Cinematic presidents will never not be interesting, be it the swash-buckling Harrison Ford in Air Force One or the rather whimsical Bill Murray as FDR in Hyde Park in Hudson. But it’s tricky when an American president is also the protagonist because running the free world may be the hardest job, but it’s even trickier playing a president on camera.
But which is the best presidential film ever made? And is a history-backed president more effective as a protagonist than a fictional one?
10 Lincoln
Tony Kushner wrote the screenplay for this Oscar-winning film that was loosely based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's 2005 biography Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. The film tells the story of the last four months of President Lincoln's life, which are also some of the most crucial months of his political trajectory, and focuses on his efforts to abolish slavery with the introduction of the Thirteenth Amendment.
The Steven Spielberg film is considered to be one of the most intriguing historical dramas of this century, especially owing to Daniel Day-Lewis’ incredible performance, which fetched him an Oscar.
9 All The President’s Men
Based on Carl Bernstein’s book of the same name, this political drama follows Bernstein’s (Robert Redford) own journalistic trajectory as he and fellow Washington Post reporter, Bob Woodward (Dustin Hoffman), expose the infamous Watergate Scandal that leads to Richard Nixon’s resignation and marked one of America’s landmark political moments.
The film was designed like a political thriller and is actually one of the most timeless movies ever made, as it makes a solid, impartial commentary about the powers of the free press.
8 Frost/Nixon
Ron Howard’s political drama garnered incredible Oscar buzz and went on to receive five nominations in major categories. The film was, of course, compared to Oliver Stone’s 90s drama Nixon, which does a better job of depicting Nixon as a flawed leader.
But Howard’s film relied on a very different approach, with a keen focus on the cultural differences between the British Frost and President Nixon. Frank Langella’s depiction of Nixon, especially, was widely applauded, with critics hailing his performance as one of the finest acting performances of the century.
7 Hyde Park On Hudson
This historical comedy-drama, directed by Notting Hill helmer Roger Michell, is still considered to be one of the most effective biopics on FDR. The script was loosely based on the private journals of Daisy Suckley, the cousin of Franklin D Roosevelt’s cousin and dramatizes the relationship between the two cousins, and depicts them as lovers.
Ozark star Laura Linny plays Daisy and Bill Murray plays President Roosevelt, who hosts the King and Queen of England to solidify his position as a wartime leader during the second world war.
6 W
W was a substantial effort by Oliver Stone in capturing the true legacy of George W Bush, played by Avengers star Josh Brolin. W was the third film in Stone’s presidential trilogy, that began with JFK and continued with Nixon.
The film follows the Texan Bush growing up in his congressman father's shadow and struggling to find his own footing in the world and charts his tumultuous journey as president during a period which was unbelievably difficult and volatile for American politics.
5 Absolute Power
This 1997 American political action thriller, directed by Clint Eastwood, starred the actor as a seasoned jewel thief who, at his last job, witnesses the murder of a woman by Secret Service agents at the home of a billionaire. He also witnesses some other shocking events involving the President of the United States.
William Goldman’s screenplay for the film is based on the David Baldacci novel of the same name and the film screened at the ‘97 Cannes Film Festival. Though the film was unanimously reviewed to be a well-paced thriller, the plot was billed as quite obnoxious and hard to engage with.
4 Primary Colors
No one could really picture John Travolta as a Clintonian president, but he shocked critics with his performance in the comedy based on the bestselling roman a clef by columnist and political commentator Bill Klein.
Primary Colors follows the first presidential campaign of Jack Stanton, the governor of Arkansas, through the eyes of Henry Burton (Adrian Lester), who is tapped to join Stanton’s campaign. The film also features Emma Thompson, a Hilary Clinton-adjacent ambitious wife named Susan, and Billy Bob Thornton as Stanton’s political adviser, Richard Jemmons.
3 The American President
This Rob Reiner rom-com was written by Aaron Sorkin and stars Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd, who is a widower and decides to pursue a romantic relationship with an environmental lobbyist named Sydney, played by Annette Bening, during a re-election year, no less.
It was a heart-warming outing that was also intelligent and quite realistic because there were several poignant moments in the film that acknowledged some grounding realities about public and media treatment of popular leaders. Moreover, the screenplay for this film inspired several aspects of Sorkin’s pathbreaking political series, The West Wing.
2 Air Force One
There are so few opportunities for presidents to act like Batman in a suit in cinema, but Harrison Ford’s President James Marshall carried this presidential action thriller film on his shoulders. Ford plays a war veteran president returning from a diplomatic dinner from Moscow on Air Force One when the plane was hijacked by six Kazhakhi terrorists disguised as journalists.
The film made a lot of efforts to keep the drama realistic and doesn’t get too pulpy and it also received positive reviews from critics. Ford’s Marshall is considered one of the best fictional presidents in Hollywood.
1 Long Shot
Presidential rom-coms are always in demand, even more so if it’s audacious enough to depict a presidential contender throwing caution to the wind and embarking on a relationship with an easy-going journalist.
Long Shot stars Charlize Theron as a U.S. Secretary Of State named Charlotte who wants to run for president. At a charity event, she meets Fred, played by Seth Rogan, a journalist who she used to babysit. Charlotte and Fred are obviously attracted to each other and she hires him as her speech-writer. Mayhem ensues.
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