Train of Thought Movie Club #2: 'The American President'
The Train of Thought Movie Club is a series about movies I love or admire: some great, some bad, some so bad they’re great. Each film will have a link to the previous movie, like a cast or crew member in common, a similar theme, or just something that puts the two movies in the same sentence.
See the previous installment here!
Released: 1995
Directed by: The iconic, the inimitable, the wonderful Rob Reiner
Written by: Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Unlikely power couple Michael Douglas and Annette Bening
Michael Douglas and Annette Bening in “The American President.” CASTLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT
My Synopsis
The President of the United States (Douglas), a handsome widower, falls in love with a brilliant environmental lobbyist with an amazing haircut (Bening), causing a media firestorm and risking his reelection chances. There’s also a very important plot line about a bill (like, the ones that become laws) that I confess I can barely follow but ends up being a source of romance in the nerdiest, most Aaron Sorkin way possible.
Connection to Our Previous (and First!) Installment
This movie is written by Aaron Sorkin, who wanted to become a screenwriter after seing “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
Why I Picked It
A few reasons: it’s an underrated Sorkin gem, unlike his more famous dramas like “The Social Network” or “A Few Good Men.” It’s also the predecessor to his political TV drama, “The West Wing.” In fact, most of what was cut from the screenplay of “The American President” was used for “The West Wing,” and it uses the same (quite convincing) Oval Office set. Martin Sheen (aka President Bartlet in ‘TWW’) plays the Chief of Staff here– but he’s no Leo. (Another important casting note: the First Daughter is played by Becky ‘The Ice Box’ O’Shea from “Little Giants.” Wait, should I do “Little Giants” next?!?!)
Another reason to watch: Sorkin really goes all in on his signature dialogue style in this movie, especially in the scenes with Annette Bening and Michael Douglas as two people who strongly disagree but find each other interesting, a key overlapping quality of the Sorkin and romcom styles of writing. The opening scene of “The Social Network” is a good example of the former: Rooney Mara’s character has just enough self-worth to finally leave, but she stays in that conversations long enough to figure out how he thinks (as opposed to what he thinks). She finds him despicable, but fascinating.
My Take: Near Politi-Rom-Com Perfection
Beneath the set dressing and the political vocabulary, “The American President” is a really effective romance. The hallmarks of a romantic comedy are there: the single, devoted father, the savvy kid who gives him dating tips (“Compliment her shoes. Girls like that.”), the hilarious misunderstanding over the phone, the “We’re so in love! What could go wrong?” montage, the underdeveloped villain, the last-minute realization that doing the right thing for the environment is more important than being reelected (a classic), and the inside joke that comes back around in the final scene. You just add a lot of iconic ‘90s sweaters, conversations about votes and bills and Congress and committees, and you get this truly fun movie.
At some points, the movie has trouble figuring out what genre it’s in, and there may be one too many scenes of old white men in tête-á-têtes discussing the future of democracy. During those you just want to get back to Sidney bonding with the President’s daughter, or kissing him in the dish room.
Watch This Movie If
You’re thinking of cutting your hair short and need a boost of encouragement; you enjoy when people talk as if they’ve rehearsed the timing of their sentences to make them end and begin as closely as possible; you love Michael J. Fox.
Up Next
There’s so many ways to go from here! Something D.C.-related? Something starring Richard Dreyfuss? We’ll find out!