Home/Episodes/The American President
‘The American President’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Van Lathan
November 3, 2020 · The American President (1995) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:30:12 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Amanda DobbinsProvides commentary and agrees with the scenes mentioned, noting details like the real White House number being used and Douglas doing his own dancing▶ 33:04
Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: the lonely widower moment, President and Martin Sheen playing pool, President calls Sydney for a date, the dance scene, morning after they sleep together, and Michael J. Fox challenging the president▶ 30:16
Van LathanAgrees with most scenes mentioned, particularly emphasizes the Michael J. Fox challenging the president scene as 'one of my favorite movie scenes of all time' and discusses how it inspired a college essay▶ 36:46
What's Aged the Best
Amanda DobbinsThe media frenzy montage showing tabloid coverage of Sidney Ellen Wade - depicting how someone gets caught in media sensation, which accurately reflects current reality▶ 49:49
Bill SimmonsThe connection to The West Wing as a prologue, the Libyan janitor speech, the dating montage, and the quote 'How do you have patience for people who say they love America but can't stand Americans?'▶ 47:28
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsWhen the romance starts, the newspapers chronicling it with USA Today on their front page - now it would just be Daily Mail and Twitter▶ 50:17
Van LathanThe portrayal of presidential dating as mildly controversial - in today's age it would be complete obsession and a shit show▶ 50:43
Casting What-Ifs
Amanda DobbinsRobert Redford — Agrees Robert Redford wouldn't work as the president - too cool for the goofy/sentimental stuff and the premise would be fundamentally different▶ 53:42
Bill SimmonsMichelle Pfeiffer — Michelle Pfeiffer for the Annette Bening role - says she's his favorite and could have pulled off the part really nicely▶ 56:17
Van LathanMichelle Pfeiffer — Michelle Pfeiffer and Meg Ryan for the Annette Bening role, though notes Meg Ryan would be 'too on the nose' and too rom-com associated▶ 56:40
Joey Pants Award
Amanda DobbinsSamantha Mathis — Initially suggested Samantha Mathis, then mentioned Wendy Malick as another possibility▶ 58:47
Half-Assed Internet Research
Amanda DobbinsThe bedrooms in American President and West Wing are exactly the same, but the bedrooms in Dave and American President are different▶ 1:08:28
Bill SimmonsAaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay while high on crack cocaine at the Four Seasons Hotel in LA, producing a 385-page script while also developing Sports Night; White House set was built for this movie with conflicting reports about whether it was reused from Dave or later used for Nixon/Independence Day; Spin City was created after someone saw this movie; Michael J. Fox hid his Parkinson's during casting by putting his shaky hand in his pocket; Rob Reiner followed Bill Clinton around the White House for two days for research▶ 1:06:04
Apex Mountain
Amanda DobbinsRob Reiner — Corrects that Sorkin won Oscar for Social Network so this is definitely not his apex. Says this is definitely the last case for Rob Reiner at the center.▶ 1:12:21
Bill SimmonsRob Reiner — No for Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Michael J. Fox, Martin Sheen, Aaron Sorkin. Yes for USA Today and President movies as a genre. Possibly Rob Reiner but still thinks A Few Good Men is his apex.▶ 1:09:35
Van LathanThe Social Network — Suggests Social Network might be Aaron Sorkin's apex mountain, agrees USA Today had its peak, discusses president movies trend▶ 1:10:05
Picking Nits
Amanda DobbinsThe movie awkwardly handles sex (Annette Bening testing mattresses) and avoids examining the problematic power dynamics of President having sex with a lobbyist in the Oval Office; agrees about unrealistic White House security▶ 1:16:26
Bill SimmonsPresident being celibate for 3+ years after wife's death is unrealistic for politicians; Annette Bening too old to have a roommate; Sydney waltzes into White House unannounced multiple times; daughter doesn't show realistic side-eye toward new girlfriend▶ 1:15:42
Van LathanSydney being able to just show up at the White House unannounced is unrealistic - Secret Service would never allow someone to waltz into the Oval Office without proper security checks▶ 1:18:48
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Amanda DobbinsUncertain about Shepard's election chances - the speech has power but he went super liberal with gun control and environmental legislation, plus the lobbyist conflict, making it up in the air▶ 1:21:35
Bill SimmonsPresident Shepard wins the 1996 election in a landslide, comparing to Clinton's situation - good economy, post-Cold War era, and scandals don't matter when things are going well▶ 1:22:47
Van LathanIt's very possible President Shepard lost the 1996 election because he's got a lot going on in an election year, though his show of force could also galvanize voters▶ 1:22:28
Who Won the Movie
Amanda DobbinsMichael Douglas — Michael Douglas - states the movie doesn't work without him, it's a winning and charming performance, and he delivers the final speech effectively▶ 1:26:01
Bill SimmonsAaron Sorkin — Aaron Sorkin - argues this movie paved the way for Sports Night, West Wing, and Social Network, cementing him as a star screenwriter where 'written by' becomes a draw▶ 1:27:22
Van LathanAnnette Bening — Annette Bening (Sidney) - argues it's really her fairy tale and her story, she's the one who comes into town and the whole deal is really her thing▶ 1:26:39
Movies Referenced (32)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Few Good Men (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Van Lathan | ▶ 1:12:09 |
| Basic Instinct (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 9:44 |
| Deep Impact (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 8:10 |
| American Beauty (1999) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:03 |
| Bright (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 29:30 |
| Broken Arrow (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 22:46 |
| Fatal Attraction (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Amanda Dobbins | ▶ 9:42 |
| Independence Day (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins | ▶ 8:58 |
| Wall Street (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins | ▶ 9:42 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:04:32 |
| White House Down (2013) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 24:58 |
| Alien (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 12:36 |
Directors Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Reiner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Amanda Dobbins | This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street | ▶ 2:07 |
| Frank Capra | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan | It's a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night | ▶ 11:25 |
| John Colorado | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Hancock | ▶ 0:40 |
| Jacob Hair | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:29:38 | |
| Oliver Stone | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK | ▶ 21:03 |
| Warren Beatty | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Heaven Can Wait | ▶ 13:51 |
Actors Referenced (50)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Douglas | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 25 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Van Lathan | Wall Street, Romancing the Stone | ▶ 1:57 |
| Michael J. Fox | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 19 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II | ▶ 18:00 |
| Martin Sheen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 16 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Van Lathan | The Departed | ▶ 18:00 |
| Robert Redford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Van Lathan | The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | ▶ 52:34 |
| Annette Bening | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 14 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Amanda Dobbins | American Beauty, 20th Century Women | ▶ 2:03 |
| Richard Dreyfuss | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland's Opus | ▶ 13:58 |
| Sharon Stone | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins | Basic Instinct, Casino, The Quick and the Dead | ▶ 14:24 |
| Bob Dole | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 20:10 | |
| Dennis Haysbert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | Far from Heaven | ▶ 7:53 |
| John Mahoney | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins | Moonstruck, Barton Fink | ▶ 18:00 |
| River Phoenix | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | My Own Private Idaho, Stand by Me, The Mosquito Coast | ▶ 22:29 |
| Demi Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | Striptease, Indecent Proposal | ▶ 57:16 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Sorkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 28 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Van Lathan | A Few Good Men | ▶ 4:06 |
| Shane Black | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins | Predator, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | ▶ 1:21:59 |
| Andrew Cosby | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | ▶ 44:03 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 23:56 | |
| William Goldman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride | ▶ 1:28:01 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loïc de Lame | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Lady Bird, While We're Young | ▶ 59:46 |