Military Movies - Military Times

Hollywood takes on politics

If you’ve been glued to news coverage of the presidential race 24/7, it’s time to pull yourself away from the pundits and immerse yourself in Hollywood’s take on politics. Oliver Stone’s “W.” recently opened in theaters, depicting the life and times of the current president, and as Barack Obama and John McCain go head to head in the next few days, it’s only fitting to participate in the elections fever sweeping the nation with a dose of politics — Hollywood style.

Election process

• “Recount” (2008): HBO’s original movie about the Bush v. Gore election won three Emmys recently, including one for best TV movie. (It’s also available on DVD). Kevin Spacey stars as Democratic Party strategist Ron Klain, brought in to help Vice President Al Gore contest the 2000 election. But Laura Dern is the real star here — as Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, she’s painted (figuratively, and with a face full of makeup) as a somewhat clueless, spotlight-craving woman who may have been the most important figure in the election.

• “Primary Colors” (1998): Based on the book by “Anonymous” (who later turned out to be Time writer Joe Klein), follows the climb of Gov. Jack Stanton (John Travolta, doing his best Bill Clinton impression) as he campaigns for the nation’s top office. It’s a very thinly veiled account of Clinton’s first run for president, with a terrific supporting cast (Emma Thompson as the driven wife, Billy Bob Thornton as a James Carville-esque campaign strategist), a sharp screenplay from Elaine May and smooth direction from Mike Nichols. What better time of year to watch this film?

• “The War Room” (1993): As a companion piece to “Primary Colors,” catch this documentary about Clinton’s 1992 campaign and the organization that ran it (where you’ll see the real counterparts to the fictional ones in “Colors”). The film was nominated for an Oscar.

• “Wag the Dog” (1997): Director Barry Levinson delivers a political satire about a phony war concocted to pull focus from the sex scandal a presidential candidate is embroiled in. Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro are the spinmasters in this tale that, in the end, you just might believe could happen.

Presidential portraits:

• “John Adams” (2008): HBO’s other Emmy-winning original production this year was this miniseries about the second president of the U.S. and the first 50 years of the country. It won 13 Emmys, including best miniseries, best actor (Paul Giamatti as Adams) and best actress (Laura Linney as Abigail Adams).

• “The Reagans” (2003): This made-for-TV movie was originally scheduled to air on CBS but wound up airing on pay-cable’s Showtime after protests by the Republican party. It’s notable now because James Brolin, father to Josh “W.” Brolin, plays Ronald Reagan in a look at the lives of Ron and Nancy (played by Judy Davis). The miniseries earned seven Emmy nominations.

• “Nixon” (1995): Never thought Hannibal Lecter could be a convincing U.S. president? Sir Anthony Hopkins pulls it off in Oliver Stone’s portrait of a powerful man whose career ended in shame.

• “LBJ: The Early Years” (1987): Randy Quaid (yes, he of the “Vacation” movies) won a Golden Globe for his work as the hot-tempered Texas politician, which one critic called “arguably the most memorable in the history of presidential TV productions.”

• “Sunrise at Campobello” (1960): A well-regarded look at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s bout with polio and ascendancy to the country’s highest political office. Ralph Bellamy stars as FDR and Greer Garson is Eleanor.

Fictional leaders:

• “The Contender” (2000): When the vice president dies in office, President Jackson Evans (a sharp-but-folksy Jeff Bridges) nominates Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Laine Hanson for the job. But the conservative confirmation committee chairman (Gary Oldman, scary-good) wants his own man in the office and digs up information about Sen. Hanson’s past to derail her nomination.

• “The American President” (1995): Think of this as writer Aaron Sorkin’s precursor to “The West Wing.” Michael Douglas stars as a widowed president who — gasp — starts dating a lobbyist (Annette Bening) while in office. It’s skillfully directed by Rob Reiner, who paired with Sorkin previously, in 1992, for “A Few Good Men.”

• “Dave” (1993): Sure, this never could happen (well, OK, never say never in politics), but it’s a great story: Kevin Kline plays Dave Kovic, a good man who runs a good business — a temp service. He also is — forgive the pun — a dead ringer for President Bill Mitchell (also played by Kline). When the president suffers a stroke and slips into a coma, the Secret Service taps Dave to be President Mitchell’s stand-in; a temp worker, if you will. Sigourney Weaver is delightful as the First Lady who, rather quickly, is willing to play along with the charade.

• “Dr. Strangelove (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)” (1964): Stanley Kubrick’s classic satire stars Peter Sellers as Capt. Lionel Mandrake, a British military man, U.S. President Merkin Muffley and former Nazi Dr. Strangelove, all working together to stop the destruction of the Earth when an Air Force general goes crazy and attacks the Soviet Union.