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Review: A worshipful biopic of the 40th president, ‘Reagan’ is historical hooey — and a slog too

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Review: A worshipful biopic of the 40th president, 'Reagan' is historical hooey — and a slog too

As someone who lived through Ronald Reagan’s presidency and witnessed his transformative impact on American politics and global affairs, I find “Reagan” to be a disappointingly shallow portrayal of a complex man. The film seems to be more about myth-making than historical accuracy, painting Reagan as an unyielding hero who single-handedly brought down the Soviet Union without acknowledging the complexities of the Cold War or the role of other factors in its demise.

In simpler terms, “Sean McNamara’s faith-based biopic ‘Reagan,’ portrays Ronald Reagan in a manner similar to sainthood within movies, following him from his years in Hollywood to his two presidential terms as the 40th President.”

As a movie critic, I must admit that Quaid is an actor known for his robust performances, deserving of substantial roles. However, in this film, he seems like nothing more than a lifeless imitation, the radiant exterior obscuring an empty characterization carefully crafted for religious conservatives with limited historical understanding and intolerance towards complexity. If one can envision a spectator perceiving Phil Hartman’s portrayal of Reagan in the classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch as an accurate representation of geopolitical intelligence hidden behind a bumbling demeanor, then you might grasp the impression that “Reagan” leaves.

Of course, that legendary bit played on wide skepticism that our folksy prez played dumb with the Iran-Contra scandal, hence its hilarious picture of Reagan as a criminal mastermind. Here, though, with every ham-fisted scene of myth-mired heroism, McNamara and screenwriter Howard Klausner seek veneration for the Man Who Ended Communism: the guy who’d had the reds in his sights for decades; the sincere smile that hid a fierce warrior; the Christian whose perfect long game — star to Screen Actors Guild head to FBI informant to governor to world leader making folksy quips — inevitably shattered the godless Soviet Union.

Such conveniently selective determinism — leaving out Russia’s self-destruction, the will of oppressed people in other countries, and how Reagan broke his own nation too — would be historical hooey without the added bizarreness of this movie’s present-day narrative device: a crusty old Soviet spy called Viktor (Jon Voight) looking back. To a green young Russian agent, he tells with sinister admiration the story of his nemesis the Crusader — also the name of the adoring Reagan biography the film draws from. Viktor knew all along that this American was the only true threat the West ever produced.

Review: A worshipful biopic of the 40th president, 'Reagan' is historical hooey — and a slog too

It’s a story of a good guy facing down Hollywood Commies, showing 1960s campus protesters a thing or two, and with a few phrases bringing a vicious superpower to its knees. But also a story of doing TV ads in the ’50s, courting an actress (poor, poor Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy) and buying a ranch in Santa Ynez. Admittedly arcane topics for a pair of Russian spooks. Choose well those framing devices, aspiring screenwriters.

The film “Reagan” is so hurriedly constructed with forced scenes, unconvincing dialogue, and a lack of focus on characters’ inner lives that it feels more like a hastily compiled timeline of significant events rather than an intelligent exploration of the end of the Cold War. When the pace slows slightly for the Gorbachev (Olek Krupa) talks, one yearns for a smarter, more nuanced movie about this era, which this version fails to imagine due to its focus on binary moments that simply state “He couldn’t!” but ultimately prove “But he did!”.

McNamara never missed an opportunity to dismiss AIDS as trivial, merely fitting it into a careless montage of unrelated issues that could potentially harm Reagan’s re-election bid. Even though the situation was grave, Nancy urged her husband’s campaign team, “Let Ronnie be Ronnie!” In the end, this blasé attitude paid off when Mondale won an impressive 49 states in a debate. Viktor seemed particularly disheartened by the outcome. Regrettably, there seems to be no mention of the impact this situation might have had on the struggling LGBTQ community.

The overly polished sheen persists even after the credits roll, as it delves further into a detail from Reagan’s stay at his host’s house during the Geneva Summit: While he occupied his son’s bedroom, unfortunately, the boy’s goldfish passed away. It’s a charming anecdote that the President of the United States left behind an apology note for the boy, but it’s portrayed as more than just politeness – it’s like the “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” moment. However, McNamara needed to clear his name, and so, after the credits, we see the boy’s written statement, asserting that his VIP guest was not responsible for the fish’s demise. Fish deaths are commonplace – nothing to write home about! This ends the movie on a note of childish adulation.

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2024-08-30 21:01

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