Remember when America had a President that wasn't a Russian asset? I'm old enough to remember when our President didn't suck up to dictators or put children in cages. When the anxiety of life under Trump overwhelms you, here are 5 movies to help you escape reality for a couple of hours.
Trump and his crew make Watergate seem like a children's story. But if you want to remember the "good old days" of Watergate, there's no better movie than All the President's Men.
The story of how Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward uncovered the conspiracy to cover up the Watergate scandal has many parallels to the Trump era. Richard Nixon was an egomaniac who thought he was above the law, and he broke many laws to cover up his crimes. While Nixon didn't work with a hostile foreign power to undermine America, the scandals of Trump administration have similar characters and crimes from that time period.
All the President's Men is currently on Cinemax, or you can find it on Amazon Prime or on iTunes.
Another recent film from the Watergate era that's worth watching is The Post. The movie takes place just before Watergate, showing the fight between The Washington Post and President Nixon to publish the Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers were classified documents about the secret efforts of United States government in the Vietnam War. Compared to a having a transnational crime syndicate masquerading as the U.S. government, the drama depicted in The Post is a quaint walk in the park.
The Post is currently on HBO, or you can find it on Amazon Prime or on iTunes.
Mike Nichol's classic flick Primary Colors is the fictionalized version of Bill and Hillary Clinton, based on Joe Klein's novel. John Travolta and Emma Thompson are great as Bill and Hillary, with Billy Bob Thornton stealing the show as political consultant Richard Jemmons (aka James Carville). Washington Post reporter Alyssa Rosenberg wrote an excellent overview of Primary Colors, and it's worth a read if you are considering this movie.
Primary Colors is currently on Starz, or you can find it on Amazon Prime or iTunes.
If it's really a stressful Trump news day, and you need complete a trip to complete fantasyland, you need to watch Dave or The American President.
Dave is the story of how ordinary citizen Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) stands in as President, after the real leader has a stroke. The movie is a feel-good tale of how an honest everyman can become a force for good against a corrupt system. Here's one of my favorite parts of the movie, when Dave, the imposter POTUS, works with his cabinet to cut the budget:
While it came out in 1993, the film still has a 95 rating from Rotten Tomatoes. I guarantee Dave will make you feel good about life and America for at least two hours, and you'll thank me later! You can find Dave on HBO now or find it on Amazon Prime or on iTunes.
The American President is another great political fantasy flick, starring Michael Douglas as the commander -in-chief. This romantic comedy tells the tale of President Andrew Shepherd falling in love with lobbyist Sydney Wade (Annette Bening). If America could hire an actor to portray our President, Michael Douglas as Andrew Shepard would win by a landslide. Douglas as POTUS is right amount of badass and good guy ! As a bonus, this Capra-like film was directed by Rob Reiner and co-stars Martin Sheen and Michael J. Fox. The American President still rates 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's a must-watch on the Trump Escape List! Find it on HBO now or on Amazon Prime or iTunes.
