Movie · 1995 · Drama, Romance · 1h 53m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 4.6/10 (106.2K ratings)
Why can't the most powerful man in the world have the one thing he wants most?
Overview
Widowed U.S. president Andrew Shepherd, one of the world's most powerful men, can have anything he wants -- and what he covets most is Sydney Ellen Wade, a Washington lobbyist. But Shepherd's attempts at courting her spark wild rumors and decimate his approval ratings.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.6/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.38/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 68
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Rob Reiner
Production
Castle Rock Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises
Cast
Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith, Samantha Mathis, Shawna Waldron, David Paymer, Anne Haney, Richard Dreyfuss, Nina Siemaszko, Wendie Malick, Beau Billingslea, Gail Strickland, Joshua Malina, Clement von Franckenstein, Efrat Lavie, John Mahoney, Taylor Nichols, John Mahon
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, idealistic 90s political romance with sharp dialogue, crowd-pleasing speeches, and a fantasy version of Washington that still plays as charming if you’re willing to meet it on its own terms.
Best for
fans of political rom-coms
viewers who like fast, speechy dialogue
people nostalgic for 90s studio dramas
audiences who enjoy idealized civics and wish-fulfillment
Skip if
you want strict political realism
you dislike sentimental or polished 90s filmmaking
you need romance to feel messy or psychologically raw
you’re allergic to speeches that announce the movie’s thesis
Overview
The American President is basically a dress rehearsal for the Sorkin political universe: brisk, witty, idealistic, and only intermittently interested in realism. It turns the White House into a romantic-comedy arena, where policy, image management, and courtship all collide in a very polished 90s package. The result is more fantasy than satire, but it’s an appealing one.
Worth noting
Michael Douglas and Annette Bening give the movie its easy chemistry, and Rob Reiner keeps the tone light enough that the speeches can land as aspiration rather than lecture. The film’s biggest pleasure is how confidently it believes in competence, decency, and public service as sexy qualities.
Bottom line
It can feel a little too neat, and some of the political beats are pure wish fulfillment, but that’s also the point. If you want a romantic drama that doubles as a civics pep talk, this is one of the defining examples of the form.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Sean Fennessey (3.5★) · 651 likes
More unrealistic than ENDGAME. Tremendous speeches.
Jamelle Bouie (3★) · 612 likes
[Aaron Sorkin making his pitch for this script.]
"What if a president were just as horny as Bill Clinton but in a classy way?"
lauren (5★) · 608 likes
im crying over both aaron sorkin’s writing ability and the dichotomy between this movie and our devastating reality
Jacob Knight (5★) · 357 likes
"...you cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I'm gonna convince Americans that I'm right, and I'm gonna get the guns. We've got serious problems, and we need serious people, and if you want to talk about character, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you… more "...you cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I'm gonna convince Americans that I'm right, and I'm gonna get the guns. We've got serious problems, and we need serious people, and if you want to talk about character, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you… more
phoebe 💫 (4★) · 316 likes
Michael Douglas as the PRESIDENT, in a SUIT, WIDOWED, a DEMOCRAT, speaking witty and liberal lines written by AARON SORKIN is the hottest thing don't @ me
1939 · Comedy, Drama · 2h 10m · NR · Curator 8.7/10 (201.1K ratings)
For earnest civic idealism and the belief that character can still matter in politics.
Topics
political drama, romantic comedy, 90s studio film, idealistic, witty dialogue, Washington D.C., power and image, feel-good, adult romance, character-driven