This article is about a movie. For the chief executive of the United States, see President of the United States.

The American President is a 1995 romantic drama movie directed by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin. It stars Michael Douglas, Annette Bening and Martin Sheen. The President of the United States (unofficially abbreviated “POTUS”) is the head of state of the United States. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The romance film has as its central plot the beginning, obstruction and eventual, though often tragic, fruition of a romance. ... A drama is a film that depends mostly on in-depth character development, interaction, and highly emotional themes. ... Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating them using animation techniques and/or special effects. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Rob Reiner as a young man Robert Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and writer. ... Aaron Sorkin Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born on June 9, 1961 in New York City) is an American screenwriter and producer, working in both film and television. ... Michael Douglas at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, June 19, 2004 Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA) is an Oscar winning American actor and producer. ... Annette Bening Annette Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. ... Martin Sheen as President Josiah Jed Bartlet Martin Sheen (born August 3, 1940) is an American actor. ...

Plot

Andrew Shepherd (Douglas) is a widowed Democratic President nearing re-election for a second—and final—term. Luckily, he's wildly popular with the American people. He meets and starts wooing an attractive lobbyist, Sydney Ellen Wade (Bening). Personal and political difficulties ensue. The Democratic Party, founded in 1792, is the longest-standing political party in the world (unless one considers the British Conservative Party to be an extension of the much older Tories). ... The President of the United States (unofficially abbreviated “POTUS”) is the head of state of the United States. ... Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individuals or organizations point of view is represented in the government. ...

Analysis

Though this film may be mistaken as a tribute to Bill Clinton and his presidency, it was made before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, and therefore could not have been made as a commentary on that event. Despite this, the movie has some interesting parallels to Clinton's presidency, though there are numerous differences; for example, although Clinton committed adultery with the young Monica Lewinsky, the unwed Shepherd dates another single adult his age. The film has been considered to be unabashedly liberal by some, saying that the filmmakers generally portrayed Democrats as noble, forthcoming and trustworthy and Republicans as pro-hunting, tobacco-smoking and deceitful, stopping at nothing to get into office. William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Monica Lewinsky, in the government ID photo by which she was first identified in the press Monica Lewinsky receives a hug from U.S. President Bill Clinton during a fundraising event in Washington, DC, October, 1996 Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American woman who was thrust... A scandal is a widely publicized incident involving allegations of wrong-doing, disgrace, or moral outrage. ... Man and woman undergoing public exposure for adultery in Japan, around 1860 Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their lawful spouse. ... Monica Lewinsky, in the government ID photo by which she was first identified in the press Monica Lewinsky receives a hug from U.S. President Bill Clinton during a fundraising event in Washington, DC, October, 1996 Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American woman who was thrust... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... -1... Species N. glauca N. longiflora N. rustica N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of August 26, 2005 Tobacco (, L.) refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade family, which is indigenous to North and South America, or to their dried and cured leaves. ... For information about smoking tobacco, see tobacco smoking. ...

Apart from this, the film often disregards the real operation of American politics. A main plot element is Shepherd's attempt to introduce and get a bill passed in Congress. In the U.S., Presidents can't introduce bills; they can only voice support or veto them. Also, later in the film, Shepherd refuses to introduce a bill to Congress. Again, this is beyond the President's authority—the President can't prevent any bill from being brought before Congress or the Senate. An Act of Congress is a bill or resolution adopted by both houses of the United States Congress to which one of the following events has happened: Acceptance by the President of the United States, Inaction by the President after ten days from reception (excluding Sundays) while the Congress is... Congress in Joint Session. ... The word veto comes from Latin and literally means I forbid. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ...

While Presidents can't introduce bills, they can have friendly members co-sponsor them thanks to Procedural Extension of Powers determined by the Congressional Rules Committee. However, in the film, Shepherd directly introduces the bills himself.

The West Wing

The screenplay was written by Aaron Sorkin, and some ideas he developed would inspire his television drama The West Wing. The two productions also share ideologies and follow the staff of a largely Utopian White House. The set of the Oval Office was later used in The West Wing. The movie's influence can be seen most clearly in the earliest episodes of The West Wing, with some dialogue in those nearly identical to that of the movie. Aaron Sorkin Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born on June 9, 1961 in New York City) is an American screenwriter and producer, working in both film and television. ... The West Wing is a popular and widely acclaimed American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin and produced and co-written by John Wells. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States of America. ... The Oval Office is the official office of the President of the United States, in the West Wing of the White House, built in 1909. ...

Actors from the film who later went on to star in The West Wing include Martin Sheen, Anna Deavere Smith, and Joshua Malina. Interestingly, Sheen plays the Chief of Staff in this film, but the President in the series. Martin Sheen as President Josiah Jed Bartlet Martin Sheen (born August 3, 1940) is an American actor. ... Anna Deavere Smith (born September 18, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland, United States) is an American actress, playwright, and professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. ... Joshua Malina Joshua Malina (born 17 January 1966) is a Jewish-American film and stage actor. ...

Sorkin was accused of lifting ideas from an earlier screenplay by William Richert, but the WGA denied him credit. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the collective bargaining representative, or labor union, for writers in the motion picture and television industries. ...

Political issues

Many political topics are touched on in this film, including:

• Environmentalism
• Gun control
• ACLU membership
• Flag burning
• Apartheid

Environmentalism is the support or involvement with the environmental movement by environmentalists. ... The phrase Gun politics refers to the views of different people within a particular country as to what degree of control (increased gun rights vs. ... The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is a non_governmental organization devoted to defending civil rights and civil liberties in the United States. ... Flag desecration is a blanket term applied to various ways of intentionally defacing or dishonoring a flag, most often a national flag (though other flags are defaced as well). ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ...

External links

• The American President at the Internet Movie Database