Top 5 Political Films (to distract from the current political climate)

The American President

Ostensibly a rom-com, and directed by the sometimes brilliant Rob Reiner (who also showcases his love of political intrigue with LBJ and God & Country) this film introduces us to a political landscape that is almost unfamiliar in today’s political climate. Starring Michael Douglas as the titular president (with a wonderful performance by Martin Sheen as his Chief of Staff), the main plot point of the film concerns the Democratic President’s reelection campaign, which they seek to tie up support for by announcing moderate crime control legislation that is denounced by both parties. Can you imagine both major political parties in our country agreeing on anything? Sheesh. The film also depicts the tactics of getting votes to pass a bill that is hated—by securing votes for another bill sponsored by the Republicans. The screenplay, by a not-yet-overinflated-by-superego Aaron Sorkin, showcases an idealist landscape of Conservatives and Liberals who want to do what’s best for the country, instead of defeating their opponents. 

Judas and the Black Messiah

It might seem hard to imagine now, but a teenage Fred Hampton, legendary chairman of the Black Panther Party, was put on an FBI watchlist for being a “radical threat”. Or maybe the FBI is now monitoring TikTok and is identifying even more teens as radical threats. Either way, the parallel storylines of William O’Neal (portrayed by a heart-breaking LaKeith Stanfield) and Hampton (in a smaller role for Daniel Kaluuya) show the inequities of the political system at the time. O’Neal, a small time criminal, is recruited by the FBI to infiltrate the Black Panther party, in order to gain access to Hampton. We see O’Neal both betray and aid the Panthers, and in a scene where he helps rebuild their broken headquarters, you hope that he will reveal himself to Hampton and truly join the cause (Spoiler: he does not). In a scene between two supporting characters, an FBI agent (played by the always captivating Jesse Plemmons) is asked by FBI Director J Edgar Hoover (a rare villainous turn for Martin Sheen), “Your daughter Samantha…what will you do the day she brings home a young Negro male?” making plain the racist ideals behind the political machinations of the Nixon administration. Of course, in today’s climate, the infamous “Southern Strategy” of openly courting racists could never work…right? More Spoilers, Fred Hampton is killed in a police raid after being drugged by O’Neal so that O’Neal can live a life more like his white FBI handler (if you’re into the idea of karma, O’Neal killed himself some 20 years later, after a TV show about his informancy aired).  

Wag the Dog/Primary Colors

Why combine two films for this entry? Well, as someone who lived through the Clinton administration, these were seen as incredibly savage attacks on Bill Clinton himself (even John Travolta’s portrayal as a Clinton-esque politico could be seen as a skewer). While that premise simultaneously dates these films and softens some of their bite, the message that sexual misconduct by a politician (in the case of these films, both with underage girls) can be erased by creating a larger controversy (a fictional war) or through intimidation is ever so prescient in the wake of the “Me Too” movement. Worth a watch, just don’t forget who the villain of the story is.

Election

Wait, a film about high school? Yep, remember Chris Klein? Neither do I, but he’s in this as the jock-turned-class president-for-a-minute, through the manipulation of the votes by jealous social studies teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick). The film’s true hero is Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon at her finest, IMO), an overachiever with dreams much bigger than her peers in Omaha, NE. Though positioned as the antagonist—she is a know-it-all, driven, and unpopular—we get the feeling that she is being demonized simply for her ambition (and for being a woman). Yet, McAllister should be the true villain: he fantasizes about Tracy while having sex with his wife, he makes plans to cheat on his wife with his best friend’s ex, and, of course, he tries to rig the election against a young woman because he thinks she needs to learn humility. We are meant to feel sorry for him when McAllister’s wife divorces him after finding out his lecherous intentions, he is fired after the ballot scandal, and he loses most of his assets in the divorce. But should we feel sympathy for this man-child who throws his life away? In the penultimate scene, after making a new life for himself in NYC, McAllister, visiting Washington DC, sees Tracy in a limo with a representative from Nebraska, and throws a soda at the car in a fit of rage/jealousy. The final scene is McAllister, now a museum tour guide, ignoring an “overeager” little girl. Fragile male ego damaged much? Is this how an adult incel is made? FWIW, this is allegedly Barack Obama’s favorite political movie. 

Idiocracy

While this isn’t Mike Judge’s greatest creation (that title goes to Office Space), the sequence showing the evolution of once-popular burger chain Fuddruckers to Bu******ers had me. Instantly quotable (“It’s what plants crave!”, “Water? Like out of a toilet?”, “I can’t believe you like money too. We should hang out.”) and over-the-top silly, it’s a wry/sad commentary on the current state of American society and politics. With constant, harsh criticism of multinational corporations, insane joke density,  and its use of then-unknown footwear brand Crocs as the footwear of the future, this film was ahead of its time in many ways. 

Honorable Mention:

The West Wing

Not a movie, I know. Yeah I dunked on Aaron Sorkin earlier, but when his writing is on point, it sings. While Sorkin has failed to recapture the magic of his television work on Sports Night and The West Wing, I go back to the well for at least a yearly rewatch. While the dialogue of the first four seasons is almost always fantastic (and occasionally tone-deaf in terms of modern sensibilities), the ensemble cast elevates many moments that would be cheesy or overly sappy into something more than the sum of its parts. While this isn’t quite a series that you can pick up and watch single episodes, the Christmas episodes in particular always hit different for me. While sometimes called “The Left Wing”, it often paints Republicans with a brush that makes them human (or what an idealized version of Republicans look like in Democrats fantasies), especially in the last two seasons with Alan Alda’s instantly-likable character, Arnold Vinick, being a Republican that is nearly unrecognizable in the version of the party today. Of course, I must also mention Ainsley Hayes (Emily Proctor), Joe Quincy (Matthew Perry), and Lt. Cmdr. Jack Reese (Christian Slater), who all played prominent “good” Republicans in the series run. I only mention this because today, we tend to paint the opposition as enemies, usually condemning an entire party based on the vocal opinions of the loudest members. It’s nice to imagine that there is a world (albeit fictional) where there are conflicts, to be sure, but also a place where reasonable conversation and debate can take place.