The Reagans
by Robert Allan Ackerman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bill Smitrovich, James Brolin, Judy Davis, Mary Beth Peil, Zeljko IvanekDirector: Robert Allan Ackerman
Brand: SHE
Producer: Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Writer: Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Producer: Craig Zadan
Producer: Dave Mace
Writer: Elizabeth Egloff
Writer: Jane Marchwood
Writer: Thomas Rickman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 180 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-05-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Lions Gate
Product features:
- Actors: Judy Davis, James Brolin, Zeljko Ivanek, Mary Beth Peil, Bill Smitrovich.
- Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC.
- Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
- Language: English.
- Rated: NR. Run Time: 180 minutes.
Movie Reviews of The Reagans
Movie Review: A fascinating biopic
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm just about as politically opposite Ronald Reagan as they come, but I really enjoyed this three-hour biopic. James Brolin is a dead ringer for Reagan in every single way, so much so it's kind of scary. Judy Davis also does a very good job at playing Nancy Reagan. Usually one shouldn't expect too much from a made-for-tv movie, but this is one of the ones that got it really right. There were a great script, great acting from everyone, and good production values. As James Brolin says in the short interview included as an extra, since doing this movie, he's had a number of people come up to him to say that they never thought much of Reagan till they saw this movie, and that his portrayal of Reagan changed that. I'm still far from a fan of his presidency, but after seeing this movie, I now view Reagan the person (as opposed to the politician) in a better light.
This biopic doesn't always go extraordinarily deep (such as, for example, not really explaining just why so many California students hated Governor Reagan so much), and it does leave out some events that would be considered pretty important (such as the Challenger disaster), but the events that are there are pretty comprehensive and well-connected. In spite of some gaps and omissions, this story flows very well and is very compelling. The excellent audio commentary provides even more insight into the people and events, and explains further some of the things that weren't addressed very deeply. I fail to see how in the world this biopic could be considered a hatchet job or an attack on the Reagans. It seemed very fair and balanced to me, and even was a lot kinder to his presidency than it could have been. It shows Reagan as a genuinely nice, affable, personable guy, someone who was never an A-list actor but who was always a great leader and speaker, someone who had charisma and personality. The biopic portrays him as going into politics and switching parties only very reluctantly, and often seeming to be a better husband than father. The black spots in his career as a politician (such as creating a huge homeless problem, voodoo economics, ignoring the AIDS crisis, the Bitburg fiasco, Iran-Contra) are similarly dealt with, but not to the extent that these negative things overwhelm the entire story. It was downright scary to find out in the audio commentary that all of the people raising such a fuss over this movie and wanting to have it banned (even trying to get Reagan put onto the dime to make up for it!) had never even seen it. They couldn't have, since no one had seen the movie yet. They were basing their opinions on a very early script, and apparently didn't realise that practically every movie goes through multiple scripts. And it's no secret that a lot of Republicans view Reagan as a demigod, thus feeling that anyone or anything that doesn't treat him with similar kid gloves is viewed as a liar, unpatriotic, or what have you. And the scariest thing of all was that most people didn't even protest the people who were protesting against this movie and demanding it be censored, even though they had no authority to have any opinion on it, positive or negative, when it had never even been aired yet.
All in all, this is a pretty positive view of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. The producers easily could have made it more sensational and negative, but they didn't. They actually toned down the accounts of abuse (at the hands of Nancy) that Patti Reagan wrote about in her book, and cut out scenes that had raised a lot of the protest, re Reagan's policy (or, more accurately, lack of a policy) on dealing with the AIDS crisis. It even gives him credit for being one of the people who helped to end the Cold War, and also covers a number of his other positive achievements as a politician. I don't even like Reagan as a politician, and I came away from this biopic feeling very positive towards him as a person, and even slightly less negative towards him as a politician. I'd recommend it to anyone with an open mind who wants to learn more about the Reagan family.
Summary of The Reagans
Synopsis: 0Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: NR
Street Date: 05/18/04
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
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