Hollywood Bringing ‘Reagan’ to the Big Screen; What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
**Written by Doug Powers
I thought for sure Oliver Stone would be the first to bring a film about Ronald Reagan to the big screen, but the fact that he’s not doesn’t mean the movie might not be Stone-esque in its approach to the movie:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – The story of Ronald Reagan’s life — from boyhood to Hollywood actor to leader of the free world — is about to spill out on the big screen in a way quite different from the miniseries that caused such a stir seven years ago.
The feature film, titled “Reagan” and sporting a $30 million production budget, is set for release late next year and will be based on two best-selling biographies of the 40th U.S. president by Paul Kengor: “The Crusader” and “God and Ronald Reagan.”
Jonas McCord, who is not a Reagan fan, wrote the script. “I was of the opinion that at best he was a bad actor and at worst a clown,” McCord said.
But maybe there’s hope after all — the movie’s producer takes a more positive tone:
Hollywood’s last attempt to depict Reagan was the 2003 miniseries “The Reagans,” which starred James Brolin. It was supposed to air on CBS until a controversy erupted over alleged left-wing bias and it was relegated to sibling premium cable outlet Showtime. It was seen by 1.2 million people.
“Only in Hollywood could you make an insulting, condescending movie about a much-loved historical figure, hire an actor who loathes the man, watch it flop and then somehow conclude that Americans don’t want to see a movie about him,” said producer Mark Joseph, who optioned the books four years ago.
As someone who was and is a huge admirer of Ronald Reagan, I’ll remain in cringe-mode indefinitely. Hollywood often manages to find a way to tarnish the memory of people they liked, let alone those they hold in lower esteem.
Obligatory: A partial casting call:
Robert Duvall as Ronald Reagan
Calista Flockhart as Nancy Reagan
Tommy Tune as Ron Reagan Jr.
Alanis Morissette as Patti Davis Reagan
Kate Beckinsale as Jane Wyman
Tom Hanks as Alexander Haig
Ed Asner as Mikhail Gorbachev
Betty White as Margaret Thatcher
Rosie O’Donnell as John Hinckley Jr.
Jodie Foster as Jodie Foster
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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The truly sad part is that future generations will get their impression of historical figures this way.
My 2 cents.
All of these docu-dramas and historically inaccurate films don’t really bother me. It’s just socialist revisionist history at work. I haven’t gone to the movies in ages and I don’t plan to start again.
But don’t worry. The Soviet Union collapsed, the Berlin wall fell, and the world was a better place because of Ronald Reagan. Hollyweird can’t change that and the historical pendulum has a way of eventually settling in the middle.
I was thinking Pee Wee Herman.
Who would play George Sr.?
Good call, Doug. I would add
Jason Gordon Levitt as John Lennon
and
Jason Bateman as Mark David Chapman.
oh, frig…
Joseph Gordon Levitt
I also am concerned about all the “historical” films. People get most of their “history” from fiction. They believe what they see on the screen and take it as fact. That is why they are so ill-informed about what our history really is and why our country is unique and great. This is, I believe, one of the biggest reasons were are in the mess we are in today. Forgetting our history dooms us to make the same mistakes over and over…and soon the mistakes become fatal. My ancestors who fought in the American Revolution are crying out to be remembered and honored!!!
Any ideas about how this script will read? I’ll go out on a limb and predict this movie will be a flop.
That IS sad.
HOWEVER, if they make a movie about Obama, I think Al Pacino should play Rahm Emmanuel — remember the movie in which Pacino played the devil?
It always does my heart good to see Hollywood spend IT’S money among the little people, and have a huge flop. The only problem is, the taxpayer always gets stuck for a portion of the bill. A flat tax would eliminate the “heads I win, tails you lose” aspect of our tax laws, and get people back to the Leave it to Beaver days where you gambled with your money, and when you lost you jumped out of the Wall Street high rise. Now People gamble with the taxpayers money, and the taxpayer gets to commit suicide by cop.
Hey Jonas, you ain’t worthy enough to drink Ronald Reagan’s bath water.
I believe one of the main issues with the TV miniseries was that, at one point, James Brolin as Reagan says, “Those who live in sin shall die in sin”, or words to that effect, regarding people suffering and dying from AIDS. There was no corroboration for Reagan ever having said such a thing, but the liberal meme was that he didn’t care about AIDS due to the nature of the disease and the people who had it, so those words were put into his mouth by the writer and the actor.
As for this new Reagan project, I am somewhat reassured by the words from the producer; maybe he can keep his leftist attack-dog of a writer on a leash. I’ll take a wait-and-see attitude.
Seems Hollywood is still bent on insulting good people. The Left cannot accept that there is no one on their side who could rival Ronald Reagan in stature. The glaring green in Hollywood is envy.
Just curious….
How in the world could a Hollywood producer’s words reassure anyone on this side of our cultural civil war?
On September 8th, 2010 at 10:55 am, granite said:
—————————————-
Because he called the previous film “insulting and condescending” and thought the people involved were foolish and should not have been surprised their film tanked.
There may still be a few good apples left in that barrell.
The victor writes the history. Since Hollywood, universities, judges, book publishers, the media, and certain large newspapers are owned by the left, the history of Reagan will be continually tarnished until the left’s view is the accepted view.
And sometimes people fall 20 feet or so off a ladder and remain uninjured.
So, speaking strictly, you are not “wrong”.
For me, a Hollywood producer’s words and a dollar (or a buck fifty) will get you a cup of coffee.
After watching Alan Colmes quietly claim that ‘supply side economics has been proven to be a failure’ earlier this morning, I have no doubt that this movie will be based in the ideological lies of the left.
Fortunatly, for today, people can see and hear some of the speaches given by Reagan himself. Unfortunatly, it is not possible to trust the left wingers at youtube to allow this in the future.
What we will need is a new competitor for youtube that will not impose the censorship of the left.
The tarnishing you refer to will stop only when the fascists’/socialists’ view is utterly discredited; and exposed so that it is clearly seen as, and easily understood as, the obvious, evil, destructive fraud that it actually is.
Three words – straight to video
Red State is coming too.
There’s always money in Hwood for another conservative bashing!
LOL–ThatSam:
straight to dustbin!
I would rather get the Soviet perspective. Seriously, at least they respected the man.
In a movie, I can’t remember which, Kevin Smith played a geek/loser living in the basement of his Mom’s crappy house.
A couple of things: it’s always just ‘Mom’ (no ‘Dad’) and that’s Smith playing himself.
***
Thank you President Ronald Reagan. For your positive optimistic personality. For your strong faith in God and in the American People. For your strength in defending our country against the evil Islamists and the evil U.S.S.R.–and for breaking the 50 year long communist grip on Eastern Europe without taking us to war. For cleaning up Jimmy Carter’s damage to our economy.
***
To paraphrase Comrade Obama (PBUH)–HE WON! And so did the American People–and many Europeans regained their liberty. Unlike what is going on now as the clueless Messiah trashes our country and destroys our economy. And fails to try to take down Iran Mullah regime and help the oppressed people there. And enables our country’s enemies. We’re losing now.
***
May God Bless your soul, President Reagan. Great job–no movies needed at my house–I saw it happen.
***
John Bibb
***
Just like they did with Joe McCarthy.
My suggestions:
Chris Matthews as Vladimir Posner
Keith Olbermann as Manuel Noriega
Sean Penn as Daniel Ortega
Enough said.
Skipped the showtime version, no newd to see this version either, saw the original as it was being made.
Chris Rock as Rev Jesse Jackson
Jimmy Carter as Walter Mondale.
Matt Damon as Ollie North?
Jim Belushi as Lech Walesa?
Mark Harman as Oliver North
Faith Hill as Fawn Hall
Al Gore as Leonoid Brezhnev
John Goodman as George Schultz
Charles Durning as Michael Gorbachev
This is a joke, right??? It isn’t!!! Well, hells bells, put me down for a viewing… That is right after I do my scheduled viewing of “W”, that H’wood put together a ways back!!!
My two dreams:
1. To visit the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, and
2. To see George W. Bush in person.
Guess what I’m doing on November 18th; I’m attending a GWB dinner/leadership lecture at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley!
Happy Birthday present from my family. Woot!
Now, more on topic: In my opinion, nobody can make a movie about Reagan that will change a single mind about the man or his legacy. We know the truth and are going to continue to tell it to everyone we meet.
Tommy Tune as Ronald Reagaon Ii (Junior).
Ronald Reagan Jr. was a ballet and modern dancer. Tommy Tune was known for his stage-tap dancing.
How about this: Rahm Emmanuelle as Ronald Reagan, Jr., especially if this will be a hate filled screed movie against the Real Ronald Reagan, recasting his history as something fictitious and malevolent.
Too bad Bruce Lee isn’t around. He could play Ronald Reagan in a positive movie about Ronald Reagan. They could show Ronald Reagan engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Commusnists, Fascists, Socialists, etc., and taking on dozens of bad guys and kicking their butts as Bruce Lee has in Enter the Dragon, Fists of Fury (The Big Boss), Chinese Connection, and Return of the Dragon (Way of the Dragon).
Long live Ronald Reagan! Long live Bruce Lee! (at least their memory).
Remember the movie The Hurricane about boxer Ruben Carter? They tried to say he was innocent, etc. All lies.
There was a movie about the Rosenbergs claiming they were innocent and that they were railroaded. Except that their co-defendant, in 2006 I believe, admitted that yes, he and the Rosenbergs were spies and did give away our nuclear secrets to the Soviets.
Remember the movie Inherit the Wind about the Scopes trial? If they remade it today with all that we know about what really happened, they’d have to do it as a screwball comedy. Read Summer for the Gods; it will explain it all.
Ain’t revisionist socialist history wonnerful?
Well, there’s your problem. I can’t stand to watch Colmes, who was labeled “the corpse” by my teenage daughter.