The American President (1995)

I always thought Richard Dreyfuss looked like Dick Cheney.

Cute movie, OP. It’s a great autumn watch. Good timing on your thread.

Why were people always going through Dupont Circle to get from the Capitol to the White House?

I remember seeing this in the movies (in high school) and thinking gee, could it be any more heavy handed with its message? But it’s such good entertainment and what a great cast. I always watch it if it’s on.

This is the type of adult audience movie that would never get made now, because people actually exhibit decorum and there’s no scatological humour. It’s almost a fantasy how behaved everyone is in this film. It’s a picture of how an American utopia would look.

It is a classy and elegant film

Although slightly schmaltzy, many of the scenes are expertly written and acted and the writing requires the cast to be as good as it is. I watch it now wondering if they still make movies for grown ups at all?

R5 True. They did make Richard Dreyfuss's Senator Rumson seem like a jerk

[quote] could it be any more heavy handed with its message?

The Sorkin liberal wet dream world expanded upon in The West Wing

Get this mixed up with the other 90s President movie- with Annette Bening. Which is better?

R10 Do you mean “Dave” with Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver?

Assassination

Jill Ireland.as the bitchy First Lady

Is this the film where the president is accused of having a frat house orgy?

R11, Idk I’m confused and don’t want to google. I thought there was a Beatty/Bening prez movie.

Michael Douglas always creeps me out, a sleaze ball like his arrogant father, Kirk Douglas, who raped Natalie Wood. The bad apple doesn't fall far from the diseased tree, and bears toxic fruit... :-/

R11 R10 that’s what I thought too

Did Michael Douglas have a face-lift shortly before this movie came out? In OP's pic he has a very smooth face but in Basic Instinct he looked very grizzled.

R17 probably the make up department.

My favorite line:

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

Anne Deavere Smith: That's not what men do. I know no men who do that.

Bumping thread

Love this movie.

It inspired Aaron Sorkin to create The West Wing. Michael J Fox got Spin City off of the acclaim from his performance in it.

I liked Dave better.

So many 90s films, regardless of whether they were ultimately good films, had terrific casts.