PRINTMovies idealize the commander in chief
Hollywood looks at the big guy’s good side
Columbia Pictures
President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) in The American President is an approachable, knowledgeable, witty and capable leader.
November 16, 2006 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Trained and keenly aware of the part they play, real-life American presidents try to exude the best persona possible to the American public. With releases such as Man of the Year and Air Force One, the movie industry also gives viewers a range of appealing made-up personas.
The polls show that with President Bush’s approval rating at an all-time low of 31 percent as of Nov. 11, the public isn’t always happy with its leaders. In many of its fictional depictions of the commander in chief, Hollywood seems to play up traits such as heroism or romance — qualities perhaps more in line with what audiences or voters are looking for.
The cynical side of America allows for more negative views of the president. Yet films in which the president is less than a great guy are few and far between. Ramsay Wise, MU instructor of film studies, speculates that rather than see the possibilities for corruption, Americans still want to believe in the virtue behind this position.
Dr. Strangelove (1964) portrayed the president in a light that was far from ideal. In Strangelove’s satirical look at the Cold War, the president, politicians and military bureaucrats are depicted, at best, as incompetent morons and, at worst, as megalomaniacal career men, Wise says.
All the President’s Men (1976) was based on stories printed in The Washington Post and showcased President Nixon as America’s most corrupt president. The film played a major role in shaping his public persona once he resigned from office. But because this was based on the Watergate scandal, Hollywood didn’t need to embellish to deliver the message.
Absolute Power (1997) took the crimes of the president to a new level. When the president’s mistress is murdered by his Secret Service agents, the president tries to cover it up. In this case, he seems to be more concerned with personal pleasure and his portrayal in the media than he is with the responsibilities of his job.
Death of a President (2006) doesn’t depict the president as evil, though it shows a growing cynicism toward government. Many felt all reverence was lost when the film “assassinated” President George W. Bush. But the movie brings up an important question: Would what followed an assassination be any better than the current government?
The appeal of movies about the president stems from the real-life role. The president is more than the head of the executive branch of the government; he is America’s representative to the world. “The president is to America what Princess Di was to England,” says Donald Gooch, an MU American government instructor. The president, he explains, is someone with whom people can connect.
In their version of the Oval Office, filmmakers create a character audiences can empathize with, fall in love with or detest. Because the president is only one person, it’s easy to invent a characterization that fits into popular plot lines. “You can’t have a film about Congress,” Gooch says. “It just wouldn’t work.” He explains that this generally leaves two characters: the Kennedy, great-guy type and the Nixon, bad-criminal type.
President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) in The American President is an approachable, knowledgeable, witty and capable leader. But he is primarily a romantic hero who isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. When asked what she likes most about the movie, Allison Cooper, an MU student, says, “I liked the love story.”
Aaron Sorkin, writer for The American President and The West Wing, said in a PBS interview that his obligation was not to tell the truth but to keep his viewers involved in the story for as long as he’s got their attention.
According to Sorkin, there’s a tradition of telling stories about kings and their palaces. It’s this fairy tale he wanted to portray with his depiction of The West Wing’s President Bartlett. It can be assumed he wanted to do this with President Shepherd as well. It comes as no surprise, then, that only secondarily did Cooper mention her admiration for the fictional president’s ability to stay in control while juggling his personal life, his daughter and his responsibility to the country.
Independence Day’s President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) offers a completely different, albeit still appealing, presidential personality. He’s an action hero, a man who takes matters into his own hands. His military background and riveting speeches could inspire anyone to go after an army of aliens. “I liked Independence Day because he got up in the plane and kicked some ass,” says Anthony Noll, a student at Columbia College.
It’s clear that Americans want to be protected. Yet these movies show a man who has a lot more control than in real life, Gooch says. We often wrongfully hold the president responsible for the economy, foreign policy and jobs because he can’t just shout out an order and expect it to be followed, he explains. An actual president wouldn’t be able to take the same actions as Whitmore.
Whether a depiction like that of President Whitmore is accurate, it speaks to our societal values, says Joy Piazza, an MU doctoral candidate in communication. Today, voters want a candidate who shows his or her values as well as competence in politics.
The Contender is a film that plays up these values. According to a textbook to which Piazza contributed, Communications Ethics, Media, and Popular Culture, the Clinton-like president in the film, Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges), exhausts all ethical means to achieve an end before resorting to less ethical tactics. Although the president has a political goal, he isn’t quick to compromise his own values.
In addition to looking at a president’s romantic side or bravery on film, what’s attractive to audiences is also a president who tries to do the right thing. This, perhaps more than anything else, is a trait that should carry over into D.C.
