The President in Film: A Top 5

In honor of Election Day, here is my completely unscientific and personal Top 5 Presidential Films of all time. So, go vote and then pop one of these movies in for something Presidential that you will actually enjoy rather than grudgingly endure. For those who may be worried, this is as political as this blog will ever get.

5) Air Force One
Would the President ever actually be his own last line of defense? No. Could terrorists ever actually get onto Air Force One? Unlikely. Does everyone love to see the President kicking butt and taking names? YES! So, shut up all you joy-killing logic-hounds! We don't need your kind here. We would like to shut off our brains and watch Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman square off for a couple of hours!

Electoral bonus: Harrison Ford glowering like a pro.

4) Independence Day
Alien invasion that threatens the existence of all mankind? Check. Brainy computer nerd with the power to fight back against said invaders? Check. Scrappy bad-boy fighter pilot with super-catchy catchphrase? Check. A rousing speech from a fighter-piloting, commander-in-chiefing, Bill-Pullman-portrayed President? CHECK! Independence Day is not really a smart film, but it is fun and has one of the best Hollywood Presidents ever.

Electoral bonus: Punching an alien in the face and exclaiming "Welcome to Earth!"

3) Thirteen Days
This one isn't just a great Presidential film, it's a great movie in general. This movie shows us just how close we came to nuclear annihilation in 1962. The best part is, most of the dialogue was lifted directly from actual transcripts taken during the crisis. Add in a great performance from Bruce Greenwood as JFK and Steven Culp as RFK and you've got a real winner. This film makes me appreciate the difficulty the President has weighing starkly differing opinions before making a final decision.

Electoral bonus: Historical accuracy and New England accents.

2) All the President's Men
Woodward and Bernstein are now considered journalistic heroes for what they did in exposing the Watergate Scandal, which ultimately led to the resignation of Richard M Nixon from the Presidency of the United States. This movie paints a pretty fair picture of Woodward and Bernstein as potentially over-ambitious and somewhat loose with their journalistic ethics. Though many of their tactics at the time are now considered illegal and unethical, this film accurately shows that politics is a dirty game whose rules dictate a muddy playing field. And no one gets off the field clean unless they're sitting on the sidelines.

Electoral bonus: Extreme abuse of landlines.

1) Dave
This is easily my favorite Presidential film of all time. The premise is simple. Dave is a Presidential Impersonator who is called to fill in for the real President while he is off doing something unethical. The Real President has a stroke and they decide to keep Dave on full-time as the President so as to prevent the somewhat weird Vice President from filling in. This seems like a good idea until Dave the Everyman starts making sense. This film is funny from beginning to end and actually moves forward an excellent plot.

Electoral bonus: Saying "I once caught a fish... THIS BIG!" while using a pair of giant robotic arms.