The American President [Blu-ray]

A warm and fun movie which is a temporary uplift from present day reality. Republicans will not like it because the president is a democrat and NRA members (I am one) might be incensed but it portrays an idealized story where the president is a real guy like me. Makes me smile!

Michael Douglas and Annette Benning were fabulous in this movie. I have probably watched it a dozen times and so I’m very happy that now I own the DVD so I can watch it whenever I want. It’s a great love story and Annette is a lobbyist was very good in her role and Michael Douglas is president. Very good.

Really cute movie. Fairly old, but still worth a watch. Big names

Love the movie.

It's been around awhile but it's a great movie. Michael Douglas is charming as the President.

Enjoyable Movie

Okay, to weigh in on the key points of discussion that keep popping up with regards to this particular romantic comedy. First, I would have liked "West Wing" if I had never seen "The American President" and I would have liked "The American President" even if it was not a test balloon for "The West Wing." Second, of course a romantic comedy about the President of the United States is going to have a liberal in the White House. Conservatives are either (a) not that funny or (b) do not like to be laughed at, take your pick. Third, the part that bugs me the most is the "character" issue everybody keeps alluding to. I know part of the premise of this movie is "What is Hillary died and Bill Clinton was all alone in the White House and Chelsea was giving him dating tips?", but does that automatically mean we have to give all his sexual foibles to the fictional Andrew Shepherd? The man says he has only loved two women in his life and that it has been a long time since he has done anything sexual, so what is this character issue? Somebody explain it to me...like I was a six year old. The actual plot of "The American President" is as old as the hills: boy becomes President, boy meets girl, boys falls for girl, girl falls for boy, and the entire country has an opinion. But ultimately the story does not matter because we stop flipping through the channels when we come to this movie on television because of the snappy dialogue and the excellent acting performances. Somehow screenwriter Aaron Sorkin got from "A Few Good Men" and "Malice," to this choice piece of political drama. Michael Douglas turns in his best romantic comedy performance as President Andrew Shepherd while Annette Bening plays Sydney Ellen Wade, a paid political lobbyist who discovers she has more of the President of the United States than his ear. But ultimately "The American President" features one of those ensemble casts that makes you sit and shake your head in wonder. Actually, it is rather depressing to think that the actual occupants of the West Wing are no where as smart or as glib as this crew: Martin Sheen ("Come, friends, let us away"), Anna Deavere Smith ("I think the important thing is not to make it look like we're panicking"), Samantha Mathis ("Sir, I don't understan?"), and David Paymer ("Well, I could explain it better, but I'd need charts, and graphs, and an easel"), and in my choice for the best performance of his career, Michael J. Fox ("Can I just state very clearly I can't be part of anything illegal"). Did I mention the dialogue is really good in this film? However, the film's only Oscar nomination was for Original Musical score. Go figure. Personally, I do not think the American people would turn upon a widowed President who started dating. But then I have this pesky idealistic streak that refuses to go away. This is a witty, literate romantic-comedy that harkens back to Hollywood's golden age. Ultimately the film's political leanings have little to do with our enjoyment because we know nothing ever happens with issues like gun control and fuel emissions in the real world and Bob Rumson's problem is not that he is running for President but that he is trying to break up the romance between these two kids. Most Romantic Lines: (1) "Well, first of all, the two hundred pairs of eyes aren't focused on me. They're focused on you. And the answers are Sydney Ellen Wade, and because she said yes." (2) "Perhaps I didn't properly explain the fundamentals of the slowdown plan." (3) "I've loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer and I lost the other because I was too busy keeping my job to do my job. Well, that ends right now." Of course, these are not the best lines in the movie because those are all about politics more than romance. If you like "The American President," then check out these other films on the AFI's list: #74 "Woman of the Year" and #31 "The King and I." Why? Well, because in the former you find how hard it is to mix politics and love and in the latter you have a leader whose position does not allow him to fall in love.

It's written by Aaron Sorkin and has actors that ended up on "The West Wing", but the main story is romantic. Michael Douglas (the president) and Annette Bening (an environmental lobbyist) are a great romantic pair and they pull off the comedy in the story quite well. Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox and Richard Dreyfuss are in supporting roles and they all give good performances. Plus it's directed by Rob Reiner which doesn't hurt.

An old favorite. I watch it now equipped with irony.

Le respect des 2 ci dessus

Excelente servicio y la peli es de mis favoritas

Annette Benning is lovely; she exudes obvious sharp wit and political astuteness in this role but it's perfectly balanced by her senior prom-girl delight and endearing naivety at the enormity of the context of the relationship being proposed to her. Aaron Sorkin's screenplay shows all the rapid fire acuity and understanding of complex political argot as would be so fabulously demonstrated later in The West Wing and it's nice to see some of the actors/characters (minor and major) who would also appear in that series. Yes, the politics are clearly biased towards liberal idealism (the press room speech is excellent and reminds me of something similar in The Contender) but who wants to watch a depiction of a right wing administration? The real thing's too horrible to experience although I'm sure it would make interesting viewing. Benning and Douglas are well cast in terms of their realistic and believable respective ages and the potential for what would have to be a truly romantic (and ultimately sexual) chemistry. Douglas delivers a very effective and engagingly appealing imperiousness which works well. Fox is great as a younger man with such a high responsibility. I had to keep pinching myself that Sheen's not Bartlett! First time I watched the film he just looked wrong but I got used to it. Easily takes repeat viewing to fully appreciate the large number of little gems Sorkin's worked into the dialogue. Super film

My review is about Dave. The premise for the film is captivating and rapidly pulls you in. Deep down inside, we all believe that politicians are a bunch of crooked selfish bums and this film portrays it well. We all believe as well, I think, that Mr. Taxpayer is much better suited to making decisions than the crooked selfish bums and, again, this film plays to that feeling. The result?? The good guys win and make people happy and the bad guys either die or pass into oblivion. Poetic justice. The acting is on an excellent level. Kevin and Sigourney play their roles with realism without getting schmucky and pretentious. They seem to be real people you could get to know and understand, which is the benchmark of a true actor. No special effects here. No boom bang crunch to hide behind. An excellent film highly underrated. And yes, Kevin gets the girl!