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Movie Reviews, & Film Industry Commentary
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1995 – PG-13 – 115 min.
Director: Rob Reiner
Primary Cast: Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deveare Smith, John Mahoney, David Paymer, Shawna Waldron, Samantha Mathis, Nina Siemaszko, Wendie Malick, Gail Strickland
Stars *** 1/2 (of 5)
Popcorn **** (of 5)
Film Type(s): Romance, Comedy, Politics
Synopsis: Popular (and widowed) President Andrew Shepard (Douglas) begins to work on his State of the Union and the issues he will address, beginning with a crime bill and an environmental bill. The problem is that the Global Defense Council doesn’t like how the environmental bill is set up and sends in Sydney Allen Wade (Bening), a lobbyist, to help things out. The only problem is that President Shepard falls hard for Wade and vice versa. As the public learns of this private affair, the President’s popularity falters approaching the State of the Union endangering both bill’s and allowing his political rivals to take advantage. Will he choose to continue this romance, thereby endangering his ability to govern, or make a political move that will drive Sydney away from him.
Review: One of the great love stories of the 1990’s, we follow a widowed President (a charming Michael Douglas) as he woo’s a beautiful lobbyist (Annette Bening), despite the political fallout in an election year. In a cotton candy concoction brought to us by Reiner, this film is the ultimate in wish fulfillment where we not only have a Commander In Chief that is forthright and does the right thing, but we are presented with a smart and funny comedy that is plausible and “Capra-esque” (See also Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). This film also comes a year after the successful collaboration of Reiner and playwright Aaron Sorkin in adapting Sorkin’s Military Courtroom drama A Few Good Men to the big screen, only now Sorkin takes a different tack that proves equally as smart and finessed, but taking a comic turn not seen in Men. This would also prove to be fertile training ground for Sorkin, who gained fame several years later for creating TV’s “The West Wing”, which starred Martin Sheen as the President, but here plays the Chief of Staff. Not unlike Men, this film is also full of wonderful performances, and not just from the two leads. Fox and Sheen are particularly good, giving sly one-liners that never veer from their cool under fire political operatives. Some people will disagree with the politics presented in this film. It’s important to remember that although this is the nature of politics and there are certain credibility issues with the story, this is still a likeable romance for all and one to enjoy and remember. (The first phone conversation is a classic. “Sydney, this is just dinner, we won’t be doing espionage or anything.” The ballroom dance is among the most romantic scene’s done in the 1990’s. )
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