Political Film Review #697

REAGAN PROVIDES AN INSIDER’S VIEW OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT

Biopics tend to glorify those portrayed, and Reagan does so in spades, resulting in applause at the end of the film in a Los Angeles theater even a few days after the premier. The film’s chronology begins in his childhood, when Ronny (played by David Henrie) is an athletic student in Dixon, Illinois, and ends when he realizes that he has incurable Alzheimer’s disease.

What emerges is an image of Ronald Reagan (played by Dennis Quaid) as a decent, friendly, loving guy who uses common sense for pragmatic thinking. The most important influence in his life is his second wife, Nancy Reagan (Penelope Ann Miller), who not only brings deep and stimulating love to his life but a lot of energy when he seems challenged and even protection for him when forces threaten to bring him down. The “forces” are overweight, self-absorbed, stuffed shirt political figures, though he enjoys the respect of fellow Irishman Tip O’Neal (Dan Lauria), then the head of the Democratic Party majority in the House of Representatives. Reagan’s friendly personality also breaks through to Mikhail Gorbachëv (Olek Krupa), who finally finds a political leader with whom he can have a comfortable conversation.

Famous quotations from the Great Communicator are included. The most famous, “Mr. Gorbachëv, tear down this wall” is preceded by many more words not as well remembered. Another, “I’m not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,” is followed up by laughter from Walter Mondale, his Democratic opponent for president, in 1984, thereby emphasizing Reagan’s humor and clever choice of words. After the assassination attempt, he says, “I forgot to duck.” Yet his quote about lower taxes (“If the good lord only asks for 10%, why should Uncle Sam ask for any more?”) to create more jobs, known as the trickle-down theory of economics, is not questioned even though rich people spend their tax breaks on buying property and stocks rather than hiring more workers to accommodate supposed increased worker spending. His response to anti-Vietnam War protesters in Berkeley during 1969 is “shhh” with a big smile before he allows the National Guard to break up the demonstration with unprecedented violence.

From time to time in the film, a Soviet spy, Viktor Petrovich (Jon Voight), comments on some of Reagan’s actions and policies to a younger Russian agent (Alex Sparrow) as a genius who ends the Cold War. Hints that Reagan was sent by God come from two books on which the film is based The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism (2006) and God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life (2005), both by Paul Kengor.

The film also presents some low points. Early in his career, he is a secret agent for the FBI. The head of Warner Brothers plants him in the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild to report on members of the Communist Party. He is upset when he has to perform at shows in Las Vegas. And he is the celebrity on many odd TV commercials. To avoid impeachment, he confesses to guilt over the Iran-Contra scandal. He does little about the AIDS crisis, resulting in mass protests from a community that no longer wants to be in the closet.

The Political Film Society nominates films for awards in promoting democracy, human rights, and peace. But there is one more category—film exposé. The Political Film Society has nominated Reagan, directed by Sean McNamara, for best film exposé or 2024.  MH

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