I love a movie that makes you think – and that’s exactly what HBO’s ‘Game Change’ accomplishes.

‘Game Change’ revolves around the presidential campaign of Senator John McCain and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. As everyone probably remembers, Palin was catapulted onto the American stage during the election process – a spot she has not ceded in the almost four year since.

The first thing to note about the movie is that it is still entertainment. No matter what really happened, things have been elevated (and maybe even fabricated) to appeal to the masses.

The thing I will say about HBO is that their movies are a step above other television movies. In other words, this isn’t some Lifetime television for women schlock.

I know it’s impossible to talk about the movie and ignore politics, but what I found most interesting about the endeavor were the character profiles – and not the politics.

The always-reliable Ed Harris plays McCain. If I can be shallow for a moment, I’ve always had a weird thing for Harris ever since ‘The Abyss.’ No, I can’t explain it. He was practically unrecognizable as McCain, though – and since Harris is such a warm performer he made me remember the things I truly liked about McCain. Essentially, I always thought of McCain as a good man and, more importantly, an American hero.

However, even though McCain was the presidential nominee, much like the actual campaign he loses the spotlight to Palin. The movie revolves around her and McCain’s staff more than anything else.

Palin is played with aplomb by Julianne Moore, who does such an overwhelming physical transformation it’s hard not to believe you’re actually not watching the real thing in the film.

From a pure cinematography viewpoint, I was impressed with the way the film editor managed to cut in actual footage of President Barack Obama, ‘Saturday Night Live’ skits and interviews from years ago.

From a content viewpoint, I’m going to be honest, I’m not sure how much has been exaggerated and how much is 100 percent true. I know that I enjoyed it, though.

Watching the movie made me nostalgic about the time period – mostly because it was such an exciting time in American politics.  Either way, whoever won, we were going to have a first. We were either going to have the first African American president or the first female vice-president.

So, on to the nitty-gritty.  Moore’s portrayal of Palin makes the viewer swing widely to opposite poles.

On one hand, you’re immediately drawn to Palin’s charisma and her folksy likeability. The movie portrays Palin as simple person in a complex world that is not willing to deviate from her beliefs. As a woman, I like that.

On the other hand, Palin seems to have some personality issues in the movie. She’s obstinate and misinformed in a lot of instances.

I vividly remember Palin’s Katie Couric interview – and the film pulls no punches in that respect.  Woody Harrelson portrays Steve Schmidt, a campaign analyst who worked on McCain’s campaign.  Schmidt is actually the other lead in the movie. It’s his dynamic with Palin that is thoroughly explored throughout the film – and it most definitely has some miraculous highs and some desperate lows. The Couric interview is one of them.

I’m not going to pretend that everything portrayed in the movie is 100 percent accurate. I know Palin has come out against the movie – but I also know she did before she even saw it.

The most important thing about the movie is that I don’t see it as a hatchet job on Palin. She certainly has some low moments in the movie, but she also has some great strengths.

First and foremost, the movie portrays Palin as a wonderful and devoted mother – which I have no doubt she is in real life.  Some people may argue that the movie shows Palin as being stupid, or unintelligent. I see the opposite. I gained a certain amount of sympathy for Palin being thrust in the spotlight and being expected to somehow know everything about foreign and domestic policy in a few short weeks. That’s an impossible task, and I think that’s what the movie shows.

The other thing that others may point to as a negative in the film is Palin’s forceful nature. You know what? I identify with that. While I might not agree with everything she says, I believe she has the right to say whatever she wants and believe whatever she wants. Palin is not someone that backs down from her beliefs, and that’s something to be applauded.

Will the movie change your opinion, whatever it is, about Palin? Probably not. If you like her you’re still going to like her and if you don’t, you probably still won’t.

The central question of the movie is whether or not Palin was equipped to be the vice-president – and ultimately the president -- should something happen. What I find interesting about the film is it doesn’t try to answer it for you; it lets you come up with your own decision.

That’s what American politics is all about, after all. Right?

What did you think? Is ‘Game Change’ worth watching?