Nah, forget her... Movie Musings: American Presidents in Film

I was going to rant about Sarah Palin today, but I feel that since I didn't, I have grown as a person.

So what to talk about instead?

All this talk of politics makes me think of 13 Days, a really good political movie (the plot of which is slightly more believable than real life, but then again so was DAVE!). Thing is, 13 Days concerns itself with JFK, the American's Diana, about whom no bad is ever spoken, and this film is no exception - sure, he's a difficult guy to read, and he sometimes seems a little lost, but he always is depicted as solidly moral and only wanting the best for everyone - there's never any sight of him just going off on one and freaking out, nor is there any hint of his rumoured womanising or other faults. It's set around the Cuban missile crisis, and despite having the ghastly Costner in it, the main performances are good enough to obscure KC's worse moments.

This respectful treatment is incredibly reminiscent of the whole Diana thing, where any downsides or flaws (e.g. she cheated on Charles just as much while he was cheating on her, publicly humiliated him, etc etc) were totally taboo subjects, and still are for many people.

And this is the right thing to do straight after the death of a major public figure,and neither of them were Satan in disguise, right?

My point is, contrast that with Hollywood's treatment of W (dubya, OK?), a soon to be released Oliver Stone picture in which the CURRENT PRESIDENT is going to be represented in all his gaffe prone, quotable glory. Now, given that no revisionist JFK film has been released to my knowledge (in which he's a total political bastard), isn't it incredible that a president is so displayed in a warts and all biopic? Oh, and who plays the big guy? Yep, it's current re-rising star and Mercedes Benz pretentious advertising figurehead Josh Brolin, who has been in an awful lot of good things lately (No Country For Old Men, for a start)

It took twenty years for NIXON to get the same treatment, for goodness sakes! He was even worse, too! Though unlike Anthony Hopkins in Nixon, Brolin is actually looking very much the spitting image of our world's (still) most powerful man. Other casting includes my favourite recent bit of casting (unlike that of Jude Law as Watson), they've only got bloody RICHARD DREYFUSS as DICK CHENEY! How good is that?

I'm sure we'd rather have an American president elected like Dave... or West Wing's Matt Santos... or 24's David Palmer for that matter. Hey... we may actually have a David Palmer as the next president. Democratic and Black? Where's Jack Bauer? I hope the terrorists haven't got his wife and kid again or Barack's gonna need some serious protection!

One thing I do know - this ridiculous American election is going to make a great movie some day. Even if Sarah Palin's stupid ignorant inexperienced face has to be in it. I'd call it "I Can See Russia From Here" or something.

OK... last fact I will say about Sarah Palin - she only got her US passport last year.

Oh, and advocates abstinence only sex-education when it clearly didn't work EVEN ON HER OWN CHILD!!! Jeez... and she's a serious candidate? Damn.. well, I tried to leave her alone.

As for my film idea, I see Parker Posey in the Palin role... what do you think? An elderly Bruce Willis as McCain?

What do you think?

A

P.S. THIS ARTICLE on The Onion is a lot more funny than me, hence me dropping the "slag off Sarah Palin" article. I almost died laughing in the "counterpoint"section. Hint: Count the word "Down".