The American President is a movie that I had heard of for years but never took the time to watch, and I’m sad I waited so long because I really enjoyed it! Starring Annette Bening and Michael Douglas, this film follows President Andrew Shepard (Douglas) as he is campaigning for a second term in office. When he meets lobbyist Sydney Wade (Bening), all bets are on as they begin to fall for one another, leading the American public, and Shepard’s staff, to wonder what this relationship may mean for the future.
Bening and Douglas are so great on-screen together. Both characters felt really fleshed out instead of the usual go-to for most romantic comedies in which most of the characters are so one-dimensional and predictable. Douglas plays the cheeky, debonair type to a T and Bening is right there next to him as she balances out the relationship as the witty, outspoken lobbyist. Throughout the entire film, you can’t help but root for both of them even though you know they are inevitably going to run into some problems. They’re so sweet together and watching both of them grow closer together as they try to make this relationship work is super entertaining.
To my surprise, this movie had less to do with politics and was more of an odd romantic comedy. When I say odd, it’s not that the romance itself is odd, but odd in the sense that it takes up more of the film than I had anticipated. While the politics are obviously present, it’s sort of in the background as the movie weaves in and out of both character’s lives, professionally and personally. I really like that balance between the romantic storyline and the drama that surrounds it. It made it feel more realistic. In fact, that’s what this movie did best. It imagined a realistic way of showcasing what it would be like to actually date the President and all the complications that come with it, especially when both parties are stubborn about what they care about.
One of my favorite scenes in this film involves Shepard. He’s just had to make the terrible decision to bomb Libyan headquarters as a result of a previous attack. You can tell he’s really broken up about it and, as I’m sure many people would do, Shepard’s staff tries to spin what he did for political gain, with one staff member, Leon, exclaiming, “what you did tonight was very presidential.” The best part of this scene is in Shepard’s response. Instead of agreeing the comment away, he looks Leon straight in the eyes and says, “somewhere in Libya right now, a janitor is working the night shift at the Libyan Intelligence Headquarters. He’s going about doing his job because he has no idea that in about an hour he’s gonna die in a massive explosion. He’s just going about his job because he has no idea that about an hour ago I gave an order to have him killed. You just saw me do the least presidential thing I do.” That line really spoke wonders of who he was as a President. I absolutely loved it because while many people would be telling the President that he made a smart decision on behalf of the U.S., Shepard really speaks to the heart of what that decision entailed. He reminds them of what that call actually did — kill innocent people, which should never be praised, even if you’re just doing your job. It was that scene that made me fall in love with his character — and, in my eyes, made him a worthy companion for Wade’s as well.
There is one scene in particular that really steals the show from Douglas in this film and that’s Michael J. Fox’s speech. Fox plays Lewis Rothschild, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Throughout the entire film, Rothschild has been trying to “encourage” the President to address the romance “rumors", as this romance has not been played out in the media too kindly. When he finally calls the President out for staying silent, he makes one of the most epic speeches that only Hollywood could write. I’m not going to spoil it here because it’s just something you have to watch but it’s a great scene for Fox — probably my favorite in the entire movie. In fact, if and when I come across this movie again, that’s the one scene I’ll stick around for. It’s that good.
The only qualm I had with this film was the ending. It’s not that I didn’t want them to end up together, but I thought Andrew should have had to do a bit more groveling before Sydney took him back. I know he exclaimed that he was going to grovel at her door until she took him back, so the intent was there, but I wish we could’ve seen it. Instead, Sydney shows up in his office and all is well. In my opinion, she forgave him way too quickly. If I had it my way, she would’ve let him come to her, but as long as they end up together, I guess that’s all that matters…
If you’re looking for a smart, funny, and all-around entertaining romantic comedy, this one is it. The American President not only has a stellar cast but a great story to go along with it. I only wish that there was a sequel so we could see what these characters would be up to today — after Shepard is out of the White House and they can live their lives in semi-peace. Then again, when you got a great movie, why ruin it with a sequel, right?
Have any of you seen this movie? What did you all think of it? Let me know in the comments below!
***I do not own this photo.
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