The American President (1995) ft. Christine Duncan and Adam Freed

Guest:

• Christine Duncan - Wife of Dana and Mother of Tom

  • 17x guest: Pretty Woman, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, There's Something About Mary, My Fair Lady, Pillow Talk, The Odd Couple, Bringing Up Baby, A Few Good Men - Revisit, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Top Gun, Dial M for Murder, Anatomy of a Murder, Gone Girl, Roman Holiday Revisit, The Apartment, Men of Honor (2000)

• Adam Freed

  • Managing Editor and Senior Film Critic at (MovieArcher.com)

  • @moviearcher on Twitter and Instagram

  • Previously on Batman (1989), Pulp Fiction (1994) Revisit, Return of the Jedi (1983)

Cast:

• Rob Reiner, Director

• Aaron Sorkin, Writer

• John Seale, Cinematography

• Marc Shaiman, Music

• Robert Leighton, Editor

• Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd

• Annette Bening as Sydney Ellen Wade

• Martin Sheen as A. J. MacInerney

• David Paymer as Leon Kodak

• Samantha Mathis as Janie Basdin

• John Mahoney as Leo Solomon

• Michael J. Fox as Lewis Rothschild

• Anna Deavere Smith as Robin McCall

• Nina Siemaszko as Beth Wade

• Wendie Malick as Susan Sloan

• Shawna Waldron as Lucy Shepherd

• George Murdock as Congressman

• Anne Haney as Mrs. Chapil

• Richard Dreyfuss as Senator Bob Rumson (R-KS)

Background:

• The American President was released on November 17, 1995.

• On a rough budget of $62 million, The American President grossed around $108 million to finish #32 at the worldwide box office for 1995.

• Critics were mildly positive at the time, but the film received no awards attention.

• The film was recognized by the American Film Institute as #75 in its 2002 list of 100 Years...100 Passions.

• The screenplay for the film inspired many aspects of Sorkin's later television drama The West Wing.

• The American President currently holds a 91% among critics on RT, a 68 score on Metacritic, and a 3.4/5 on Letterboxd.

Plot Summary: President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) is a widowed, popular U.S. president preparing for re-election. His life changes when he meets Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), a passionate environmental lobbyist. Their romance quickly blossoms, but it also sparks political controversy as the media and his rival, Senator Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss), question his judgment and character.

As public pressure grows, Shepherd must choose between protecting his political career or following his heart. With the help of his loyal Chief of Staff A.J. MacInerney (Martin Sheen) and adviser Lewis Rothschild (Michael J. Fox), he learns that true leadership means standing up for what’s right — even when it’s unpopular.

Did You Know:

• Robert Redford, whose Wildwood Productions co-produced the film, was originally cast in the lead role, but was replaced with Michael Douglas after a falling out with Rob Reiner. Redford, however, remained on board as a producer.

• Before the movie started shooting, Michael J. Fox was still keeping his Parkinson's disease a secret. He felt he would lose the role if Rob Reiner found out. During a basic and routine fitness screening, Fox was terrified that clinicians would detect the periodic shaking in his left hand and eventually connect it to Parkinson's. Fortunately for Fox, he took his medication in time to quell the shaking and the test amounted to nothing more than checking heart rate and blood pressure.

• The telephone number President Shepherd gives Sydney to call him back (456-1414) is in fact the number to the White House (area code 202).

• One of the few rare PG-13 movies allowed to keep its PG-13 rating despite the use of the word "fuck" three times (all within fifteen minutes of each other), but none used in sexual context.

• Prior to Aaron Sorkin joining the project, early versions of the script depicted President Andrew Shepherd as a military veteran and former Special Ops agent. Rob Reiner discussed the lead role with Bruce Willis and Steven Seagal before Sorkin's re-writes transitioned Shepherd to a more academic character.

• Michael Douglas in real life is actually distantly related to several U.S. Presidents. Through their common English Baldwin ancestry he is related to Richard Nixon, both Bushes, and Barack Obama.

• The dialogue refers explicitly at one point to the films of Frank Capra. Capra's grandson, Frank Capra III, was first assistant director of this film.

• Aaron Sorkin's first draft for the film was 385 pages long which he delivered to the studio in a shopping bag. In contrast a typical film script has approximately 120 pages.

Best Performance: Annette Benning (Sydney)/Michael Douglas (President)

Best Secondary Performance: Rob Reiner (Director)/Michael J. Fox (Lewis)/Aaron Sorkin (Writer)/Michael Douglas (President)

Most Charismatic Award: Annette Benning (Sydney)/Michael J. Fox (Lewis)/Michael Douglas (President)

Best Scene:

• Meet/Cute

• State Dinner

• Staying Over

• Flower Shop

• Sydney Confronts Shepherd

• Billiards

• Leadership and Sand

• Press Briefing

Favorite Scene: Flower Shop/State Dinner/Meet/Cute

Most Indelible Moment: Dancing at the State Dinner/Press Briefing

In Memorium:

• Peter Watkins, 90, English filmmaker (The War Game, Punishment Park, Resan), Oscar winner (1967).

• Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, 78, American Hall of Fame singer (Grateful Dead) and backing vocalist ("Suspicious Minds").

• Prunella Scales, 93, English actress (Fawlty Towers, A Question of Attribution, Howards End)

• Maria Riva, 100, German-born American actress (The Scarlet Empress, The Burning Glass, Scrooged)

• Ralph Senesky, 102, American TV writer and director (Star Trek, Dynasty, The Waltons)

• Adam Greenberg, 88, American-Israeli cinematographer (The Terminator, T2: Judgment Day, Ghost, La Bamba, 3 Men and a Baby, Sister Act, Rush Hour, Snakes on a Plane). Oscar-nominated in 1984 for The Terminator.

• Tcheky Karyo, 72, Turkish-French actor-musician (Nakita (film), The Missing (TV))

• Lee Weaver, 95, American actor (O' Brother, Where Art Thou; The Cosby Show, Easy Street)

• Diane Ladd, 89, American actress (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart). 3x Oscar nominee.

Best Lines/Funniest Lines:

A. J. MacInerney: The President doesn't answer to you, Lewis!

Lewis Rothschild: Oh, yes he does, A.J. I'm a citizen, this is my President. And in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders, it's our responsibility!

Andrew Shepherd: This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up. My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I *am* the President.

Lewis Rothschild: [into phone] Well just vote your conscience, you chicken-shit, lame-ass... [slams the phone down] We lost Jarrett.

Leon Kodak: I hope so. 'Cause, you know, if that was an "undecided," then we need to work on our people skills.

Sydney Ellen Wade: This isn't about me. How can you keep quiet? How do you have patience for people who claim they love America, but clearly can't stand Americans?

Andrew Shepherd: You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, 'cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.

Lucy Shepherd: ....and compliment her shoes. Girls like that.

[Sydney is unaware the President is listening]

Sydney Ellen Wade: [to AJ] Your boss is the chief executive of Fantasyland!

President Andrew Shepherd: Well, let's take him out back and beat the shit out of him!

President Andrew Shepherd: Lewis, we've had presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty. They drink the sand because they don't know the difference.

Andrew Shepherd: Someday, somebody is going to have to explain to me the virtue of a proportional response.

Beth Wade: Sydney, the man is the leader of the free world. He's brilliant, funny, handsome. He's an above-average dancer. Isn't it possible our standards are just a tad high?

President Andrew Shepherd: I want to buy her some flowers. That's what men do when they break a date.

Robin McCall: That's not what men do. I know no men who do that.

Leon Kodak: The dogwood is both a tree and a flower.

A.J.: You've said it yourself a million times. If there had been a TV in every living room sixty years ago, this country does not elect a man in a wheelchair.

Lucy Shepherd: ...you know, if you were a dork, you should say you're sorry. Girls like that.

President Andrew Shepherd: You think there's a florist in there planning an assassination on the off-chance that I might be stopping by?

Leon Kodak: You see, the country has mood swings.

Lewis Rothschild: Mood swings? 19 postgraduate degrees in mathematics, and your best explanation for going from 63% to a 46% approval rating in five weeks is mood swings?

Leon Kodak: Well, I could explain it better, but I need charts and graphs and an easel.

President Andrew Shepherd: [while playing pool] She didn't say anything about me?

A.J.: [sarcastically, jokingly] No, but I could always pass her a note before study hall.

The Stanley Rubric:

Legacy: 6

Impact/Significance: 6.88

Novelty: 6.25

Classic-ness: 6.75

Rewatchability: 7.63

Audience Score: 7.5 (73% Google, 77% RT)

Total: 41.01

Remaining Questions:

• Does Shepherd win reelection?

• Do they stay together?

• Why would polling numbers drop because the President started dating?