Old-style `American President' is a charmer
The American President stars Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepard and Annette Bening as Sydney Ellen Wade, his new love interest. Shepard, like any widower, gets lonely, but since he is the president of the United States, he finds that his love life becomes a public issue.
He struggles to balance raising his daughter, running a presidential campaign, winning Wade and running the country. A brilliant supporting cast, headed by Martin Sheen as his chief of staff and Michael J. Fox as Lewis Rothchild, his public relations guide, helps hold the president and his image together. Also appearing is Samantha Mathis (who co-starred with Christian Slater in Pump Up the Volume ) as Janey, the ever-dependable personal aide who organizes Shepard's appointments and errands.
Douglas's character clearly parallels Bill Clinton. And Richard Dreyfuss beautifully brings out the qualities we all hate the most in Bob Dole through his portrayal of Bob Rumson, a hard-core Republican running against Shepard for the presidency in the upcoming election.
The media is also portrayed in all its glory. When Shepard asks Wade to dance at a state dinner for the new leaders of France, their picture soon finds its way to the front page of every large newspaper in the country. The incident leads Rumson to start a character debate against Shepard, who had escaped such treatment earlier due to his wife's death from cancer.
The American President creates a wonderful world in which goodness prevails and the clueless ones win. Add an all-star cast and one of the best comedy directors in the business, and you have a sure hit and some sure-fire entertainment. The movie's true delight, however, lies within its simplicity. The character resemblances are obvious; the happy ending can be seen from miles away; even the plot twists, while entertaining, are not wildly surprising.
The American President may not be art, but it's one of the most truly enjoyable movies to hit the big screen in a long time: a perfect weekend pick-me-up to help us all escape from the stress of papers, exams and shopping for the upcoming holidays. It's a must-see for any real movie buff.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the December 1, 1995 issue.
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