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
Brock on September 05, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Kaitian, shhh!
Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd.
on September 05, 2008 at 12:40 PM
I agree with
William Devane as JFK in the (TV) movie "Missiles of October"
Holly on September 05, 2008 at 12:43 PM
I'll second your vote for Nolte as Jefferson.
David Thomson on September 05, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Don't forget Kenneth Walsh's masterful performance as Harry Truman in the 1995 release of "Hiroshima." This film is a true gem and deserved a much larger audience.
Will Cate on September 05, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Jack Nicholson, Mars Attacks.
Chuck Pelto on September 05, 2008 at 12:47 PM
TO: Ellen Kim, et al.
RE: So....
....where the HECK is Brian Keith as President Theodore Roosevelt in The Wind and the Lion?
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[The world will never love US. They will respect US. Some of them will fear US. But they will never love US. -- Brian Keith, as President Roosevelt]
W. J. J. Hoge on September 05, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson in "The President's Lady" (1953)
William Daniels as John Quincy Adams in "The Adams Chronicles" (PBS 1976)
Addison Richards as James K. Polk in "The Oregon Trail" (1959)
Millard Vincent as Millard Fillmore in the "The Monroe Doctrine" (1939)
JWE on September 05, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Alexander Knox as Woodrow Wilson in "Wilson" (1944)
Jim Stegman on September 05, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams in Amistad.
rivlax on September 05, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Also Ralph Bellamy as FDR but for "Sunrise at Campobello."
rivlax on September 05, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson in "The Buccaneer."
Tom Paine on September 05, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Stanley Anderson in The Rock. He had a line or two, said "Air strike approved", and then was done.
william on September 05, 2008 at 01:06 PM
There have been too few movies made about Millard Fillmore. Thank God Millard Vincent did such a great job...Martin Van Buren is another president who has been buried under the shifting sands of history. It's type casting but I think Justin Timberlake should consider a biopic of this great man.
Lank on September 05, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Hey, let's not forget Raymond Massey who portrayed Lincoln in 'Abe Lincoln in Illinois' and also 'How The West Was Won'. Believe he got an Academy Award nomintation for the former.
Joe on September 05, 2008 at 01:15 PM
What about fictional presidents like Kevin Kline in "Dave."
or
Peter Sellers in "Being There."
Because the narrative about Barack Obama being ready to lead is rather fictional too.
pmacb on September 05, 2008 at 01:16 PM
+1 for Brian Keith as TR
fred on September 05, 2008 at 01:19 PM
John Alexander as Teddy Roosevelt in "Arsenic and Old Lace".
The Chad on September 05, 2008 at 01:19 PM
Kevin Kline as Grant in "Wild Wild West"
and "Dave" of course.
And Comancho ftw!
Random Insty reader on September 05, 2008 at 01:25 PM
President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho from the movie Idiocracy! (seen here in motorcade: http://www.ugo.com/tv/stephen-colbert-for-president/?cur=J)
lordsomber on September 05, 2008 at 01:32 PM
Greg Stillson from "The Dead Zone".
Cabbage on September 05, 2008 at 01:32 PM
Brian Keith.
Will Cate on September 05, 2008 at 01:34 PM
Oh... portrayals of REAL presidents. My bad. (I know, I should actually read these things.)
MMan on September 05, 2008 at 01:41 PM
I remember in high school seeing a series of short films about US history. I suppose they were only shown to schools, but there were some well-known actors in them. I remember Carroll O'Connor doing a great Grover Cleveland (with Barbara Feldon as the First Lady).
MMan on September 05, 2008 at 01:42 PM
I remember in high school seeing a series of short films about US history. I suppose they were only shown to schools, but there were some well-known actors in them. I remember Carroll O'Connor doing a great Grover Cleveland (with Barbara Feldon as the First Lady).
Dan on September 05, 2008 at 01:42 PM
Jeff Bridges as a thinly disguised Clinton in "The Contender." It's all about the sandwiches. And the appetite.