We watched The American President last night. It was on TV the other night so we decided to TiVo it. I’ve seen it many times, and I always enjoy it. But it’s always jarring to see Martin Sheen playing the chief of staff instead of the president. It’s fun to look for other precursors of The West Wing (both the movie and the TV show were written by Aaron Sorkin, don’t you know). For instance, Anna Deavere Smith and Joshua Malina are in both the movie and the show. And there’s a politician named Stackhouse — governor in the movie, filibustering senator on TV. Here are more similarities. Huh. I never realized that Sydney Wade’s sister is played by the same actress who played Ellie Bartlett.
I’ve always wanted to write a paper about how movie portrayals of the President of the United States changed in the 1990s. When I was a kid, it seemed that whenever a movie featured the president, he was played by some bland, gray-haired, middle-aged man, and he was never a main character. He’d just appear for a few minutes, just long enough to make the agonizing-yet-tough decision to bomb Country X or to shake his fist and refuse to give in to the demands of the villains. He’d stand there in shirtsleeves and suspenders, make his gray-haired decision, and then we’d get back to Jack Ryan or Superman or whoever.
But in the 1990s, Bill Clinton took office. He was from a new generation, more touchy-feely, more idealistic, and the popular conception of the presidency changed as the barrier between public and president fell away. (Boxers or briefs?) This shift was reflected in the movies. Suddenly there were movies about being the president, movies from the president’s point of view. He was now portrayed as younger, friendlier, more idealistic, more vigorous. We were invited to identify with him, root for him. In 1993, there was Dave: Kevin Kline impersonates the president and tries to fix Washington. In 1995, The American President: the idealistic, witty liberal. In 1996, Independence Day: the president flies a fighter jet! In 1997, Air Force One: president as action hero!
I know there’s a paper in there somewhere.
One could argue that this change to fixation on the personality of the President is not exactly a good thing. A bland gray-haired official who shows up, does his job, and then goes away emphasizes the office of President and the constitutional role the occupant plays; we’ve seen all to well what happens when the personality of the occupant eclipses the Constitution.
But in the 1990s, Bill Clinton took office. He was from a new generation, more touchy-feely
LOL, you can say that again. I am so glad he’s not going back to the White House.