Feature: Top Ten Movie Presidents
Critical Critic: sasori | Published on: August 3, 2007 |
Filed under: Feature
Watching those ridiculous YouTube Democratic presidential debates the other day made me ask myself: what movies had better presidents than the current crop running for office? As usual I set right to work to figure it out.
Criteria: Must be a president, elected or otherwise (obviously); has to have more than just a quick entrance/photo op; exhibit a unique quality
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Tom “Tiny” Lister Jr. — The Fifth Element President: Lindberg Quality: Dumb It’s true, he can’t enunciate his words particularly well but so what! Just knowing this man, with the intelligence of a grapefruit, was able to rise up to become the President of the United Federated Territories lets me know the future is going to be a great place. Thankfully, I’ll be dead by then. |
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Robin Williams — Man of the Year President-Elect: Tom Dobbs Quality: Humor On a lark, this late-night talk show host decides to run for office. Amazingly, he gets elected. Williams in all his looniness comes across as a likable guy. It’s also always a pleasure to see stuffed shirt posturing lose out to common sense and lightheartedness in a debate. |
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Bill Pullman — Independence Day President: Thomas J. Whitmore Quality: Leadership Pullman might be slightly miscast in this role but all is forgiven when he leads a squadron of planes into the heart of invading aliens. Yeah, his rally cry may have been a bit corny, but any president willing to risk certain death gets my vote. |
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Morgan Freeman — Deep Impact President: Tom Beck Quality: Compassion How much does it suck to have most of the East Coast disappear due to a comet strike during your administration? Ask Beck. He handles the dire situation with care and the utmost class. Could we expect anything different from Morgan Freeman? I think not. |
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Michael Douglas — The American President President: Andrew Shepherd Quality: Regularness This is probably the most realistic portrayal of the president in any movie. The most powerful man on earth is humanized and made to be just a man. Douglas doesn’t disappoint either — he nails the role. |
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Gene Hackman — Absolute Power President: Alan Richmond Quality: Mean Hackman portrays one ruthless son-of-a-bitch. He’ll stop at nothing to cover-up the murder of his mistress by the secret service. His actions lend credence to the statement: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I know I’ll never piss anyone off in government ever again. | |
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Harrison Ford — Air Force One President: James Marshall Quality: Tough This is our tough guy president of the list. He kicks the ass of Russian hijackers, flies Air Force One and does some crazy high-wire act between fighter jets — as they’re flying! If one has to lead by example, this is one hell of an example for others to follow! |
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Jack Nicholson — Mars Attacks! President: James Dale Quality: Squirreliness This president doesn’t get much accomplished after the Martians land and attack. As things fall apart all around him, the best he can drum up is, “I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain’t bad.” I feel better now, don’t you? |
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Peter Sellers — Dr. Strangelove President: Merkin Muffley Quality: Meekness His name alone should invoke images of a nerdy guy out of his element. It turns out he actually is totally worthless as he does absolutely nothing during a nuclear crisis. Peter Sellers captures Muffley’s complacency perfectly. |
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Kevin Kline — Dave President: Bill Mitchell/Dave Kovic Quality: Honesty Okay, so he doesn’t actually get elected president, but he takes the place of the president and runs the country for a short while. I think this is the kind of president every American yearns for. He is an everyday kind of guy, who wonders aloud why everything is done in such an asinine manner. He can’t be real! |
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Yes, I know there are hundreds more. Before, you start randomly thowing names at me, think about it. Then give me the qualities these individuals exhibit and the movies they’re in.
By the way, we are so screwed in the next election . . .
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About: sasori When I'm not sleeping, I'm doing something else that closely resembles sleep. |
Ryan posted a response on: August 3, 2007 | Reply
Harrison ford wins hands down man. “Get off my plane!”
Grub posted a response on: August 3, 2007 | Reply
What about Loretta Swit as President Barbara Adams in Whoops Apocalypse?
Her quality is she has tits!
Fletch posted a response on: August 4, 2007 | Reply
Bill Clinton, Contact. Quality: “Real-ness.”
Hey, he had a co-starring role, for chrissakes!
Also potential nominees: JFK and Nixon in Forrest Gump. Qualities: see above.
sasori posted a response on: August 4, 2007 | Reply
I suppose I should have said the role had to be good too!
Part of the criteria was they had to have more than just a quick entrance/photo op. I believe all those you mentioned only had a scene or two in the respective movies.
alex posted a response on: August 9, 2007 | Reply
You missed Robert Barron as Abraham Lincoln in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
“Party on, dudes!”
Jason posted a response on: August 28, 2007 | Reply
I like most of the picks, however you left out the top candidate in Jeff Bridges, if you haven’t caught him in The Contender…you should. He plays a great man with character flaws. You see the behind-the-scenes commentary that makes them like you and me, but then you see why he is president with speeches like the one that closes out the movie. He inspires, unlike some of our current statesman.
Stephen Smith posted a response on: December 20, 2007 | Reply
What about Anthony Hopkins as Nixon?
And remember Randy Quaid playing LBJ?
He had portrayed him as smart, crude, rude, mean, psychotic.
tyler posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
While not a movie, honorable mention must go to Martin Sheen in one of the best tv shows of all time, The West Wing. All around just being awesome.
Genius Dude posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
This list isn’t complete without President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho.
Thank you.
Luke James posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
WOW. You absolutely missed the best one ever. By far. Like really, really by far.
The moment I saw this headline at Digg, I thought to myself #1 must be: Jeff Bridges in The Contender, or they are smoking crack.
You didn’t have him at all. An absolute disgrace, I say.
Goose posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
Yeah, you missed Jeff Bridges in The Contender. That leaves a glaring hole in the list but otherwise good job/
John-E posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
You should be ashamed of yourself for missing Mel Brooks as President Skroob in Spaceballs..
Carl Lange posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
Also, Chris Rock in Head of State was awesome.
ForwardLooker posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
Dennis Haysbert — “24″
President: David Palmer
Quality: Integrity
Let’s overlook movies for a sec and look at tv. President David Palmer in “24″ played by Dennis Haysbert is the best portrayal of a president that I’ve ever seen. He is constantly faced with tough decisions, dishonest and unscrupulous cabinet members, not to mention constant terrorist attacks. Nevertheless, he always makes the right decisions in the show without seeming too ideal for a real person to make. Barack Obama seems like he could be our David Palmer.
dan posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
i can’t believe you would leave off President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho from Idiocracy played by Terry Crews.
he is so passionate.
Alvis posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
CAMACHO!
Now I understand everyone’s shit’s emotional right now. But I’ve got a 3 point plan that’s going to fix EVERYTHING. Number 1: We’ve got this guy Not Sure. Number 2: He’s got a higher IQ than ANY MAN ALIVE. and Number 3: He’s going to fix EVERYTHING.
Luke James posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
Yes, I concur. Comacho is #2. But I still hold firm on Jeff Bridges from The Contender as #1.
DaDon posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
Yeah, gotta go with Camacho. He’s a lot like the president we have now, but black and better! And parties like a MF!
Jim Jones posted a response on: July 11, 2008 | Reply
Michael Douglas hands down best performance ever.
JJ
Top Ten Film Lists posted a response on: July 12, 2008 | Reply
[…] Top Ten Movie Presidents[…]
ConceptJunkie posted a response on: July 13, 2008 | Reply
If you’re going to mention Dennis Haysbert’s awesome President Palmer from “24″ you’ve got to mention Gregory Itzin’s President Logan, who wins for the qualities of sliminess, ineffectiveness and cowardice. He’s the President you love to hate. Gregory Itzin did a superb job in the role… he was so convincing, if I ever meet the guy in real life I’ll have to think twice or I might slug him!
sasori posted a response on: July 13, 2008 | Reply
Thanks digg for ressurecting this one from the archives!
Obviously one of the criteria I should have spelled out was the fact I needed to have seen the film; I don’t base the lists I make off of hearsay. That being said, it sounds like there are a few I’ve missed:
Jeff Bridges in The Contender
Terry Crews in Idiocracy
I’ll be queuing them up for a viewing now…