OTH Primer- The American President

Before entering the Bartlet era, let's refresh ourselves on Aaron Sorkin's previous look at the White House.

Later this month, I should be starting my weekly reviews on Aaron Sorkin and John Wells’ iconic political drama, The West Wing. Before returning to NBC during the end of the Clinton era, I’d like to take a look at one of Sorkin’s earlier screenplays, a well-received romantic comedy about a different White House tenure.

I’m trying to think of Rob Reiner’s greatest comparison as a filmmaker, and it’s quite obvious- Ron Howard. Both are children of Hollywood who spent decades influencing and impressing millions on sitcoms (Howard spending much of his childhood on The Andy Griffith Show and his early adulthood on Happy Days, Reiner exploring his father’s set and inspiring young Richie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and later winning an Emmy for playing Mike “Meathead” Stivic in All in the Family), both of whom eventually largely traded in their lucrative roles in television to become mainstream Hollywood directors.

And while many actors try their hand behind the camera once or twice only to primarily return to acting, both Howard and Reiner proved to be quite successful at helming features, having multiple beloved American staples under their belt in a variety of genres, with only occasional returns to acting… like appearing in a beloved Fox sitcom.

Both have made films that I like and are both very comfortable commanding a cast of actors, but I’d say that while Howard has proven to have the longer career in terms of viability, I think Reiner has a stronger sense of style and has made more movies that I’d consider good. Granted, most of them come from a fifteen year period- This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, and A Few Good Men. Even if you’re not a big movie person, you have to love at least one of these, right?

The thing to note about Reiner’s work is that these works are primarily recognized for their screenplays above their direction, like how the members of Spinal Tap (Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean) often returning to the characters and receiving the praise for their heavily improvised material, The Princess Bride recognized as original story writer William Goldman’s opus, or When Harry Met Sally as one of Nora Ephron’s great scripts. Reiner deserves praise for bringing each of these films to life (whenever the “I’ll have what she’s having” scene is spoofed, his direction is often lifted), but he’s not the first name people return to for these works.

The same is true for A Few Good Men, which was adapted from Aaron Sorkin’s successful stage production by the playwright himself. Sorkin graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theatre, hoping to break through on Broadway as an actor before trying his hand and eventually falling in love with writing. A Few Good Men was his first major success on stage, and his film adaptation became just as iconic and successful. Attached to Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment, Sorkin wrote two more features- neo-noir Malice, and what would become The American President.

The concept reportedly came from Robert Redford, who was shopping the idea around of a single president falling in love, but despite liking Sorkin’s treatment and early drafts, his vision contrasted with Reiner’s and he left before production started. I’d like to see the version of The American President which starred Robert Redford as President Andrew Shepherd, but understanding that Redford wanted a less politically-charged film than what we received, I understand why that wasn’t meant to be. That’s a little surprising, given Redford’s relatively heavy list of liberally-minded features, but okay, he wanted to play George Bailey first, Mr. Smith second, there’s nothing wrong with that. Instead we get Michael Douglas, who’s a perfectly acceptable substitute, even if he’s not quite one of the all-time movie stars that his father or Redford are. I’ll return to the acting, however.

Right now I’d rather focus on Sorkin’s story and screenplay, which has President Shephard, right before passing a massive crime bill that’s sure to make his upcoming election the kind of landslide that Reagan couldn’t have dreamed of in the 80’s (or so he thinks), fall for Sydney Wade, a fossil fuels lobbyist who makes what should have been a bad first impression. Instead, she charms the widower President and is asked to accompany him to a fancy dinner for the President of France.

We already have an interesting idea for a story here, as only two out of 46 US Presidents have been sworn into office as bachelors- James Buchanan and Grover Cleveland, the latter marrying during his first term. This should be a non-issue for voters, but as Chief of Staff and best friend AJ MacInerney reminds Shepherd, Cleveland didn’t get married when television was around. Here, Shepherd and Wade have to deal with heavy scrutiny from the media, most of all from conservative Senator Bob Rumsen, who’s making a field day out of his upcoming election as he and his crew dig up for dirt against his upcoming opponent’s girlfriend.

This is the part of the film that I think works best, when Sorkin and Reiner play with the media circus that often follows modern politics, and questions whether Shepherd and Wade can withstand the attention. This is the smart, sexy rom com I was promised, even if the film is light on genuine laughs when Douglas and Annette Bening are together. Part of that comes from the actors, who are dramatic first.

I’m less enthused by the political storytelling in the film, though, which is where much of the attention turns to. Sorkin and Reiner’s political compasses are widely known and largely overlap (ie liberal, not quite leftist), and they clearly have their heart on a Capra-esq fable where the system can change if you reach the right person. Frank Capra is even namedropped early in the film by Bening’s Wade, who seems blissfully ignorant of how useless a Mr. Smith-like figure would be in this heavily apathetic window in history. There’s practically no bite here, and Sorkin’s bark isn’t much to write home about, either, as there isn’t a whole lot of commentary to detect.

Still, the casting is inspired, with Douglas being game for the deliciously savvy Shepherd, making his insistence on likability feel earned. He’s well-matched by Bening’s Wade, even if her material isn’t as strong as Shepherd’s, which is at the fault of Sorkin’s awkward handling of women. Still, she rises to the occasion and does her best to make Wade a charming pairing for the president.

The supporting cast is also well-tuned, including memorable turns from Michael J. Fox, John Mahoney and Wendie Malick (the latter two several years before their pairing in Frasier, no less), but the most notable part of the cast has to be Chief of Staff A.J. MacInerney, played brilliantly by Martin Sheen. With the possible exception of Fox, who was born for this brand of rapid-fire dialogue, Sheen seems the most at home with Sorkin’s screenplay, and is able to recognize the need to balance from light humor to stern dramatic tension with incredible ease. It’s no surprise that Sheen was on Sorkin’s mind when developing another project about the White House. It’s also worth noting that Sheen isn’t the only West Wing regular to appear in The American President- Josh Malina also has a brief role, as do a few other actors.

Reiner does a fine job of directing his cast (including the youngest part of the cast, Shawna Waldron as Lucy, President Shephard’s daughter) and brought the film to life with solid blocking, even if the color palette and general camera work are dry. It’s not the most exciting film of its time, but Reiner was never the most exciting director of his time. He gets the job done and allows the film’s real strength, its script and cast, to shine.

And that largely worked to allow The American President to be a modest commercial and solid critical success. The film wasn’t much of an awards draw, but it did appear at a robust 75th place on AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Passions list in 2002.

But the film’s ultimate legacy comes from its contribution to Sorkin’s passion for the American political landscape, particularly when it fits into his left-leaning mindset. More than a couple of ideas from The American President will play into The West Wing. As a romantic dramedy, The American President does just fine, but at the end of the day, it exists as a precursor to a more popular series.

Still, not bad for a film that almost didn’t get finished due to Sorkin’s crack addiction. I’m not making that up.