Freedom From BigBrother Now!

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Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, The American President should have been considered for other Oscars as well (maybe even Best Picture, although I realize it’s not the great drama of the century). Nevertheless, The American President is a fun romantic comedy reminiscent of the old Frank Capra movies. Although not handled with kid gloves, the president comes across as fairly shy and innocent in his relationship with a Washington lobbyist, creating a charming contrast considering the power of his office. Released in 1995, The American President is one of a number of mainstream movies favorably focused on the presidency, with Dave and Air Force One leading the list (did liberal Hollywood producers hope some of the favorable light would rub off on Clinton?) That’s debatable. But what’s not debatable is that The American President is one of the best romantic comedies of the decade…

Michael Douglas plays the role of Andrew Shepard, widower and President of the United States. In the political world, Shepard is king - enjoying unprecedented highs in his job approval rating. But the president’s private world is empty. The president’s daughter is the only close person in his personal life, and he greatly misses his wife. Following an environmental policy meeting with Washington lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), Shepard considers asking her out. But he takes advice from aides A.J. MacInerney (Martin Sheen) and Lewis Rothschild (Michael J. Fox) en route to making his decision.

When the president does arrange a date with Sydney, her presence at the White House is leaked to the media, and the president’s approval rating falls (I’m not exactly sure why, seeing as how the American public would have to be totally deranged to forbid a widower from dating). The growing scandal is further compounded by opposition leader Senator Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss) who uses the scandal as a launching pad for his own campaign to win the presidency. Will the good guys win, or will the evil Rumson take down the president?

The plot structure of The American President is nothing new, and the screenplay itself is far from masterful. But what makes this film so successful is the way in which the cast breathes life into the dialogue. Michael Douglas, as President Andrew Shepard, shows the audience why he is a Hollywood titan. His presidential demeanor is a West Wing prelude which should make Martin Sheen proud, yet his interaction with Sydney Ellen Wade and his daughter Lucy (Shawna Waldron) paint a human picture of a tough political character. The other half of the equation, Annette Bening, plays her role to perfection as well, transforming from the rough political creature of a hard-nosed Washington lobbyist to a giggly school girl swept off her feet by a great guy (who, incidentally, happens to be the president).

One of the more interesting aspects of The American President is that the screenwriters made Andrew Shepard a widower and not a divorcee. Despite the overall acceptance of divorce in current society, the film wouldn’t have worked if the president were divorced. Subconsciously, it would implant an idea in some members of the audience that he’s a dog. That’s an interesting footnote in my opinion. Also of further note are the appearances of Michael J. Fox (who later starred as a political operative in the TV series Spin City) and Martin Sheen (who later starred as the president in the TV series West Wing). Did The American President peak their interest in such roles, or were they already pursuing those types of roles? Either way, The American President will delight and entertain audiences of all ages, and that’s why it’s a definite must-see movie…

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The American President (DVD).

Nominated for 20 Emmys and winner of a Golden Globe for Best Television Series (Musical or Comedy), Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of the more clever and hilarious shows on TV. The HBO original series is the brainchild of Seinfeld co-creator and writer Larry David, whose life maintains a peculiar resemblance to the quasi-fictional George Costanza. And just like George Costanza and his neurotically-low self-esteem (i.e. “God doesn’t want me to be successful), Curb Your Enthusiasm propagates a Murphy’s Law theme of “what can go wrong will go wrong”. It’s a true-to-life reality show about nothing in which every episode is certain to cause comedy connoisseurs everywhere to tremble in enthusiastic anticipation…

The Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Mel’s Offer” in which Larry goes to a karaoke bar where Mel Brooks is hanging out. When Larry sings, Mel is so thoroughly impressed that he asks Larry to star in his next Broadway musical production… Other notable episodes from Season 4 include “Ben’s Birthday Party” in which Larry gets into a fight with Ben Stiller when he refuses to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him, and “Opening Night” in which Larry and the show travel to New York City for his opening night as the star of The Producers…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 31 (Mel’s Offer) Air Date: 01-04-2004
Episode 32 (Ben’s Birthday Party) Air Date: 01-11-2004
Episode 33 (The Blind Date) Air Date: 01-18-2004
Episode 34 (The Weatherman) Air Date: 01-25-2004
Episode 35 (The Five Wood) Air Date: 02-01-2004
Episode 36 (The Car Pool Lane) Air Date: 02-08-2004
Episode 37 (The Surrogate) Air Date: 02-22-2004
Episode 38 (Wandering Bear) Air Date: 02-29-2004
Episode 39 (The Survivor) Air Date: 03-07-2004
Episode 40 (Opening Night) Air Date: 03-14-2004

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 4) DVD.

Nominated for zero Emmys in its short three-season stint, Gilligan’s Island nonetheless has carved itself a notable niche in the television hall of fame. The brainchild of TV icon Sherwood Schwartz, longtime TV writer and creator of The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island quickly gathered a strong cult following, reaching successive generations of fans via syndication following its cancellation and even spawning a cable TV reality show four decades later. An original CBS series, the show was shuffled between time slots (much like its contemporary program Star Trek), but later became more popular than ever in its syndicated reruns. With a memorable theme song the average viewer will find stuck in his head for days, Gilligan’s Island is classic family-friendly television entertainment the way it used to be…

The Gilligan’s Island DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Two on a Raft” in which the cast is initially stranded on the island. Crafting a homemade raft, the Skipper and Gilligan set sail to find help. Along the way, they face dangerous sharks, the relentless sun, and hunger pains, until they eventually land on an island (not knowing it’s the very one they set sail from). But Gilligan and the Skipper think the island is inhabited by unfriendly natives, while the rest of the cast believes that Gilligan and the Skipper are unfriendly natives themselves… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “So Sorry, My Island Now” in which Gilligan’s Island is captured by a Japanese Admiral who thinks World War II is still in full swing, and “My Fair Gilligan” in which Mr. Howell declares Gilligan his adopted son after Gilligan saves Mrs. Howell’s life…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Gilligan’s Island (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Two on a Raft) Air Date: 09-26-1964
Episode 2 (Home Sweet Hut) Air Date: 10-03-1964
Episode 3 (Voodoo Something To Me) Air Date: 10-10-1964
Episode 4 (Goodnight Sweet Skipper) Air Date: 10-17-1964
Episode 5 (Wrongway Feldman) Air Date: 10-24-1964
Episode 6 (President Gilligan) Air Date: 10-31-1964
Episode 7 (The Sound of Quacking) Air Date: 11-07-1964
Episode 8 (Goodbye Island) Air Date: 11-21-1964
Episode 9 (The Big Gold Strike) Air Date: 11-28-1964
Episode 10 (Waiting for Watubi) Air Date: 12-05-1964
Episode 11 (Angel on the Island) Air Date: 12-12-1964
Episode 12 (Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Talk) Air Date: 12-19-1964
Episode 13 (Three Million Dollars More or Less) Air Date: 12-26-1964
Episode 14 (Water, Water Everywhere) Air Date: 01-02-1965
Episode 15 (So Sorry, My Island Now) Air Date: 01-09-1965
Episode 16 (Plant You Now, Dig You Later) Air Date: 01-16-1965
Episode 17 (Little Island, Big Gun) Air Date: 01-23-1965
Episode 18 (X Marks the Spot) Air Date: 01-30-1965
Episode 19 (Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy) Air Date: 02-06-1965
Episode 20 (St. Gilligan and the Dragon) Air Date: 02-13-1965
Episode 21 (Big Man on Little Stick) Air Date: 02-20-1965
Episode 22 (Diamonds are an Ape’s Best Friend) Air Date: 02-27-1965
Episode 23 (How to Be a Hero) Air Date: 03-06-1965
Episode 24 (The Return of Wrongway Feldman) Air Date: 03-13-1965
Episode 25 (The Matchmaker) Air Date: 03-20-1965
Episode 26 (Music Hath Charm) Air Date: 03-27-1965
Episode 27 (New Neighbor Sam) Air Date: 04-03-1965
Episode 28 (They’re Off and Running) Air Date: 04-10-1965
Episode 29 (Three to Get Ready) Air Date: 04-17-1965
Episode 30 (Forget Me Not) Air Date: 04-24-1965
Episode 31 (Diogenes, Won’t You Please Go Home?) Air Date: 05-01-1965
Episode 32 (Physical Fatness) Air Date: 05-08-1965
Episode 33 (It’s Magic) Air Date: 05-15-1965
Episode 34 (Goodbye, Old Paint) Air Date: 05-22-1965
Episode 35 (My Fair Gilligan) Air Date: 06-05-1965
Episode 36 (A Nose By Any Other Name) Air Date: 06-12-1965

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Gilligan’s Island (DVD).