"The American President" can't decide whether it wants to be a syrupy, fairy-tale romance or an anti-Republican rant. The film ends up with a foot in both camps, which makes for a very awkward and uneven tone indeed.
Though the current administration scares me silly, I used to have quite strong conservative leanings, and I felt patronized and irritated by this movie's constant, simplistic criticism of right-wing values. It attempts to defend Clinton by presenting a "sanitized" version of that particular President. If you're going to defend Clinton, then REALLY defend him; don't do "Clinton lite" with a "lite" version of his scandals. The Republican characters are all, as you might expect, dumb as bricks, and it's up to Michael Douglas to call a press conference and blast them all for being prejudiced fearmongers. Way to go, Michael.
Now, I don't mind political commentary in a film, if it's at all well done. But this film stereotypes liberals and conservatives alike, and has about the sophistication level you'd expect from a political treatise written by a p****d-off 15-year-old.
The movie is hypocritical, too, because it creates a very passive and flighty character in the form of Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening, annoying as all Hell in this movie). Wade takes a deferential, reverential, and generally submissive posture towards the President, which certainly undermines this film's claims to political/social Enlightenment. The woman's a chattering nitwit who supports that most popular of causes - environmentalism - instead of expressing her opinions on a really controversial issue (like abortion, for example). In short, she's about as feminist as low-riding jeans, and her attachment to the President becomes a sort of Disney-like tale of wish fulfillment based entirely on a powerful man. Eeww.
Believe it or not, this was my ex-girlfriend's favorite movie (nice to know that good taste continues to thrive in this day and age, eh?). When I complained that the politics alienated me, she screeched back that it was the story she liked, not the message. What story? What message? This whole thing can be boiled down to the statement: "It would be nice to date a Democrat President." And it would be death to date a Republican one, presumably. Pathetic.
Though the current administration scares me silly, I used to have quite strong conservative leanings, and I felt patronized and irritated by this movie's constant, simplistic criticism of right-wing values. It attempts to defend Clinton by presenting a "sanitized" version of that particular President. If you're going to defend Clinton, then REALLY defend him; don't do "Clinton lite" with a "lite" version of his scandals. The Republican characters are all, as you might expect, dumb as bricks, and it's up to Michael Douglas to call a press conference and blast them all for being prejudiced fearmongers. Way to go, Michael.
Now, I don't mind political commentary in a film, if it's at all well done. But this film stereotypes liberals and conservatives alike, and has about the sophistication level you'd expect from a political treatise written by a p****d-off 15-year-old.
The movie is hypocritical, too, because it creates a very passive and flighty character in the form of Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening, annoying as all Hell in this movie). Wade takes a deferential, reverential, and generally submissive posture towards the President, which certainly undermines this film's claims to political/social Enlightenment. The woman's a chattering nitwit who supports that most popular of causes - environmentalism - instead of expressing her opinions on a really controversial issue (like abortion, for example). In short, she's about as feminist as low-riding jeans, and her attachment to the President becomes a sort of Disney-like tale of wish fulfillment based entirely on a powerful man. Eeww.
Believe it or not, this was my ex-girlfriend's favorite movie (nice to know that good taste continues to thrive in this day and age, eh?). When I complained that the politics alienated me, she screeched back that it was the story she liked, not the message. What story? What message? This whole thing can be boiled down to the statement: "It would be nice to date a Democrat President." And it would be death to date a Republican one, presumably. Pathetic.