In some ways, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that Kevin Costner's politically themed satire "Swing Vote" struck out in theaters in August; after all, with the run-up to the election dominating the headlines and the tube all year, who wants to escape to the theater to see a movie about a presidential race that comes down to a single vote?
The next big question is: Will director Oliver Stone's biopic about President George W. Bush suffer the same fate?
The latest politically themed offering that moviegoers will decide on is Stone's film, simply titled "W." Pronounced "Dubya," "W." tracks Bush's days at Yale University through his rise to the presidency.
Normally a lightning rod for controversy, Stone said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that he "tried to be fair and balanced and compassionate, above all" with his presentation of the president. Meanwhile, Josh Brolin, who plays the president, told the AP that the film is "a very human depiction of this guy's life."
If anything will attract moviegoers to "W.," it will be the film's star power: Richard Dreyfuss plays Vice President Dick Cheney and James Cromwell plays former President George H.W. Bush. Ellen Burstyn also stars as Bush Sr.'s first lady Barbara Bush and Elizabeth Banks ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin") plays first lady Laura Bush.
If you don't opt to see "W." before the election, there are plenty of other great political movie options on DVD.
The no-brainers are classics like the Frank Capra-directed Jimmy Stewart "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in "All the President's Men."
Other good bets include historical docudramas like "13 Days," a riveting look at the Cuban Missile Crisis with awe-inspiring performance by Bruce Greenwood as President John F. Kennedy, Stephen Culp as Bobby Kennedy and Costner, getting political once again, as a composite character named Kenny O'Donnell. Costner, of course, is also the star of "JFK" by Stone, who brought another historical presidential biopic to theaters with "Nixon," starring Anthony Hopkins.
While there are several presidential films that are historical in nature, there are other politically themed films very relevant to our times.
Among them is the 2000 drama "The Contender," about Democratic maverick president Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) who selects Sen. Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) to become the first woman vice president in history after his first VP dies in office.
The confirmation of the new VP isn't going to be easy, though, as a powerful Republican senator (Gary Oldman) launches a character assassination campaign against Hanson. Co-starring William Petersen, Sam Elliott and Christian Slater, "The Contender" is arguably one of the best political films in the last decade.
Of course, just because a film has political implications, it doesn't mean that it can't be funny. Political comedies like Eddie Murphy's "The Distinguished Gentleman" poke fun at the Washington lobby, while "Dave" finds Kevin Kline double for the president when the chief executive falls into a coma.
If you're looking for more substance, "Primary Colors" (based on the best-selling book of the same name) is a fine mixture of comedy and poignancy. John Travolta gives one of the best performances of his career as he swaggers around as Gov. Jack Stanton, a Southern presidential candidate that just happens to look and sound like former President Bill Clinton. Emma Thompson delivers a smackdown performance as his wife, Hil--, er, Susan, and Billy Bob Thornton brings the goods as Stanton's James Carville-like adviser.
Other political movies are funny just for their razor-sharp satire. David Mamet's brilliant "Wag the Dog" finds a couple of Washington spin-doctors (Robert De Niro and Anne Heche) hiring a hotshot Hollywood filmmaker (Dustin Hoffman) to create a "war" to deflect attention from a presidential scandal.
Tim Robbins is brilliant, too, as a mockumentarian with "Bob Roberts," which follows a corrupt, guitar-strumming conservative on the campaign trail for Senate. Warren Beatty also leaves an indelible mark as "Bulworth," about a hack-job Democratic senator who has an awakening when he inadvertently comes into contact with constituents in the inner-city.
While some movie fans want intrigue with their political films and others want laughs, one that
must not be forgotten is "Air Force One," if you want to see a president kick some major butt.
Mostly set aboard the president's plane, the action thriller stars the king of action adventure himself, Harrison Ford, as the president who has to show some muscle as the bad guys find their way on the Air Force One. Hail to the chief, baby!
