The American President (1995)

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writer (WGA):

Aaron Sorkin (written by)

Release Date:

17 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Why can't the most powerful man in the world have the one thing he wants most?

Plot:

Comedy-drama about a widowed US president and a lobbyist who fall in love. It's all aboveboard, but "politics is perception" and sparks fly anyway.

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Lobbyist | U.S. President | Politics | Love

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 12	6:30 PM	HBO
Mon. Nov. 23	3:05 PM	HBO

Cast

Michael Douglas	...	President Andrew Shepherd
Annette Bening	...	Sydney Ellen Wade
Martin Sheen	...	A.J. MacInerney
Michael J. Fox	...	Lewis Rothschild
Anna Deavere Smith	...	Robin McCall
Samantha Mathis	...	Janie Basdin
Shawna Waldron	...	Lucy Shepherd
David Paymer	...	Leon Kodak
Anne Haney	...	Mrs. Chapil
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Senator Bob Rumson
Nina Siemaszko	...	Beth Wade
Wendie Malick	...	Susan Sloan
Beau Billingslea	...	Agent Cooper
Gail Strickland	...	Esther MacInerney
Joshua Malina	...	David

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some strong language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #33993)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The dialogue refers explicitly at one point to the films of Frank Capra. Capra's grandson, Frank Capra III, was first assistant director of this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: After President Shepherd's speech at the end of the movie in which he confronts Bob Rumson and walks away, Leon Kodak states "Well, you don't see that every day of the week" to which Lewis Rothschild replies "He's got the whole White House press corps asking each other how to spell erudite!" The word erudite was not used in President Shepherd's speech.

Quotes:

President Andrew Shepherd: Do you think there will ever be a time when you can stand in a room with me and not think of me as the president?
Sydney Ellen Wade: This isn't a state of mind. You are the president. And when I'm in a room with you, oval or any other shape, I'm always gonna be a lobbyist, and you're always gonna be the president.
President Andrew Shepherd: I have news for you, Sydney. As a lobbyist, you'd never be alone in a room with the president.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema & the Myth of Cool (2001)

Soundtrack:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 MVT 1

I can see it again and again

The more you see it, the more likenesses you see with "the West Wing". Martin Sheen caught the taste and went one step higher on the ladder of presidency. Anna Deavere Smith plays a similar role in both. Joshua Malina too Even Nina Siemasko (Sydney's sister is also Bartlett's second daughter). Of course that's all Aaron Sorkin's doing. The dialogue is witty, and the story more or less believable - OK, I think she jumps in his bed a little too easily, but then it's only a 90 minute film. One small problem though - Annette Bening's french is passable, but could they not have found a french actor to play the president of France? Are Americans that deaf to good accents?