Wag the Dog (1997)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers (WGA):

Larry Beinhart (book)
Hilary Henkin (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A Hollywood producer. A Washington spin-doctor. When they get together, they can make you believe anything.

Plot:

Before elections, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to "fabricate" a war in order to cover-up a presidential sex scandal.

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Scandal | Cover Up | Albania | Death

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Stanley Motss
Robert De Niro	...	Conrad Brean
Anne Heche	...	Winifred Ames
Denis Leary	...	Fad King
Willie Nelson	...	Johnny Dean
Andrea Martin	...	Liz Butsky
Kirsten Dunst	...	Tracy Lime
William H. Macy	...	CIA Agent Charles Young
John Michael Higgins	...	John Levy
Suzie Plakson	...	Grace
Woody Harrelson	...	Sergeant William Schumann
Michael Belson	...	President
Suzanne Cryer	...	Amy Cain
Jason Cottle	...	A.D.
David Koechner	...	Director

Also Known As:

Bite the Bullet (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Denmark:11 | Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | Brazil:18

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company:

Baltimore Pictures

Trivia:

The scene in which shoes laced together are hanging from telephone and electric wires was shot on East Capitol Street a few blocks behind the U.S. Capitol. The production crew left several pairs of shoes behind and they remained hanging on the wires for years.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Winifred is playing with her pearls after they find out the "war" has been ended, they are in her right hand in one shot, then jump to the left in the next shot.

Quotes:

Stanley Motss: We got this deal with Governor Knee-High...
Liz Butsky: [Corrects him] Senator Leahy, from Vermont.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Academy of Robots' Choice Awards Special (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

COURAGE MOM

A clever but mostly just very entertaining political satire.

Scariest thing about "Wag the Dog" is that it has a very realistic feel. Sure, there are some far fetched things but overall the movie leaves the impression like this is something that could actually happen in real life or already maybe has happened.

But "Wag the Dog" is more entertaining than anything. Yes, in a way you can compare it to "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" even though it is not as brilliant of course. The subject is treated in a very entertaining and comical way and that is what makes "Wag the Dog" a very fun movie to watch. But yet it also knows how to bring over the important political message of the movie. In that way this movie is comparable to "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb".

The main cast is very good. Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman are great in their second movie together ("Sleepers" was the first which was also directed by Barry Levinson and they can now be seen together again in "Meet the Fockers"). It sounds weird but they really have some chemistry together. Anne Heche however at times irritated me and also isn't exactly the most talented actress I've seen. There also is a very good and entertaining supporting cast with actors such as Willie Nelson, William H. Macy, Woody Harrelson, a still very young Kirsten Dunst and Craig T. Nelson in a uncredited role as 'enemy' Senator John Neal. Really entertaining are all of the Woody Harrelson sequence's, they are highly fun and might very well be the best parts of the movie.

A very fun entertaining movie with a realistic feel! Highly recommendable.

8/10