Displaying items by tag: Sean McNamara

REAGAN

US, 2024, 141 minutes, Colour.

Dennis Quaid, Penelope Ann Miller, Mena Suvari, Tommy Ragan, Kevin Dillon, Trevor Donovan, Olek Krupa, Alex Sparrow, Robert Davi, Justin Chatwin, Jennifer O'Neill, Dan Lauria, Leslie-Ann Down, Zander Berkeely, C. Thomas Howell, Elya Baskin, Kevin Sorbo, Nick Searcy, Pat Boone.

Directed by Sean McNamara.

In recent decades there have been many cinema portraits of American presidents, particularly Franklin D Roosevelt but, also of Kennedy, Nixon, and the later 20^th century presidents in the portrait of life in the White House, The Butler. It is now the turn of Ronald Reagan.

This is a two hour 20 minutes study of Reagan as a person and his stances as US president. It is been directed by Sean McNamara, noted for some faith and hope films like Soul Surfer. It is definitely a sympathetic presentation of Reagan. For those who admired him, much to enjoy. For those critical of him, an opportunity to give more considered thought in retrospect about his strengths compared with his alleged weaknesses.

The choice to play Reagan is Dennis Quaid and he acquits himself with a blend of the folksy as well as the determined. Penelope Ann Miller plays his strong-minded wife and support, Nancy. There is a rather large supporting cast bringing to life some of his career in Hollywood, Kevin Dillon as Jack L. Warner and, surprisingly, a somewhat unsympathetic portrayal of actress Jane Wyman, his first wife, by Mena Suvari.

The film uses a very interesting device which may or may not please audiences. The framework for looking at Reagan as a person, as an actor, as a politician, is a very earnest Soviet supporter going to interview Victor Petrovich (played by Jon Voight), a long-time analyst of personalities, looking at Reagan over the decades, making reports to the politburo. Throughout the film, then, he is questioned about Reagan and elaborates on how he has studied him for so long, and the conclusions, rather admiring, calling him The Crusader, that he has drawn and presented.

Which means that Victor Petrovich controls the narrative in many ways, staking opinion and leading to flashbacks covering Reagan’s family and childhood, alcoholic father, religious mother, his early talent for public speaking, good memory, sport, radio, actor, then VP of the Screen Actors’ Guild. There is enough detail in these flashbacks to build up a significant portrait of Reagan young.

His life then moves to politics, his reading about communism, his antagonism towards Communist philosophy, his stances against infiltration of the Actors’ Guild, his political ambitions, becoming Governor of California for two terms. And, his initial encounter with actress Nancy Davis, his marrying her and her continued influence and support.

Also covered is the 1976 campaign, the Republican nominee being Gerald Ford, the victory of Jimmy Carter – and then the campaign of 1980, victory, his presidential commitment, the assassination attempt, and his earnest wanting the elimination of nuclear weapons, the outreach to Russia, to Gorbachev, successes and failures in their interactions, final success, his speech at the Berlin wall – and the consequences of its fall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Finally, his acknowledgement of his oncoming Alzheimer’s, his life at the ranch, loving horseriding, and the voice-over of his final speech about his future and his mental state. And a great number of photos during the final credits.

Definitely for Reagan fans. A challenge for non-Reagan fans.

1. A portrait of Ronald Reagan, sympathetic and admiring?
2. Audience memories of Ronald Reagan, those who lived through his career and presidency, audiences after Reagan? Favourable? Critical?
3. An overview of American society from the 1920s to the 1990s?
4. The opening, Reagan inaugurated, his speech, pro America, insertion of jokes, jovial? The Secret Service, Rawhide as his codename, the assassination attempt and leaving that sequence till later?
5. The device of introducing Victor Petrovich, his background in providing dossiers, the politburo, the KGB, his studying Reagan and his methods of study, his principles, techniques? The young officer and his patriotic ambitions, interviewing patronage? And the device of perceiving Ronald Reagan’s life through Petrovich’s eyes, his assessment of Reagan, nicknaming him The Crusader? His insights?
6. The selection of sequences to illustrate Reagan’s early life, rural America, alcoholic the genial father, eyes mother, her supporting him, the nickname, Dutch, his reading in church, ability to memorise, bullied but his mother telling him to stand up for himself, sports, radio announcing, reading, ambitions?
7. The selection of sequences for his Hollywood career, his marriage to Jane Wyman, tensions, her success, children, the death of the child of one day, the cemetery sequence, her walking away, the divorce? His film career, some success, B-star? Vice president of the actors union, taking this seriously, wanting to do good, the conversation with Jack L Warner, Harry Sorrell and the Soviet influence in the unions, the hearings of the late 1940s, into the 1950s, Reagan and his stances, ambitions?
8. The encounter with Nancy Davis, in his office, the two names, his being charmed, the evening out, in the restaurant alone, sharing, the horse riding, marriage, children? Her continued support for the next 40 years?
9. The 1960s, political ambitions, the Democrats moving away, Republican, Barry Goldwater, Reagan speeches, making his mark, his wanting to be Governor, campaigning, success? Eight years as governor?
10. Reagan and his reading about communism, the perspective of the 1930s, the discussions with writers like Dalton Trumbo, his attitude at Warner Bros, his speeches, hostility towards communism?
11. And the comments by Victor Petrovich throughout these sequences, his perspectives on Reagan, his intelligence, reading, perspectives, tactics, strategies?
12. The campaign for presidential nomination, competitiveness with Gerald Ford, Ford winning, against Jimmy Carter, his disappointment, the issue of age? Nancy and her support, the quiet years, the ranch, making friends and allies?
13. The 1980 election, his speeches, the attack on Carter? His promises? Success, the portrait of his associates, co-workers, Dayna and his camping on the lawn, his being called in as speechwriter? James Baker, the ethos, George Shultz, Casper Weinberg? The meetings, the Cabinet discussions, the issue of communism? The assassination attempt, Nancy at the hospital, his gradual recovery?
14. The issue of the Cold War, Petrovich’s perceptions and analyses, the sequences with Brezhnev and the other leaders, watching the television, analysing the speeches, the status of the Soviet Union in the 1980s? The building of the Berlin Wall?
15. Reagan, his certain simplicity, seeming naivete, folksy style, with Nancy? The decision to deal with the Russians, the focus on Gorbachev, the first meeting in Geneva, the discussions, the conditions, possibilities, failures? The meeting in Iceland, the entourages, the discussions, friendships, difficulties, aiming for nuclear disarmament?
16. The meetings with Margaret Thatcher, her perspectives, support, calling him a cowboy? The later scene with her acclaim at his success?
17. Re-election, his age, stumbling with the debate with Walter Mondale, his joke about age and referring to Mondale? More opposition taunts, his policies, the criticism about not doing anything for the AIDS epidemic? Nancy and her just say no to drugs campaign?
18. The final years, meetings, his Vice President Bush present at meetings? His sitting at home for the future?
19. Age, retirement, at the Ranch, John and his skill at riding, assigned to ride with the Reagan’s, 10 years, the issue of Alzheimer’s coming on, Nancy and John discussing it, John and his raising the issue, going to the last ride? And the voice-over of Reagan commenting on the onset of Alzheimer’s?
20. The final credits, the recapitulation through photos, the tribute to Reagan, the tribute to Nancy Reagan?
21. A satisfying movie portrait for those who favoured Reagan? An opening out of perspectives for those who did not favour Reagan?