When I was writing about Bulworth last week, I thought about Dave, another political move and one that I really enjoyed. It's a fantasy, of course, but it's one of those movies that I watched and thought, "Too bad life isn't really like that."Kevin Kline is Dave, an ordinary guy who just happens to look exactly like the president of the U. S. and who does impersonations of him on the side. The president is a total rat, and while he's in the midst of a sexual encounter with a staffer, he has a massive stroke. Kline is recruited to step into his shoes for what appear to be good reasons but which are really part of a plot by the president's chief of staff. As you might guess, complications ensue. Lots of them.
For one thing, Dave turns out to be a wonderful president. For another thing, the president is married. His wife is amazed that her "husband" has suddenly changed personalities.
But not to worry. [SPOILER ALERT] This is a feel-good movie. Everything works out just the way you'd want it to. The bad guys are punished, the American people are benefited, and true romance blooms. [END OF SPOILER ALERT]
I got a lot of laughs from this one, and the cast is uniformly excellent. Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ben Kingsley, Ving Rhames, and of course Charles Grodin. Check it out if you're feeling down about the current political situation. As Binx Boling could tell you, movies are so much better than reality.
10 comments:
Kline was really good in this (as was Sigourney). Jackie just turned on the first few minutes of IN & OUT the other day and ended up watching the whole thing again.
Up next: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT?
Jeff
IN & OUT is hilarious. Kline was great in that one, too.
A lot of great scenes in that one, though my favorite has to be the bar scene with Joan Cusack in the wedding gown.
"Is EVERYBODY gay? Is this The Twilight Zone?"
A classic.
Jeff
Joan Cusack is great and should have been in a lot more movies.
DAVE is at least on a part, and maybe a bit warmer-hearted than, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, also a feel-good movie (about a part of life we can't often feel good about). Kudos for posting this.
A really great movie, and though I like The American President, I think Dave is a much better movie.
Kevin Kline is always great, even when the movie is not. He even makes Wild Wild West almost (I said almost) palatable.
sas
I'm glad you said "almost."
I enjoyed "Dave". I saw "Moon Over Parador" first, though and "Dave" seemed very much like a remake, not sure if it was officially. That was also very good.
I liked that one, too. They probably all go back to THE PRISONER OF ZENDA.
Ms. Cusack has been fine in the US version of SHAMELESS...
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