SNMR 2.20: "The American President"

In recognition of the fact that there are exactly two years left in the Bush Monarchy, tonight's SNMR feature is "The American President" (1995, PG-13, 115 minutes), starring Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, David Paymer, Samantha Mathis, Anna Deavere Smith, Richard Dreyfuss and Shawna Waldron. The film was directed by Rob Reiner.

The first time I saw this movie was in flight from New York to Tel Aviv, when my ex and I visited Israel and Egypt. Since then it has become one of my favorite movies.

From the DVD's dust case:

Boy meets girl - and the press tracks their every move, rivals fore broadsides and a Presidency with a 63% popularity rating plunges to a 41% in seven weeks. When you're the President, everyone knows where you live. Michael Douglas portrays the widower Chief Executive who falls for a lobbyist (Annette Bening), then freefalls in the polls in this winning romantic comedy directed by Rob Reiner. Bustling staff members (Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, David Paymer, Anna Deavere-Smith), a sneering opponent (Richard Dreyfuss), state dinners, formal protocol, informal moments, global crises - all come into focus as Reiner and his stars explore the balance between private romance and public Presidency.

From Martin & Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 32:

Ah, if only American politics were blessed with so much nobility! Michael Douglas is just right as a chief of state who enjoys unprecedented popularity until venturing back into the "dating scene." American citizens admire a man who grieves for his wife's untimely death, but their not so sure what to make of his growing passion for a perky environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening). Aaron Sorkin's script is clearly a populist fantasy, but so what?

From the writer/director team that brought us A Few Good Men comes another winner. The cast is superb from top to bottom and the script is smooth and flows well. I always have a good patriotic feeling at the end of this movie. Surprisingly, this film was only nominated for one Academy Award (Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score - Marc Shaiman) which it did not win. Really, you can't say enough good things about this film, which gets five out of five stars.