Written by Brian Thomas
Written by Brian Thomas
The American PresidentElect Douglas/Benning in '96There was a time when it was deemed inappropriate for a film critic to put forth his own political views, but since Golden Turkey co-founder Michael Medved saw fit to show us the light a few years ago, it may now be seen as an act of cowardice to withhold ones personal axes-to-grind. After all, if a critic of Brother Medved's stature finds it necessary to write a whole book detailing his personal interpretation of the Constitution, who am I to keep my gentle readers guessing? When Joe Popcorn decides to check out my review for Schindler's List 2, he doesn't want to risk being unexpectedly brainwashed by Neo-Nazi propaganda. Fortunately, Rob Reiner has considerately directed a film which provides the perfect forum for film critics to step forward and present their platforms. Here then, my fellow Americans, is where I stand on the issues: Guns: Citizens should enjoy their right to bear arms - but only if they can earn a high score at the target range. Otherwise, when a gunman opens fire somebody might get hurt. Machine guns should not be sold to the public, as they encourage those with poor aim (they should be available for the public's enjoyment at government sanctioned "shooting galleries"). Drugs: Breathalizers should be adjusted to measure bloodstream levels of nicotine, caffeine, adrenaline, vitamin C, and other addictive substances. Those found to be exceeding recommended dosage will suffer severe fines for being too 'hyper'. I recommend that urinalysis be used to determine who took the last donut. Family Planning: It should be legal for parents to terminate a pregnancy, but only until the sixteenth trimester. This may seem harsh, but if it were legal to get rid of teenagers, then none of us would make it past 14. Taxes: I believe in always paying my fair share. Anyone who doesn't say so (in print) should be thoroughly investigated by the fine people at the Internal Revenue Service. Sic 'em, guys! Racism: I have had my blood examined by medical professionals. Hate me if you will, but the tests show it to be composed of nearly 100% pure blood. I hereby declare the genetic superiority of myself and all those like me. Religion: Because I am an orthobnox minister, I have faith that all the problems plaguing our great nation will end on July 5, 1998, when demonic forces from Planet X descend on the Earth to enslave hu-mankind. Despite my old fashioned, conservative viewpoint, I found myself enjoying The American President much more than I expected. A lighthearted romance story about a widowed Commander In Chief who decides to start dating a professional lobbyist sounds like the perfect scenario for a colossal dud. Hollywood has a way of turning such stories into sugary sitcom fluff, especially when they try so hard to emulate the Frank Capra classics of yesteryear. This one invokes the name of Capra in the script, and they even hired Frank Capra III as assistant director. But so many films aim for Capra atmosphere, without fully understanding what made his films so special. Reiner & company seem to have identified a key ingredient of Capra's work, and have made it the heart of their story. To put it bluntly, this film has an agenda. The first objective of the film is to send a love letter to everyone who ever has, or ever will hold the office of President. In scene after scene of rapid dialogue, we watch Michael Douglas deal with one thorny affair of state after another. The point is solidly driven home that here is a job that you and I probably could not handle. Those that can are a special breed that not only carry the heavy load, but actually enjoy it - they thrive in an atmosphere of pressure because of their love of the guiding principals of the office. Douglas seems almost giddy when talking about the Constitution, unable to fathom the eye- rolling attitude of his teenage daughter (Shawna Waldron). The second point is that, like the ultimate media superstars they are, people find it nearly impossible to deal with a President as a normal person. This is aptly demonstrated in the scene in which Douglas and Annette Benning meet cute at the White House. She's as willing and able as any citizen to give him a scathing tongue-lashing - until she discovers he's standing behind her, at which point she turns into a gushing fan. When shaking hands with the President, one's brain is inadvertantly tuned to a different station than when you shake hands with a bus driver or a carpet salesman. We also see that this effect can be both a help and a hindrance to the President. SuperClinton can't just put on a pair of glasses and slip down to the coffee shop for a reuben disguised as Bubba Kent. The third point is that no matter how smart and saintly the candidate is, the pressures of the job can thoroughly knock him off course. Under attack by the mustache-twirling villainy of Republican Senator Bob (in a part slightly overplayed by Richard Dreyfuss), Douglas becomes so desperate to raise his approval rating (thus ensuring re-election) that he forgets why he wants the job in the first place. Have no fear, like Rocky delivering a knockout punch, President Douglas saves the day with a kickass speech, saving the country and getting the girl in the final round. But the message is delivered despite - or perhaps because of the formula comedy/drama it's been packaged within. Whether the oath of office is taken by a donkey, an elephant, or a chimpanzee, the job of President of the United States of America is the most fascinating ever created. There would probably be more movies about it, if it wasn't so difficult to upstage the real thing. Aside from the aforementioned Dreyfuss, the rest of the cast also benefits from the script by Aaron Sorkin. Michael J. Fox finally gets to play a grown-up role, and Martin Sheen escapes the growing rut of heavies he'd begun to fall into lately. Bening's role is also more mature than those we've seen her in to date, but she manages to bring a glow to the whole movie in a part that calls for a deceptive delicacy. Reiner directs the actors well, but otherwise does nothing flashy - if not for the star power on display, this could have been an HBO TV movie. And if I know my Academy, they'll probably hand the production designer an Oscar for doing the relatively simple job of reproducing the White House on a sound stage. Michael Douglas is much more appealing in roles like this one, where he escapes from his usual sex thriller typecasting. Here's hoping he continues to seek out more challenging material. Whatever the case, he's proved himself to be a much better President than that doltish Kevin Kline in Dave. But am I missing something, or is the Vice President suspiciously absent? Copyright © 1994-1997 by Virtual Press/Global Internet Solutions. Internet Daily News and its respective columns are trademarks of Virtual Press/Global Internet Solutions. |