Great Film: The American President
My name is Andrew Shepherd and I AM the president of the United States!
Is there a genre that Rob Reiner can't work in and make successful? He
captured comedy beautifully with The Sure Thing. Music was brilliant with
This is Spinal Tap. Horror? How about Misery? Courtroom drama was
awesome
with A Few Good Men. And now we have a political drama/comedy. There is
nothing this man can't do.
This movie works inspite of people's claims that it is too political. Well
you know what, it's about the president of the United States of America,
there's going to be a bit of poiltics in it. And guess what, guns do kill
people, so to have an issue at hand here that deals with gun control is
applaudable.
Okay, that's out of the way, let's talk about the film itself. Because it
is wonderful. It is funny, well acted, and it is written with a good ear.
The cast in this film is one to be envied by almost everyone except Oliver
Stone and Robert Altman who seem to get everyone to do their films. But
here we have Douglas as the president, Sheen as his aid, Michael J. Fox,
Samantha Mathis, Annette Bening as Sydney Ellen Wade and in my favourite
performance, Richard Dreyfuss as the sniveling weasle Senator Bob
Rumsen.
As the story goes, the president's character gets questioned when he ( a
widow ) finds a girlfriend in Sydney Wade. The issues are handled
wonderfully here. Nothing is really tip-toed around as the script writer (
Aaron Sorkin ) writes a brave script about what is right and wrong with
being the president and having a girlfriend.
I personally liked the politics in the film. I enjoyed how Shepherd
decides
to ignore the critisism leveled at him until the very end when he gives one
of the best written speeches I've ever seen in film. And when he flexes
his
authoritative muscles, you feel his power, you feel that the president has
spoken. And I was moved. This is a great film and one that should be
checked out for sure.
**** I also found it to be interesting that the character in the film that
tries to get the issue of gun control brought to the forefront is Michael
J.
Fox. He is Canadian and we don't have problems with guns here. Is it a
coincidence ( probably ) that he was chosen to play this role? Or was it
done deliberately? Interesting.
Cast
- Leon Kodak played by David Paymer
- Lewis Rothschild played by Michael J. Fox
- A.J. MacInerney played by Martin Sheen
- Mrs. Chapil played by Anne Haney
- Susan Sloan played by Wendie Malick
- President Andrew Shepherd played by Michael Douglas
- Sydney Ellen Wade played by Annette Bening
