Trev’s Top 10 Presidential Movies of All Time

After watching these debates, I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer my Presidents on the big screen, or actually the bigger screen of a movie theater that the big screen of your HD TV. Based on that, Here’s my top ten Presidential Movies in no particular order. Feel free to add some of your own.

  Frost/Nixon-

As a broadcaster and interviewer, I loved how Nixon underestimated Frost who was underestimating himself at the time. He had borrowed the money to secure these interviews and this catapulted him to back to the top. Ron Howard earned an Oscar nomination and Frank Langella’s portrayal of Nixon was off the hook.

 JFK-

Oliver Stone’s counter myth film regarding the assassination of JFK who doesn’t appear except in archival footage. JFK earned over $200 million at the box office.

 In The Line of Fire-

Clint Eastwood as a secret service agent in a one of one with a would be presidential assassin. The role of said nemesis was offered to Robert DeNiro, Robert Duval and Jack Nicholson among others before John Malkovich earned the part and Oscar nomination.

 The American President-

Rob Reiner's romantic comedy stars Michael Douglas as a widowed president who woos an environmental lobbyist played by Annette Benning. While the Aaron Sorkin-penned film was generally well-received by critics, it is best known as the inspiration for Sorkin’s long-running television drama The West Wing, which borrowed dialogue, cast members, and even the Oval Office set from the film.

Man of The Year.-

Barry Levinson’s stars Robin Williams as Presidential candidate Tom Dobbs. Imagine if Jon Stewart made a serious run for the presidency. Hopefully it would be nothing like this.

All the President’s Men-

Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford a 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller based on the1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post. The film starred Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward and Bernstein.

The Manchurian Candidate-

We’re talking the Frank Sinatra version. The Original still the best.

My Fellow Americans-

This 1996 comedy stars Jack Lemmon and James Garner as feuding ex Presidents. Walter Matthau was originally supposed to work with his old pal and movie oartner Lemmon but he had health problems. Dam Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall, Ester Rolle, and Wilford Brimley also appear. On the set it the movie was unofficially called “Grumpy Old Presidents”

Air Force One-

Harrison Ford shows us a President who’s also an action hero. Who needs the secret service when you can save your family taken hostage and beat up the man responsible and save the plane seconds before it crashes?

Dave-

Kevin Kline plays Dave Kovic, who runs a temporary employment agency in Georgetown and as a side job , makes appearances impersonating the President. Whom he resembles at car dealerships and supermarket openings. The fun begins when the Secret Service uses him to cover up an affair the real President is having. Back in the days when Presidents had affairs..

What are some of your favorite Presidential movies? Leave your comments below.