The American President (1995)

Summary: The President, Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), is a widower who falls for a lobbyist, Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), as he gears up for re-election, much to the chagrin of his staff (Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith, Samantha Mathis, and David Paymer) and the pleasure of his opponent, Senator Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss).

You should all be really pleased that I held this one in as long as I have.

As you well know, Aaron Sorkin is by far one of the most talented writers in Hollywood today, as well as my personal favourite. This movie was actually my introduction to his work. He manages to spin a golden thread of ideals and then deftly cut it with the crushing weight of reality. That’s the reason why The West Wing was so successful in its heyday. He writes with political savvy and perfectly nuanced satire. Nothing, it seems, escapes him.

And, frankly, who doesn’t love it when Sorkin gets together with Rob Reiner (director)? They work beautifully together. Reiner’s direction comes across as a certain awe of Sorkin’s genius. Plus, the man knows romance. It’s almost as though he breathes it.

I was going to have a paragraph for each of the different actors in the movie that had an impact on me, but it’s really an ensemble piece. A true ensemble is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle. Even though there is a main image, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless the pieces are put together correctly. And there’s even more actors that I didn’t even mention before that are great. People like John Mahoney, Wendy Malick, and Joshua Malina.

Okay, I will say one thing: I really like Douglas in romantic comedies. I think he’s a convincing comedian, and he should make more movies like this one. I will say that.

And you know what else? My mom loves this movie. That’s got to be a good thing. Honestly, my mom has very impressive movie tastes, and she’s seen everything. I’ve learned a lot from her.

And one thing that I’ve learned is that feel good movies aren't bad. You should watch them. You should feel good. So watch this movie, and feel good. There’s nothing wrong with that.

On a completely different note, check out this article from CCN.com:
The personality of cult. It's right up my ally, and it should be right up yours.