The Reagans

Originally scheduled for broadcast on CBS last year, the made-for-TV The Reagans was dropped due to charges that the miniseries constituted an outright attack on former president Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy (of course, given the fact that “bad publicity” is something of an oxymoron, the film quickly landed on the Showtime cable network). An objective viewing finds director Robert Allan Ackerman's dramatic profile to be a generally supportive and positive biography of the movie star couple who ascended to power in California and, ultimately, the nation. Actor James Brolin is quite good as Ronald, a disenchanted Democrat who catches the eye of rich Republican powerbrokers. But Judy Davis' performance as Nancy is the more complex offering--driven in part, yes, by the First Lady's legendary neuroses, but also by her righteous fury at the White House weasels who helped mire the latter Reagan years in scandal. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Robert Allan Ackerman and executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the 11-minute featurette “James Brolin on Being a Republican,” and 11 extended scenes. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a sure-to-be-popular film, especially given the recent passing of the 40th president.] (T. Keogh)