The American President (1995) on Netflix
PG-1319951h 54mComedyDramaRomance
Andrew Shepherd, a widowed president nearing the end of his first term, wants a crime bill passed. He meets Sydney Ellen Wade, an environmental lobbyist, and invites her to a state dinner.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb6.9/1065,972 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes91%
Trailer
Plot summary
Andrew Shepherd is the President of the United States and is nearing the end of his first term. He is a widower with a young daughter, and he is popular with the public. His staff is working to pass a moderate crime control bill. He meets Sydney Ellen Wade, a lawyer at an environmental lobbying firm. His cousin Judith, who was to host a state dinner for the French president, is sick, so he invites Sydney to the dinner as his guest.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The American President (1995)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Sorkin told TV Guide he wrote the screenplay while high on crack cocaine and living at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, which is why it took him three years to complete.
- Robert Redford approached a number of screenwriters with the single-line premise "the president elopes" and was attached to star, but dropped out when Rob Reiner came aboard to direct; his publicist said Redford wanted a love story while Reiner wanted something ultimately about politics.
- William Richert sued the Writers Guild of America over not being credited, claiming Sorkin's screenplay was a thinly veiled plagiarism of his own 1981 screenplay The President Elopes; after Guild arbitration, Sorkin was awarded full credit.
- An extensive White House set of both the East and West Wings was built on the Castle Rock Entertainment lot in Culver City, and the set's Oval Office was later reused for the films Nixon and Independence Day.
- In the 2016 presidential election, candidate Ted Cruz paraphrased the film after Donald Trump insulted his wife, saying Heidi was way out of his league, alluding to the speech President Shepherd made about Rumson's attacks on Sydney Ellen Wade.
- The screenplay inspired many aspects of Sorkin's later television drama The West Wing; both productions follow the staff of a largely idealized White House and, like many of Sorkin's projects, share ideologies.
