American President
Aaron Sorkin
|
|||||||
| Dewey Subject Codes: | Fiction | 812 |
| Movie Script - What sounds like a high-concept romantic comedy pitch from hell--widower president falls for smart lobbyist while the world watches--is actually intelligent, charming, touching, and quite funny. Granted, it's wish fulfillment all the way (when was the last time you saw a president who was truly presidential?), but in the capable hands of writer Aaron Sorkin (TV's Sports Night) and director Rob Reiner, The American President is incredibly enjoyable entertainment with quite a few ideas about both romance and the government. Michael Douglas stars as the president, who after three years in office starts thinking about the possibility of dating. When he auspiciously encounters cutthroat environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), sparks begin to crackle and the two begin a tentative but heartfelt romance. Of course, his job gets in the way--their first kiss is interrupted by a Libyan bombing--but darn it if these two kids aren't going to try and make it work! However, they hadn't counted on the president's Republican antagonist (Richard Dreyfuss), who starts carping about family values. The predictable plot--Douglas finally goes to bat for his lady and his country--is leavened by Sorkin's wonderful, snappy dialogue and a light touch from the usually subtle-as-a-sledgehammer Reiner. Both manage to create a believable White House-office atmosphere (with a crack staff including Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith, and Samantha Mathis) as well as a plausible and funny dating scenario. The true success of the movie, though, rides squarely on Douglas and Bening; this is unequivocally Douglas's best comedic performance (ergo his best performance, period) and Bening, usually such a good bad girl, takes a standard career-woman role and fleshes it out magnificently. You can see in an instant why Douglas would fall for her. One of the best unsung romantic comedies of the '90s. |
| Check Amazon for: | Books by: | ||
| Books Titled: | |||
Characterization of Antimony-Based, Types-I and -II, Multiple ... -- Edward G. Ferguson
Dynamic Behavior Sequencing in a Hybrid Robot Architecture -- Jeffrey P. Duffy
Return of the Warrants -- Paul G. Niesen
Incorporating Phase II JPME Into Air War College -- Violet M. Nicklen
FUTURE-BASED RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE SURVIVABILITY OF LONG RANGE ... -- William D. Heuck Jr.
EUGENE F. KRANZ: RESPONSIVE LEADERSHIP FOR MISSION CONTROL -- Curt B. Prichard
Purple Virtues: Curing Unhealthy Interservice Rivalry -- Eric A. Ash
Critical Examination of C-130 Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) ... -- John A. Daniels
OPTIMAL DYNAMIC SOARING FOR FULL SIZE SAILPLANES -- Randel J. Gordon
Aerial Humanitarian Operations: Delivering Strategic Effects -- SCOTT V. DETHOMAS
© Books-On-Line, January 22, 1997; Last Revised June 9, 2009