The Presidency has been depicted in film for decades. Whether it’s a biopic of a real-life Commander-in-Chief or a work of fiction, various films have been dedicated to the inner workings of the Oval Office and the tribulations of American leadership. Take a look at these films for your Presidents Day library programming or political film collection.
All the President’s Men (1976)
Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974 due to his involvement in the Watergate scandal. The biographical drama All the President’s Men stars Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford as Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two reporters who reported on the scandal for The Washington Post. The film is unique in that it’s part political thriller and part detective story, as Bernstein and Woodward try to figure out the pieces of the Watergate puzzle. Hal Holbrook as the confidant “Deep Throat” is an enigmatic wonder, and the film is (unfortunately) prescient given the sordid goings-on in politics today.
Fail-Safe (1964)
This Cold War thriller depicts a series of nuclear attacks launched on Russian and American soil, albeit through a series of human errors. Henry Fonda plays the President (he’s never given a full name), and the supporting cast includes Walter Matthau, Dan O’Herlihy, and Dallas superstar Larry Hagman. Sidney Lumet’s film (based on a novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler) still carries a haunting power almost sixty years since its release.
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Borrowing the nuclear destruction theme from Fail-Safe (Stanley Kubrick even sued due to the similarities between the two films), this black comedy satirizes the atomic age from multiple perspectives. Legendary comic actor Peter Sellers plays three roles: President Merkin Muffley, Capt. Lionel Mandrake, and the eponymous doctor. The film is noted for its biting humor (“You can’t fight in here! This is the war room!” is just one example) and is a testament to Kubrick’s prowess.
Read our review of Dr. Stranglelove
Lincoln (2012)
This historical drama details the 16th President of the United States as he tried ending slavery and saving the soul of the nation. It doesn’t hurt when you have noted director Steven Spielberg. Add in Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, and you have a recipe for a compelling drama. The film was nominated for a dozen Oscars (winning two) and is a stunning portrait of Lincoln as a leader.
Read our review of Lincoln
The American President (1995)
This Rob Reiner film finds the widowed President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) falling in love with an environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening). Sparks fly between the two, yet their relationship is thrown into jeopardy over Shepherd’s mission as President vs. Wade’s own values. This one is a little more lighthearted than the rest, but still a great watch.