Virtual Political Film Festival

Film Summary Topics Fun Facts

Vice (2018) R Story of Vice President Dick Cheney’s rise to Presidency Produced by Brad Pitt, Directed
Stream on Hulu power. Political by Adam McKay
Parties Stars Christian Bale, Amy
Ideology Adams, Tyler Perry, and Steve
Carell.

Just Mercy The moving story of current Civil Rights Civil rights, Stars Michael B. Jordan,
(2019) PG-13 leader and icon Bryan Stevenson. public policy Jamie Foxx, & Brie Larson

Weiner (2016) R This lauded documentary follows Anthony Elections, Documentary won awards at
Weiner, after a sexting scandal led to his campaigns, Sundance.
resignation from Congress, as he makes an media
attempt at a political comeback.

Citizen Four Edward Snowdon Interview by filmmaker Civil Oscar winner

(2014) R Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn LIberties
Greenwald. Public
Policy

Milk (2008) R Sean Penn won an Oscar for Best Actor for Civil Rights Sean Penn won Oscar for best
Stream on his portrayal of Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s Public actor
Netflix biopic about the equal rights activist who Policy
would become California’s first openly gay
elected official.

Dr. Strangelove Stanley Kubrick’s classic Cold War satire, Foreign Peter Sellers at his best.
(1964) PG widely regarded as one of the greatest policy,
comedies of all time, is essential viewing for presidency
any political junkie.

The War Room Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker’s Presidency, The film was nominated for an
(1993) PG acclaimed documentary of the 1992 campaigns, Oscar for Best Documentary
presidential election , which follows James elections, Feature in 1994.
Carville and George Stephanopoulos as it parties,
chronicles Bill Clinton’s successful campaign. ideology,
media

Wag the Dog Controlling the media narrative is more Media, Willie Nelson sings in it!
(1997) R important than the truth in Barry Levinson’s elections,
dark absurdist comedy about a political fixer campaigns
(Robert De Niro) in cahoots with a Hollywood
producer (Dustin Hoffman) to cover up a
presidential sex scandal. Sound familiar?

American Cultures collide. Hope survives. When a Public Academy Award Winner
Factory (2019) Chinese billionaire re-opens a factory and policy,
NR hires two thousand blue-collar Americans, foreign
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Stream on early days of hope and optimism give way to policy,
Netflix setbacks as high-tech China clashes with ideology
working-class America.

The A thriller that fuses McCarthy communism Presidency, Classic American Political
Manchurian with Cold War paranoia, this Frank Sinatra, campaigns, Thriller
Candidate Angela Lansbury, and Janet Leigh classic political
(1962) PG-13 unravels the mystery of why a brainwashed ideology,
Army hero is plotting to assassinate the political
president. culture,
elections

All The How did Watergate get discovered? Find out Media, Great American Political Thriller
President’s in this thriller. Presidency, starring Robert Redford and
Men (1976) PG public policy Dustin Hoffman

The Post (2017) Set in 1971, The Post depicts the true story of Media, Directed by Stephen Spielberg
PG-13 attempts by journalists at The Washington presidency, and starring Tom Hanks and
Post to publish the infamous "Pentagon judiciary Meryl Streep who got another
Papers", a set of classified documents academy award nomination for
regarding the involvement of the United best actress. Also features Bob
States government in the Vietnam War. Odenkirk!

The Ides of An idealistic staffer for a new presidential Media, What a cast: Ryan Gosling,
March (2011) R candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics presidency, George Clooney, Philip
during his stint on the campaign trail. elections, Seymore Hoffman (RIP), Evan
campaigns Rachel Woods, Paul Giamatti,
Jeffrey Wright, Marisa Tomei,
Oh My.

The Candidate Robert Redford stars in a movie about Campaigns, Robert Redford! 1970s hair!
(1972) PG political corruption and elections. elections, And the movie is funny!
media

Frost/Nixon Frank Langella and Michael Sheen go head- Presidency, Interesting, entertaining,
(2008) R to-head as the disgraced Richard Nixon and media captivating.
the British journalist David Frost, respectively,
in Ron Howard’s adaptation of Peter
Morgan’s play of the same name, which was
based on Frost’s famous 1977 TV interviews
with Nixon.

Mitt (2014) NR Greg Whiteley’s Netflix documentary, which Presidency, Documentary filmed over 6
Stream on screened at Sundance in 2014, follows Mitt campaign, years!
Netflix Romney during his unsuccessful campaigns election,
for the 2008 Republican nomination and in political
the 2012 presidential election. parties,
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ideology

Good Night George Clooney’s drama picked up six Media, David Strathairn stars (and was
and Good Luck Academy Award nominations, including Best Congress, also nominated for an Oscar) as
(2005) PG Picture and Best Director for Clooney. Ideology, Edward R. Murrow. Also stars
Public policy Robert Downey Jr. not as
Ironman.

A Face in the This amusing and terrifying portrayal of a TV- Campaigns, Sound familiar? Sort of like
Crowd (1957) personality-turned-demagogue stars Andy media, 2016 in 1957!
NR Griffith in his big-screen debut as a politician elections,
who hoodwinks a gullible producer, then a policy,
cadre of New York network and advertising ideology
executives and, finally, an entire nation.

Malcolm X Spike Lee’s epic saga of the life of one of the Civil Rights A sweeping epic based on the
(1992) PG-13 civil rights era’s most pivotal and controversial book by Alex Haley is arguably
leaders — featuring a phenomenal Spike Lee’s greatest work.
performance by Denzel Washington in the
title role. A moving testament to the human
capacity for spiritual and political growth.

The Fog of War Former corporate whiz kid Robert McNamara Public Our finest documentarian at
(2003) PG-13 was the controversial Secretary of Defense in policy, work on this Oscar winning
the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Presidency, film.
during the height of the Vietnam War. This Bureaucracy
Academy Award-winning documentary, , Ideology
augmented by archival footage, gives the
conflicted McNamara a platform on which he
attempts to confront his and the U.S.
government's actions in Southeast Asia in
light of the horrors of modern warfare, the end
of ideology and the punitive judgment of
history.

In The Loop Co-written and directed by “Veep” creator Media, With James Gandolfini.
(2009) R Armando Iannucci. A political satire about a public Warning: explicit language. Lots
group of skeptical American and British policy, and lots of bad language.
operatives attempting to prevent a war foreign
between two countries. policy

Charlie True story: A Texas congressman and CIA Public Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Amy
Wilson’s War pal arm mujahideen in Afghanistan against policy, Adams, Emily Blunt, Ned
(2007) R the Soviet Union. But it’s Charlie Wilson’s congress, Beatty, and Philip Seymore
Stream on Hulu moral ambiguity that dominates the lens of bureaucracy Hoffman! What a cast. With set
Mike Nichols, who directs a lofty screenplay , decoration by Nancy Haigh!
from who else, Aaron Sorkin. Tom Hanks and presidency,
Philip Seymour Hoffman star. foreign
policy
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22 films

Curious for more. Here’s the Washington Post’s list of the best political movies ever. And if you
can find a great political film to review just run the summary of the film past me before you
review it and I’ll let you know if it works for this project.

Complete the following for any four of the films from our list:

1. Explain your rating of this film (use any scale, like 1-5 stars, rotten tomatometer, etc.):

2. Explain which scene you enjoyed the most and explain what made it memorable.

3. Explain which member of the cast was the best.

4. Describe something you learned about US government and politics in the film.
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5. In what way was the film’s portrayal of American government and politics most
accurate?

6. In what way was the film’s portrayal of American government and politics least accurate?

7. Explain whether you would recommend that the entire class watch this film.

8. Explain why you think this film was included on a list of political films. In other words,
what made it political?

9. Let’s say that a friend of yours wanted to watch the film and asked you what it was
about. Share your answer in less than three sentences.

10. Let’s say the director wanted to update the story and place the action in the present day
(post 9/11, Trumpism, Covid-19). Describe the summary of a scene that they might add
to update the film.

11. What about this film surprised you the most?

12. Describe the point of view of the filmmaker and describe two facts, scenes, or moments
that illustrate that point of view?

13. Describe something new you learned in the film. It could be a fact, an idea, a way of
thinking?

14. Describe one thing you would change about the film to make it better.

15. Explain whether you would recommend this film to a friend.

16. Describe a one minute trailer for this film. You could write a script or describe what you
would show in a trailer.