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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"The American President" was
a script idea floating around Hollywood since the
late 1970s. Originally entitled "The President
Elopes," it was first conceived as a flat-out
farce and then later as a serious melodrama,
before falling into the capable hands of director
Rob Reiner. Re-titled and rewritten, the resulting
film is a lush and lovely pre-Clinton scenario
about what would happen if a U.S. President
decided to date while still in office. There are
shades of "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" (Frank
Capra Jr. was an associate producer on the film)
as well as poignant romantic touches that herald
all the way back to vintage romances of the '40s.
Ultimately, Reiner's flair for this sort of film
(as he's proven numerous times with such vintage
romantic comedies as "When Harry Met Sally" and
"Primary Colors") is in rare and wonderful form on
this occasion. "The American President" is a film
you will want to cherish for decades to come.
President Andrew Shepard (Michael Douglas) is the
most popular President in recent history. He's
beloved by the voters and admired by his staff.
But an unexpected political quagmire stems from a
burgeoning romance with opinionated activist
Sidney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening). She's
determined to get legislature passed for a clean
air bill. At first insulting, Sidney's heart melts
after an unexpected presidential invitation to a
state dinner leads to a night of romantic
possibilities. Advised against pursuing this
relationship by Vice President A.J. MacInerney
(Martin Sheen) and his overzealous press secretary
and speechwriter Lewis Rothchild (Michael J. Fox),
President Shepard decides to throw caution to the
wind anyway and very shortly discovers himself
embroiled in a desperate second bid for the White
House.
Ultimately, what emerges from the chaos is a
touching, sentimental and witty romantic comedy
that warmed the heart. The vintage cast is rounded
out by stellar cameos from David Paymer, Richard
Dreyfuss and Samantha Mathias.
Unfortunately, there's nothing stellar about the
DVD transfer from Warner Brothers. It's not
anamorphic and is riddled with every kind of
digital anomaly known on the digital format. There
is excessive digital and film grain. Colors, while
generally nicely balanced, appear harshly
contrasted and under saturated. Aliasing,
shimmering of fine details, excessive edge
enhancement and extreme digital tiling create a
gritty, harsh and overly distracting visual
presentation. Pixelization breaks up any and all
fine detail in background information. Overall,
this disc is a resounding disappointment and one
in desperate need of a new remastering effort. The
soundtrack has been remastered to 5.1 but one
wonders why the extra effort has been taken. There
are no extras! |
