5, 2015). "Erika Christensen, Cobie Smulders, Dylan Baker & Grace Gummer Join HBO Movie 'Confirmation'". Deadline Hollywood.
9. ^ Petski, Denise (June 16, 2015). "Kimberly Elise, Kristen Ariza & Malcolm Gets Join HBO Movie 'Confirmation'". Deadline Hollywood.
10. ^ Petski, Denise (July 2, 2015). "Daniel Sauli Joins HBO Movie 'Confirmation'; Jonathan Whitesell In ABC Family Pilot 'Beyond'". Deadline Hollywood.
11. ^ Herzog, Kenny (April 16, 2016). "Fact-Checking HBO's Confirmation". Vulture. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
12. ^ Petski, Denise (July 9, 2015). "Zoe Lister-Jones Joins HBO Movie 'Confirmation' In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood.
13. ^ "Confirmation - Production Listing". Backstage. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
14. ^ "Confirmation". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
15. ^ "Confirmation". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
16. ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (November 14, 2016). "Critics' Choice TV Nominations Unveiled". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
17. ^ "20th Annual TV Awards (2015-16)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.[permanent dead link]
18. ^ "Confirmation". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
19. ^ "Black Reel Awards – Past Winners". Black Reel Awards. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
20. ^ "Confirmation – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
21. ^ Washington, Arlene; Lewis, Hilary (February 10, 2017). "Hidden Figures, Loving, and Queen of Katwe nominated". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
22. ^ "2016 Winners & Nominees". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
23. ^ "The 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
24. ^ Petski, Denise (December 5, 2016). "WGA TV Nominations: 'The Americans', 'Stranger Things', 'Westworld', 'This Is Us' Among Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
25. ^ "The Paul Selvin Award". Writers Guild Awards. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
26. ^ HBO’s series about the Anita Hill–Clarence Thomas hearings proves that scandal plus time equals riveting TV Slate April 15, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Confirmation at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Rick Famuyiwa

Films directed|

* The Wood (1999)
* Brown Sugar (2002)
* Our Family Wedding (2010)
* Dope (2015)
* Confirmation (2016)

Films written only|

* Talk to Me (2007)

* v
* t
* e

Joe Biden

* 46th President of the United States (2021–2025)
* 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017)
* U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009)

Senator|

* Early life and career
* Classified Information Procedures Act
* Counterterrorism Act
* Violence Against Women Act
* Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act

Vice presidency|

* Obama transition
* Task forces
* Gun Violence Prevention
* Protect Students from Sexual Assault
* First Trump transition

Presidency|

| Appointments|

* Cabinet
* Harris vice presidency
* Agriculture
* Commerce
* Defense
* Education
* Energy
* Executive Office appointments
* HHS
* Homeland Security
* HUD
* Interior
* Justice
* U.S. attorneys
* Labor
* State
* ambassadors
* Transportation
* Treasury
* Veterans Affairs
* Judicial appointments
* Jackson
* Supreme Court candidates

|

Legislation|

| 2021|

* American Rescue Plan Act
* Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act
* Consolidated Appropriations Act
* Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* RENACER Act
* Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

|

2022|

* Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
* CHIPS and Science Act

Consolidated Appropriations Act
* Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act
* Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act
* No TikTok on Government Devices Act
* Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
* State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act
* Emmett Till Antilynching Act
* Inflation Reduction Act
* Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act
* PACT Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* Postal Service Reform Act
* Respect for Marriage Act
* Speak Out Act
* Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act

2023|

* COVID-19 Origin Act
* Fiscal Responsibility Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* DCA agreement between Finland and the US

2024|

* ADVANCE Act
* Consolidated Appropriations Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* National Security Act
* Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act

2025|

* Social Security Fairness Act

Policies|

* Cannabis
* COVID-19
* COVID-19 Advisory Board
* White House COVID-19 Response Team
* Economic
* Biden v. Nebraska
* Build Back Better Act
* Build Back Better Plan
* Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
* Electoral and ethical
* Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court
* Summit for Democracy
* Environmental
* 2021 Leaders Summit on Climate
* Executive Order 13990
* Foreign
* Geneva summit
* 2023 Chinese balloon incident
* AUKUS
* Camp David Principles
* Afghanistan withdrawal
* killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri
* War in Ukraine
* 2022 visit by Volodymyr Zelenskyy
* 2023 visit to Ukraine
* Gaza war
* Ankara prisoner exchange
* Relations with Iran
* Immigration
* A Proclamation on Securing the Border
* Social
* 2021 National Day of Unity
* Space

Timeline|

* Transition
* Inauguration
* security
* Celebrating America
* protests
* First 100 days
* 2021
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* 2022
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* 2023
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* 2024
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* January 2025
* Second Trump transition

* Classified documents incident
* White House cocaine incident
* Efforts to impeach
* House Oversight Committee investigation
* inquiry
* Executive actions
* proclamations
* Opinion polling
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024–2025
* Presidential trips
* international
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024–2025
* Death and state funeral of Jimmy Carter

Elections|

| U.S. Senate|

* 1972
* 1978
* 1984
* 1990
* 1996
* 2002
* 2008

|

Vice presidential|

* 2008 campaign
* selection
* convention
* debate
* election
* transition
* 2012 campaign
* convention
* debate
* election

Presidential|

* 1988 campaign
* primaries
* 2008 campaign
* primaries
* debates
* 2020 campaign
* endorsements
* celebrity
* organizations
* Congress
* state and territorial officials
* municipal officials
* primaries
* endorsements
* debates
* Unity Task Forces
* running mate selection
* convention
* debates
* election
* protests
* 2024 campaign
* withdrawal
* Democratic opposition
* primaries
* endorsements
* protest vote movements
* debate

Family|

* Edward Francis Blewitt (great-grandfather)
* Neilia Hunter Biden (first wife)
* Jill Biden (second wife)
* James Biden (brother)
* Valerie Biden Owens (sister)
* Beau Biden (son)
* Hunter Biden (son)
* Ashley Biden (daughter)
* Howard Krein (son-in-law)
* Hallie Olivere Biden (daughter-in-law)
* Kathleen Buhle (former daughter-in-law)
* Melissa Cohen Biden (daughter-in-law)
* Dogs
* Champ
* Major
* Commander
* Cat
* Willow

Writings|

* Promises to Keep
* Promise Me, Dad
* Tomorrow Will Be Different (foreword)

Speeches|

* Inaugural address (2021)
* Joint session of Congress (2021)
* State of the Union Address
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* Warsaw speech (2022)
* Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech (2022)
* Farewell address (2025)

Media
depictions|

* Confirmation
* The Choice 2020
* "Intro to Political Science"
* My Son Hunter
* "One Last Ride"
* The Onion's "Diamond Joe"
* Our Cartoon President
* Saturday Night Live parodies
* Spitting Image

Related|

* Age and health concerns
* Awards
* Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot
* Biden Foundation
* Biden Presidential Library
* Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory
* Buy a shotgun
* Eponyms
* Hunter Biden laptop controversy
* I Did That!
* Let's Go Brandon
* Public image
* Sexual assault allegation
* Situation Room
* Sleepy Joe
* 2019 Trump–Ukraine scandal

* ← Donald Trump →

* ← Dick Cheney
* Mike Pence →

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template