Running for Office Films

With the election upon us, my attention has turned to movies of a political nature—Wag the Dog [1997], for example, that seems just as on point as it did 23 years ago and Dave [1993], a 27-year- old comedy that feels like it could happen today. Good old Borat is at it again these days and there are any number of films that explore the presidential election either as a send-up or more seriously.

But if you look at political films on Amazon, the one that stands out from the herd is The American President [1995] by Aaron Sorkin, which received so many thousands of 5-star ratings that the average they list for the film is a perfect 5 stars.

It’s interesting that all of these films are over 20 years old… might say something about our current inability to portray the presidency in film these days. But I think the time is right for a few more insightful films about running for office. So if you’re politically inclined when it comes to your writing, I’d encourage you to take a look at The American President. Here’s a clip to whet your appetite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnb4UWXL8KA

Sure, one of the appeals of this film might be the fact that there’s a romance between the widowed president and a lobbyist. But what’s done with that premise is, I think, what makes the film so appealing.

Because this isn’t just a romance. It manages—quite adeptly—to have the romantic pair on opposite sides of some important environmental legislation. And when the president has to choose whether to support that legislation—which he had promised to do—or to not support it in order to benefit some legislation that is in his platform… well, what will he do?

I’d encourage you to watch the film and find out. It’s on Starz at the moment, and I note that if you want to get a free trial of Starz on Amazon, you can then watch it for free. And this would be a good time to do that—just before our own election.

I don’t think this film received all of its 5-star votes because of the romance—I think it received them because of the nature of its politics. It shows how the opposition to the president uses—and twists—the president’s personal life to win votes. It shows how politicians [at least some politicians] will do anything to get elected. Anything.

Having been a speechwriter for politicians myself, I know this to be true. I’ve pretty much lost faith in believing that politicians care about what they say—they say what they say for one reason only: their advisors tell them it will win votes.

Maybe you feel the same way. Maybe you feel vehemently the opposite. BOTH points of view could allow you to write an impassioned screenplay about the political process, about elections, about people running for office.

Look at it this way, you may not be able to change much about the political process in this country, but as a writer you have the power to comment on it—and some of our best films do that through humor and the creation of great characters and interesting situations.

So this could be the time to tackle that political film! You could have the fun of writing it and the chance to really say something. Worth contemplating???

Copyright © Diane Lake

01Nov20

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com