Who's Your Favorite Movie President? (Part I: Real-Life Portrayals)

We're getting ready to hold our own election here at Amazon, but there won't be any national conventions, mudslinging or even (gasp) hanging chads here. Nope, we're putting together our brackets for the ultimate showdown: Best President on DVD ever.

For our first bracket, portrayals of real-life presidents we need your help: Who would you nominate as a worthy candidate? The condition is the president has to have a major part of the movie or TV miniseries (no cameos or archive footage here). Here's our shortlist:

Anthony Hopkins as Richard Nixon in Nixon

Paul Giamatti as John Adams in John Adams

James Brolin as Ronald Reagan in The Reagans

Bruce Greenwood as JFK in Thirteen Days

Gary Sinise as Harry Truman in Truman

Michael Gambon as Lyndon B. Johnson in Path to War

Since we're focusing on movies that took place during the presidency, as opposed to before or after, the following were left off, but we could be talked into letting them back in:
Henry Fonda as Abe Lincoln in Young Mr. Lincoln
Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson in Jefferson in Paris
Kenneth Branagh as Franklin D. Roosevelt in Warm Springs
Tom Berenger as Teddy Roosevelt in Rough Riders

Give us your nominations; they may just make it to the final bracket. -- Ellen

Comments

[Paul on September 04, 2008 at 06:34 PM]

Brian Keith as Teddy Roosevelt in THE WIND AND THE LION.

[Jean Reed on September 04, 2008 at 06:39 PM]

My vote is for Tom Berenger as Teddy Roosevelt in Rough Riders! Remarkable performance!!!

[Flap Jackson on September 04, 2008 at 06:48 PM]

Brolin is like the Ron Paul of cinematic presidents. My vote goes to Robin Williams' Teddy Roosevelt.

[Janine on September 04, 2008 at 08:08 PM]

Hands down it's Tom Berenger as Teddy Roosevelt in Rough Riders!
That man works magic on the screen.

[Mad Yank on September 05, 2008 at 08:11 AM]

Ralph Bellamy as FDR in "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance".

None Better as FDR!

[TPE on September 05, 2008 at 12:09 PM]

I trust you are going to put together a bracket for fictional Presidents as well? I mean, where would this be without Dabney Coleman in "My Date with the President's Daughter"?

Nay, but seriously, brethern : William Devane as JFK in the (TV) movie "Missiles of October"

[Fred Flintstone on September 05, 2008 at 12:11 PM]

Philip Baker Hall is mesmerizing as Nixon in "Secret Honor".

[Ben on September 05, 2008 at 12:11 PM]

Dan Hedaya as Nixon in "Dick."

[Gil Gilliam on September 05, 2008 at 12:12 PM]

I second the vote for Brian Keith in The Wind and the Lion

[Ron on September 05, 2008 at 12:14 PM]

Edward Hermann played FDR in two different mini-series, and did it very well indeed!

[Monty on September 05, 2008 at 12:16 PM]

Henry Fonda in "Fail-Safe"
Peter Sellers as Merkin Muffley in "Dr. Strangelove"
Gregory Peck as Abraham Lincoln in "The Blue and The Grey"

[Adam Jones on September 05, 2008 at 12:16 PM]

Harrison Ford - Air Force One, that's always been my favorite.

[James Gatz on September 05, 2008 at 12:19 PM]

Jon Voight as FDR in Pearl Harbor.

Sinise as Truman was great as well.

[Texas Pete on September 05, 2008 at 12:22 PM]

What about Bill Pullman in Independence Day?

[Dale on September 05, 2008 at 12:25 PM]

Kevin Kline from Dave.

[PJ/Maryland on September 05, 2008 at 12:25 PM]

I thought Gary Sinise was excellent as Harry Truman.

[Kaitian on September 05, 2008 at 12:27 PM]

I'm definitely on board with Paul Giamatti in John Adams. He played the role spectacularly.

[Jeff Brigge on September 05, 2008 at 12:27 PM]

kevin kline in 'Dave"

[b_reynaldo on September 05, 2008 at 12:27 PM]

Do future presidents count? Terry Crews as "President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho".

[A.W. on September 05, 2008 at 12:27 PM]

Harrison ford in Air Force One.

Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact.

[Kaitian on September 05, 2008 at 12:28 PM]

Dale and Texas Pete, they're talking about actors who played the role of past US President's. Not fictional ones.

[BJM on September 05, 2008 at 12:28 PM]

Hands down; Peter Sellars as President Merkin Muffley (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) and/or Michael Gambon as LBJ (Path To War).

[BJM on September 05, 2008 at 12:29 PM]

Hands down; Peter Sellars as President Merkin Muffley (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) and/or Michael Gambon as LBJ (Path To War).

[Bruno Strozek on September 05, 2008 at 12:32 PM]

Absolutely has to be Brian Kieth in the Wind and the Lion. How could you have not put it on your original list?

[HPG on September 05, 2008 at 12:38 PM]

Another vote for Brian Keith as T. Roosevelt in THE WIND AND THE LION.