Time for Your Closeup Mister President
In addition to having a ton of books about Presidents that I collect, I also scour the countryside and the interwebs for DVDs about Presidents, both in the form of documentaries and the occasional dramatization (e.g. the John Adams miniseries starring Paul Giamatta, Sam Waterston as Lincoln, Gary Sinese as Harry Truman, Martin Sheen's performance as JFK, Anthony Hopkins or Frank Langella as Nixon and of course Will Ferrell's one man show as Bush43). Here's a pic of the collection, which also includes some documentaries about some contemporary historical figures and wannabe presidents (like RFK, Barry Goldwater or Robert McNamara). I also collect DVDs about some of the wars because let's face it, the story of the Mexican War is really about James K. Polk in large measure. George Washington is the star of the Revolutionary War, Lincoln of the Civil War and Teddy Roosevelt of the Spanish-American War.)
If I was to recommend a top 10 list of ones that I really enjoy (and can watch over and over), off the top of my head, here's how it would look:
1. The American President Series by PBS: they do a nice job of taking the presidencies out of order but grouping them into themes (e.g. generals, professional politicians, reluctant occupants of the office, etc.) It is such a good presentation of running themes that repeat throughout the history of the office.
2. The Presidents by the History Channel: this series takes the Presidents in chronological order and is also very interesting and very watchable. I especially like the selection of experts that they have as commentators, many of the authors of the books I've read, and many of the more recent Presidents are actually interviewed by Hugh Sidey, the dean of presidential history. Edward Hermann's velvet narration is wonderful too.
3. FDR (by PBS): This is the best biographical documentary of a single president that I have in my collection. Roosevelt is explored in so many dimensions, it gives so much information about what went on behind the scenes of many of the decisions concerning the war. The material about Roosevelt's relationship with Lucy Mercer and the efforts made to conceal his polio is fascinating.
4. Ulysses Grant (by PBS): Grant will always be interesting because of his two careers, first as general and then as president. PBS explores both and looks at how his exposure to seeing the horrors of war, and his reputation as "Grant the butcher" transformed him into a president wanting peace. It looks at how he was used by his so-called friends for their own corrupt benefits, his efforts to rehabilitate his reputation and his painful battle with throat cancer.
5. Journey's With George: film maker Alexandra Pelosi (daughter of House Speaker Nance Pelosi) follows George W. Bush on his first run for President and gives a fascinating portrayal of Bush the politician, making him seem like someone's big goofy uncle. She's fair and balanced (to steal that phrase away from Fox for a second) in her portrayal and displays no malice or bias. It's also an excellent look at life on the road in the midst of a presidential campaign.
6. Teddy Roosevelt An American Lion (History Channel): TR's biography is a great story in and of itself, but the History channel does a great job of exploring his early years, how he overcame health issues to become a man's man, his Rambo approach to war, his hyperactive presidency and his active post-presidency as well. This documentary gives a lot of information about Teddy's innovative and creative approach to the presidency and to presidential problem solving.
7. The War Room: I used to wonder how a candidate with so much baggage like Bill Clinton was able to topple a sitting president with a 90% approval rating. This documentary gives some of the answers. It portrays a well-run and brilliantly orchestrated campaign and a turning point for presidential politics.
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower (Biography): the Biography team portray Eisenhower the man and the president. Especially interesting for me were Eisenhower's quest for peace, his delicate handling of relations with the Soviet Union, and his struggles with civil rights issues that were reaching a boiling point.
9. Thomas Jefferson (PBS): This is a Ken Burns film and that in and of itself makes this worth watching. Burns doesn't approach Jefferson's life in any linear patter, he mixes it up, focusing on some areas more than others. Jefferson's complicated relationship with John Adams is one of the topics that I found especially interesting, including how it progressed from vitriolic and spiteful to its ultimate reconciliation.
10. Barack Obama By the People: Of the many documentaries about Obama and his rise to the Presidency, I think this is probably the best. It gives a great historical account of the campaign, the memorable primary battles and the movement that lifted Obama to the Presidency. It captures the spirit of hope that surrounded the Obama campaign in 2008.
I think if I had to list a top 10 of dramatic portrayals of presidents, my list would go something like this (without comment):
1. Sam Waterston as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln the miniseries
2. Michael Gambon as Lyndon Johnson in Path to War
3. Paul Giamatti as John Adams in the HBO John Adams miniseries
4. Martin Sheen as John Kennedy in Kennedy the miniseries
5. Gary Sinese as Harry Truman in the HBO movie Truman
6. Anthony Hopkins as Richard Nixon in the Oliver Stone film Nixon
7. Frank Langella as Richard Nixon in Frost Nixon
8. Josh Brolin as George W. Bush in W.
9. Tom Selleck as Dwight D. Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-Day
10. Will Ferrell as George W. Bush in You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush
Finally, I think the best portrayal of a president never cast would be Ralph Fiennes as James K. Polk. Someday when I take over Hollywood, that's the first movie I'll make.
If I was to recommend a top 10 list of ones that I really enjoy (and can watch over and over), off the top of my head, here's how it would look:
1. The American President Series by PBS: they do a nice job of taking the presidencies out of order but grouping them into themes (e.g. generals, professional politicians, reluctant occupants of the office, etc.) It is such a good presentation of running themes that repeat throughout the history of the office.
2. The Presidents by the History Channel: this series takes the Presidents in chronological order and is also very interesting and very watchable. I especially like the selection of experts that they have as commentators, many of the authors of the books I've read, and many of the more recent Presidents are actually interviewed by Hugh Sidey, the dean of presidential history. Edward Hermann's velvet narration is wonderful too.
3. FDR (by PBS): This is the best biographical documentary of a single president that I have in my collection. Roosevelt is explored in so many dimensions, it gives so much information about what went on behind the scenes of many of the decisions concerning the war. The material about Roosevelt's relationship with Lucy Mercer and the efforts made to conceal his polio is fascinating.
4. Ulysses Grant (by PBS): Grant will always be interesting because of his two careers, first as general and then as president. PBS explores both and looks at how his exposure to seeing the horrors of war, and his reputation as "Grant the butcher" transformed him into a president wanting peace. It looks at how he was used by his so-called friends for their own corrupt benefits, his efforts to rehabilitate his reputation and his painful battle with throat cancer.
5. Journey's With George: film maker Alexandra Pelosi (daughter of House Speaker Nance Pelosi) follows George W. Bush on his first run for President and gives a fascinating portrayal of Bush the politician, making him seem like someone's big goofy uncle. She's fair and balanced (to steal that phrase away from Fox for a second) in her portrayal and displays no malice or bias. It's also an excellent look at life on the road in the midst of a presidential campaign.
6. Teddy Roosevelt An American Lion (History Channel): TR's biography is a great story in and of itself, but the History channel does a great job of exploring his early years, how he overcame health issues to become a man's man, his Rambo approach to war, his hyperactive presidency and his active post-presidency as well. This documentary gives a lot of information about Teddy's innovative and creative approach to the presidency and to presidential problem solving.
7. The War Room: I used to wonder how a candidate with so much baggage like Bill Clinton was able to topple a sitting president with a 90% approval rating. This documentary gives some of the answers. It portrays a well-run and brilliantly orchestrated campaign and a turning point for presidential politics.
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower (Biography): the Biography team portray Eisenhower the man and the president. Especially interesting for me were Eisenhower's quest for peace, his delicate handling of relations with the Soviet Union, and his struggles with civil rights issues that were reaching a boiling point.
9. Thomas Jefferson (PBS): This is a Ken Burns film and that in and of itself makes this worth watching. Burns doesn't approach Jefferson's life in any linear patter, he mixes it up, focusing on some areas more than others. Jefferson's complicated relationship with John Adams is one of the topics that I found especially interesting, including how it progressed from vitriolic and spiteful to its ultimate reconciliation.
10. Barack Obama By the People: Of the many documentaries about Obama and his rise to the Presidency, I think this is probably the best. It gives a great historical account of the campaign, the memorable primary battles and the movement that lifted Obama to the Presidency. It captures the spirit of hope that surrounded the Obama campaign in 2008.
I think if I had to list a top 10 of dramatic portrayals of presidents, my list would go something like this (without comment):
1. Sam Waterston as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln the miniseries
2. Michael Gambon as Lyndon Johnson in Path to War
3. Paul Giamatti as John Adams in the HBO John Adams miniseries
4. Martin Sheen as John Kennedy in Kennedy the miniseries
5. Gary Sinese as Harry Truman in the HBO movie Truman
6. Anthony Hopkins as Richard Nixon in the Oliver Stone film Nixon
7. Frank Langella as Richard Nixon in Frost Nixon
8. Josh Brolin as George W. Bush in W.
9. Tom Selleck as Dwight D. Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-Day
10. Will Ferrell as George W. Bush in You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush
Finally, I think the best portrayal of a president never cast would be Ralph Fiennes as James K. Polk. Someday when I take over Hollywood, that's the first movie I'll make.