AllMovie

Filmmaker James Dirschberger examines the life and career of Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer, and the details surrounding the bribery scandal that prompted him to commit suicide on television during a live press conference. While detractors have speculated that Dwyer's drastic actions were the results of a guilty conscience, supporters often paint him as a noble idealist who was pushed to the breaking point by an irreparably corrupt political machine. Candid interviews with Dwyer's widow Joanne and others offer deep insight into both the subject, and the controversy surrounding his career.