Eighteen Acres

Wallace, a former White House communications director for George W. Bush, does a fine job of making politics both maddening and glamorous in her compelling but uneven debut. Dale Smith, a White House correspondent, is sleeping with the husband of President Charlotte Kramer, the first female president, who faces a tough re-election campaign, while Melanie Kingston, Kramer's chief of staff, is so busy struggling with PR disasters and poll numbers that she doesn't have time for a man of her own. A possibly avoidable chopper accident on a trip to Afghanistan exposes the affair between Dale and the first gentleman, leaving Dale in the hospital and giving President Kramer a chance to connect with the American people. Though the stories of the three women intersect in interesting ways, they all come across as sexy workaholics with designer clothes and handbags, who simultaneously despise and admire D.C. politics. Still, a game-changer late in the campaign gives the plot a nice boost, revealing the strength of the female bonds. (Oct.)