The President of the United States has been a subject of many movies
in Hollywood history. From the earliest days of cinema, in films such as
The Birth of a Nation (1915), The Fighting Roosevelts (1919) or Young Mr.
Lincoln (1939), to the present day, in films such as Nixon (1990) and Dick
(1999), many real-life U.S. presidents have been portrayed in the most
different ways. In the years before crises like Watergate, Vietnam and the
growing media coverage have demystified the presidency, most of these reallife
portrayals have shown the President as a wise heroic man, almost like a
saint (Edelman 323). In the years after these events, Hollywood lost its
respect for the presidency discovering that the man in charge was human
and that he also makes mistakes (323). Since Hollywood likes to adapt
politics, it is no surprise that politics adapted Hollywood, too. The simple
fact that Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980 was subject for
several jokes in one of the most successful movies of 1985, Back To The
Future. In this time-travel film, Marty McFly (Michael J.Fox) accidentally
travels to the year 1955 where he tries to find the inventor of the time
machine, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), to help him get back to 1985.
After having found him, Doc Brown does not believe Marty’s story. In order
to find out, if Marty’s story is true, Doc asks him the following question:
Doc Brown: Then tell me, Future Boy, who’s President of the United
States in 1985?
Marty McFly: Ronald Reagan.
Doc Brown: Ronald Reagan? The actor? Ha! Then, who’s Vice President?
Jerry Lewis? I suppose Jane Wyman is the First Lady and Jack
Bennetty is Secretary of Treasury !
Marty McFly: Doc, you gotta listen to me !
Doc Brown: I got enough practical jokes for one evening. Good night,
Future Boy.
And later in the film, when Marty shows Doc Brown the recording of his
camcorder, Doc Brown is amazed about this technological invention and cries
out: “No wonder your president has to be an actor, he’s gotta look good on
television.“ [...]
Table of Contents
I. The President in Hollywood’s history
A. Early Beginnings
B. Present Day
C. Back to the Future
D. Ficticious presidential characters
II. The public’s expectations of the President
A. Addressing the Nation
B. Moral Leadership
III. Reactions of the President in a situation of crisis
A. Deep Impact
B. Independence Day
C. Mars Attacks!
IV. Evaluation of the President’s performances.
A. President Beck
B. President Whitmore
C. President Dale
V. Adaptation of the ficticious actions to real-life
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines how the representation of the American Presidency in contemporary Hollywood movies evolves and functions, specifically focusing on how fictional presidents handle extreme crises. The central research question explores whether these cinematic portrayals reflect realistic presidential expectations and how the depictions of leadership vary across different science-fiction narratives.
- Evolution of presidential representations in Hollywood history.
- Public expectations regarding presidential address and moral leadership.
- Comparative analysis of crisis management in Deep Impact, Independence Day, and Mars Attacks!.
- Evaluation of presidential performance through cinematic archetypes.
- The intersection of fictional presidential actions and real-life political expectations.
Excerpt from the Book
Reactions of the President in a situation of crisis
The President in Deep Impact (directed by Mimi Leder), Tom Beck, is portrayed by Academy-Award Nominee Morgan Freeman. Although his on-screen time is relatively short, he is playing the key-role for the fate of the United States. In his first press-conference, he explains the situation of the imminent threat posed by the comet to the press and the public in a calm and confident way, he knows what he is talking about. By freezing prices and wages he also takes the neccessary steps to ensure that life will go on as normal. Even though he does give an evasive answer to reporter Jenny Lerner’s (Téa Leoni) final question, he assures that: „Life will go on. We will prevail.“
In his second appearance —an address to the nation— he informs the public that Messiah mission to destroy the comet has failed. It is interesting that it is the President who announces the failure and not the news media like MSNBC who were covering the entire mission. Once again, President Beck calmly explains what will happen next: „What do we do? You have a choice, we have a choice. Right now. It is only prudent that we now take cautionary steps to ensure the continuation of our way of life. To guarantee that there will be enough of us left to rebuild a new world in the unlikely event that the comets do strike the earth.“
Summary of Chapters
I. The President in Hollywood’s history: Provides an overview of how cinematic portrayals of U.S. presidents have shifted from heroic, saintly figures to more human, fallible characters over time.
II. The public’s expectations of the President: Examines the theoretical expectations placed on presidents, including their roles as moral leaders and the specific linguistic patterns used in public addresses.
III. Reactions of the President in a situation of crisis: Analyzes how the fictional presidents in Deep Impact, Independence Day, and Mars Attacks! specifically respond to existential threats and crises.
IV. Evaluation of the President’s performances.: Critically assesses the leadership qualities and effectiveness of President Beck, President Whitmore, and President Dale within their respective films.
V. Adaptation of the ficticious actions to real-life: Discusses the applicability of these cinematic depictions to real-world politics, ultimately questioning the realism of these movie presidents.
Keywords
American Presidency, Hollywood movies, crisis management, Deep Impact, Independence Day, Mars Attacks!, leadership, political communication, presidential address, moral leadership, cinema, fiction, Tom Beck, Thomas J. Whitmore, President Dale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the representation of the American Presidency in contemporary Hollywood films, focusing on how fictional presidents handle extreme crisis situations.
What are the central themes discussed?
The study covers the evolution of presidential imagery in film, public and media expectations of presidential behavior, and the varying degrees of leadership effectiveness portrayed in movies.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze how different films portray the President’s reaction to crisis and whether these depictions align with or challenge real-life expectations of presidential authority.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author employs a comparative film analysis, contrasting three specific science-fiction movies to evaluate presidential performance based on rhetoric, decision-making, and public perception.
What is examined in the main section?
The main section investigates the specific presidential characters in Deep Impact, Independence Day, and Mars Attacks!, contrasting their responses to national disasters.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include American Presidency, Hollywood, crisis management, cinematic representation, leadership, and public expectations.
How does President Beck’s portrayal differ from the others?
President Beck is depicted as the most realistic, calm, and composed leader who effectively maintains public order throughout a dire catastrophe.
Why is President Dale considered the least successful leader?
President Dale is portrayed as a farce, characterized by indecisiveness, reliance on others, and a primary concern for his own survival rather than the welfare of the nation.
- Quote paper
- Uwe Sperlich (Author), 1999, Presidents Under Pressure or how fictional presidents handle situations of extreme crisis in the movies "Deep Impact", "Independence Day", and "Mars Attacks!", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/14454
