The American President (feat. Linda Holmes)
Unclear and Present Danger
Jamelle Bouie
4.7 • 660 Ratings
🗓️ 17 September 2023
⏱️ 79 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For this week’s episode, Jamelle and John were joined by Linda Holmes of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Our to discuss the 1995 political romantic comedy “The American President,” directed by Rob Reiner, written by — you guessed it — Aaron Sorkin, and starring Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, David Paymer, Samantha Mathis and Michael J. Fox, among others.
“The American President” stars Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd, a widow, who falls in love with an environmental lobbyist, played by Annette Bening, while he also runs for re-election and attempts to pass major legislation. The film is both a romantic comedy, depicting the president’s courtship, and a political drama, depicting the effort to win votes, dodge criticism and shore up the White House’s political position.
The tagline for “The American President” is “Why can’t the most powerful man in the world have the one thing he wants most?”
“The American President” is available for rent or purchase on Amazon and iTunes.
Our next episode will on the 1995 science-fiction thriller, “Twelve Monkeys.”
Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The President has asked me to convey to you that he's sending his energy bill to the floor with a call for a 10% reduction. |
| 0:06.0 | The President's expecting our full support. |
| 0:09.0 | Yes, he is, Sydney. |
| 0:10.0 | The President's dreaming, AJ. |
| 0:11.0 | The President has critically misjudged reality. |
| 0:13.0 | If he honestly thinks that the environmental community is going to whistle a happy tune while rallying support around this pitifully lame mockery of environmental leadership then your boss is the chief executive of fantasy |
| 0:24.1 | lamp I'm mr. president how are you today I couldn't be better my apologies for |
| 0:28.2 | the interruption mr. president I don't know what to say I'm speechless all |
| 0:33.5 | evidence the contrary what would happen if I called Sidney Wade and asked her to be my date at the state dinner on Thursday evening? |
| 0:43.3 | President, you can't just go out on a date. |
| 0:45.3 | I'm having dinner at the White House. |
| 0:46.3 | I'm having lunch at the Kremlin. |
| 0:48.3 | Would you like to dance? |
| 0:50.3 | Yeah, I guess. |
| 0:53.3 | I mean, yes, sir. |
| 0:56.3 | I'd love to. |
| 0:58.6 | Never mind that she is the hired gun of an ultra-liberal political action committee. |
| 1:04.2 | And never mind that his 12-year-old daughter is sleeping down the hall. |
| 1:08.1 | Lucy, you okay with this? |
| 1:09.1 | Am I having dinner with a lady? |
| 1:10.5 | Dad, it's cool. |
| 1:12.1 | Just go for it. |
... |
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