Ever since George Washington ran for office in 1789 and became the first-everPresidentof the United States, the race for the White House has always been something to look forward to. Back then, no political parties had been established, so Washington ran as an independent candidate, something that is considered unwise today. At the moment, Americans are once again crossing their fingers as they wait to see who will become POTUS in 2024. Therefore, it seems like the perfect time to watch movies and shows covering this particular topic.
For years, the movie and television industries have keenlydissected American politicsand covered everything from the grassroots levels to gubernatorial bids. Still, it’s been more fun watching people run for president on screen. Some Hollywood productions have showcased this realistically in order to educate the public about the proceedings that take place in the corridors of power, while others have exaggerated many details, leaving insiders baffled but thoroughly entertaining viewers in the process.
15The Ides of March (2011)
The Ides of March
The Ides of Marchis the kind of film that’s likely to dissuade anyone from ever wanting to be a campaign manager. In it, quagmires keep piling up for Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) as he tries to help presidential candidate Mike Morris (George Clooney) — who is currently the Pennsylvania Governor — to clinch the Ohio Democratic primary. First, he learns that an intern he has begun sleeping with is pregnant with Morris' child. Then he learns that a nosy reporter is planning to publish details about a meeting he had with a rival campaign manager. Solving both of these issues initially appears impossible for the Meyes, but he figures it out thanks to a creative script by Beau Willimon, who wrote the play (Farragut North) the movie is based on.
Integrity vs Logic
TheOscar-nominated filmshows how the Integrity vs Logic battle always plays out during elections. For example, the influential Senator Franklin Thompson (Jeffrey Wright), who controls 365 delegates in Ohio, offers to endorse Morris on condition that he gives him a high post in his government once he is elected. Morris rejects it because he thinks of himself as too pure to make such deals, which is quite ironic, considering he slept with an intern and ignored her after that. It’s Meyers’ job to make his candidate see sense and when Morris refuses to do so, audiences watch the campaign manager morph from a kind consigliere to a ruthless blackmailer. The movie’s quotes are golden too, the most memorable one being, “A president can lie, start wars, drive the country into bankruptcy, and do anything he wants — but he cannot sleep with an intern.”
Stream it on Max
14Long Shot (2019)
Moving from the White House to Hollywood seems like a major downgrade, but that’s what President Chambers (played byBetter Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk) insists he intends to do in the opening minutes ofLong Shot. He won’t run for a second term because he’d rather be at the Golden Globes than in a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Sensing an opportunity, U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) convinces him to endorse her as the next candidate, but her quest faces fresh challenges when she falls for the journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen).
The Difficulties of Being a Female Presidential Candidate
Through humor, the movie explains how tough it is for a female presidential candidate in America. In Charlotte’s own words, “If I’m angry, they call me hysterical; if I’m emotional, they call me weak; if I so much as raise my voice, they call me a b***.” Society has always held female politicians to a higher standard of accountability. That’s why her relationship with Fred raises many eyebrows. The public wants her to date a respectable man in a suit, not a controversial columnist who has the guts to come up with a title like “Why the Two-Party System Can Suck a D***.” Thankfully, Charlotte isn’t the type to follow the rules. She is so wild she even temporarily appoints herself a hostage negotiator at some point. In the end, she becomes POTUS and Fred becomes “First Mister,” a term he coins himself.
Stream it on Netflix
13Man of the Year (2006)
Man of the Year
The odds of someone like John Oliver or Trevor Noah running for president are incredibly low in the real world, but such a thing happens inMan of the Year.Satiricaltalk show hostTom Dobbs (Robin Williams) makes a habit of lambasting the president and, after insinuating that he can do a better job than the current leader, his fans start a campaign to get him in office. He wins, but a scandal erupts later on when it emerges that he might have been elected unfairly.
Another Case of Art Foreshadowing Reality
Man of the Yearis meant to be a funny movie, but it addresses a serious issue that has been an issue of speculation in recent years — election fraud. Dobbs doesn’t win because he is popular, he wins because the voting machines are faulty, something the company behind them tries very hard to cover up. Director Barry Levinson might not have known it at the time, but he was predicting how the 2016 elections would turn out. An outsider wins, followed by accusations of fraud. Four years later, the fraud discussion would pop up again.
Stream it on Prime Video
12Commander in Chief (2005 – 2006)
Commander in Chief
Initially content with being Vice President, Mackenzie “Mac” Allen (Geena Davis) finds herself in the Oval Office after the president’s sudden death inCommander in Chief.While in office as America’s first female president, she juggles between dealing with stubborn congressional representatives and her family life. This takes a mental toll on her, but she keeps pushing, vowing to not let down those who believe in her.
A Working Mother’s Headaches
Commander in Chiefis more likeLong Shot, only that it has a more serious tone and examines a female candidate’s problems from a family perspective. Because President Allen only ascended to power after her predecessor died, many saw her as unqualified, so she worked hard to prove herself and win in the next presidential election. This becomes harder because her family isn’t all that cooperative. Her husband is threatened by her success, while her daughter would rather go on a date than attend a crucial political dinner. Besides that, viewers are treated to a powerfulperformance from Geena Davis, who is so believable as president that the Emmys recognized her with a “Best Lead Actress” nomination.
Buy or rent on Amazon
11Wag the Dog (1997)
Wag the Doghas a sex-obsessed POTUS whose eyes cannot fail to spot a skirt. The hedonistic leader of the free world finds himself in a major scandal when he tries to hit on a teenager in the Oval Office at the tail end of his re-election campaign. To make the issue go away, skilled spin doctor Conrad Bean (Robert DeNiro) is brought in, and as expected, he comes up with an outrageous idea. He will hire a Hollywood producer to create a fictional war in Albania so that the media can shift its attention to the conflict.
Exposing the Government’s Alleged Dark Tactics
Though it might have been inspired by the Clinton-Lewinsky incident,Wag the Dogis more relevant than everbecause of the recent presidential scandals. Most importantly, it’s a conspiracy theory vehicle disguised as a political film. There have been suggestions, not just in America, that the government always throws the media a bone, so that it can concentrate on it and ignore a major political scandal. A political mess, for example, is followed by major celebrity drama. The decision to bring a director to film a fake war is also a nod to the moon landing conspiracy, where it’s sometimes claimed that the outer-space escapade was merely filmed in a studio.
Rent it on Prime Video
10House of Cards (2013 – 2018)
House of Cards
Adapted from the BBC series of the same name,House of Cardsfollows Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) — a House Majority Whip and South Carolina Congressman — as he crafts an elaborate plan to make himself president shortly after being passed over for appointment as the United States Secretary of State. From murder to manipulation and betrayal, he uses all kinds of Machiavellian tactics to make sure his dream becomes a reality.
Ruthless Pragmatism as a Necessary Tool in Politics
“Ruthless pragmatism” is the message emphasized time and again inHouse of Cards.Via a series offourth-wall-breaking monologues, Underwood keeps reminding viewers to always have an eye on the goal and do whatever it takes to reach the finish line. Many of his tactics are questionable, but those with political ambitions can learn a thing or two from him. The show is an advanced politics class, providing lessons on various issues like the importance of having like-minded individuals next to you and the importance of knowledge. “I don’t want to assume. I want to know,” Frank once says, and it is this kind of spirit that catapults him to the White House.
9The Purge: Election Year (2016)
The Purge 2
In the dystopian world ofThe Purge: Election Yearthere is a 12-hour window every year when all crimes are legal. One of the current presidential candidates, Sen. Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mithell), has made a promise to end the tradition once she gets elected because it’s not only silly but also led to the death of the family. This makes her a target, so her Head of Security, Leo Barnes, played by one ofthe most underrated action stars, Frank Grillo, steps in to shield her from all harm.
A Perfect Movie for Those Who Hate Politics
There is a high percentage of people who feel nothing is exciting about presidential elections. Well,The Purge: Election Yearis a recommendable movie for them if they can stand a few horrific moments. Here, there is no Washington office politics and jargon, just good old-fashioned action. Still, it’s not detached from reality. It presents a society where everyone is keen on hurting each other. This can be interpreted as a commentary on America’s gun violence problem. The film also gives audiences a break from the usual Republican vs. Democrat contests and introduces the villainous New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) party.
8The American President (1995)
Movies are full of characters who throw away everything for love. “We can leave all this behind and move to another country,” they tend to say, and such is the direction President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) initially seems that he is about to take inThe American President.He happens to have fallen for the environmental activist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), whose past is not so clean, so the public and his rivals are all coming for him. And what makes it all worse is that it happens during an election year.
Another Gem from Aaron Sorkin
Few people know how to tell political stories better than Aaron Sorkin andThe West Wingis proof of that. Before he created the Emmy-winning show, he wrote scripts for several movies, includingThe American President. Sorkin has even admitted that much of Season 1’s plot was mined from material that he edited out of the initial draft ofThe American President’s script. Though this is a love story, Sorkin touches on various key political issues, notably how bills are lobbied and passed. An environmental bill and a crime bill take up a huge chunk of the plot. Most importantly, the plot isn’t illogical. Shepherd and Wade don’t end up running away together. They end up doing something even better.
Rent on Prime Video
7Madam Secretary (2014 – 2019)
Madam Secretary
Madam Secretarytakes viewers on a slow cruise toward the presidency. The show’s first five seasons cover Elizabeth McCord’s (Téa Leoni) triumphs and challenges as she serves as the United States Secretary of State. At the end of Season 5, McCord reveals her plan to become President of the United States, beginning a spirited campaign that sees her eventually get the coveted position. The last season thus dwells on her tenure as America’s first-ever female POTUS.
Foundations Matter a Lot
Most political movies and television shows are known to present ready-made candidates, leaving audiences baffled as to how they reached this level. Thankfully,Madam Secretaryshows the gestation process, detailing the numerous things McCord does right to enable her to get to a level where she can vie for the presidency. It isn’t an easy journey, and she is forced to make numerous sacrifices along the way. Viewers will also enjoy the occasional cameos from relevant real-world political figures. Former Secretary of State office occupants, Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, and Colin Powell all play themselves at some point in the show.
Chris Rock is brilliant in dramatic rolesas his recent work has proved, but he made a bigger name for himself playing comical characters like the presidential candidate Mays Gilliam inHead of State. Content with being an alderman, Gilliam is shocked when he is picked as the Democratic Party nominee. The party’s influential members only select him because they believe the Republican candidate is unbeatable. Surprisingly, Gilliam’s opinion poll figures increase thanks to a combination of below-the-belt strategies, including dubbing a video of Osama bin Laden claiming he loves the Republican candidate.
Arguably the Funniest Fictional Candidate Ever
There is nothing realistic about Gilliam and his candidature, but he is arguably the most fictional character to ever enter the race for the White House. After all, he was played by Chris Rock at a time when the comedian was in the form of his life. Gilliam is full of ideas on how to make society better and none of them is practical. At one point, he suggests that laws should be written on Destiney’s Child music videos. This way, everybody will see them and stop breaking them. This remark, and many more, makeHead of Statea laugh-fest that can be enjoyed by audiences of different generations.
