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  • Best Movies About American Presidents

    Bill Pullman in 'Independence Day'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
    Bill Pullman in ‘Independence Day’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

    Monday, February 17th is President’s Day in the United States. Coinciding in the same month as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, the holiday is now used to celebrate all U.S. Presidents, past and present.

    Over the years, there have been many great movies to feature U.S. Presidents, both real and fictional. From Bill Pullman‘s President Thomas J. Whitmore fighting aliens in ‘Independence Day,’ to Daniel Day LewisOscar winning performance as “Honest Abe” in ‘Lincoln,’ now is a perfect time to look back at the greatest movies about American Presidents of all-time.

    Let’s Begin!


    25. ‘White House Down‘ (2013)

    (L to R) Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx in 'White House Dead'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    (L to R) Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx in ‘White House Dead’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    Capitol Policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum) has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). Not wanting to let down his little girl (Joey King) with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation’s government falling into chaos and time running out, it’s up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country.

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    24. ‘Hyde Park on Hudson‘ (2012)

    The story of the love affair between FDR (Bill Murray) and his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley (Laura Linney), centered around the weekend in 1939 when the King (Samuel West) and Queen (Olivia Colman) of the United Kingdom visited upstate New York.

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    23. ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter‘ (2012)

    President Lincoln’s (Benjamin Walker) mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.

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    22. ‘LBJ‘ (2017)

    The story of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson (Woody Harrelson) from his young days in West Texas to the White House.

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    21. ‘Nixon‘ (1995)

    A look at President Richard M. Nixon (Anthony Hopkins), a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands from within—spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking Watergate scandal that would end his Presidency.

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    20. ‘Elvis & Nixon‘ (2016)

    (L to R) Kevin Spacey and Michael Shannon in 'Elvis & Nixon'. Photo: Amazon Studios / Bleecker Street.
    (L to R) Kevin Spacey and Michael Shannon in ‘Elvis & Nixon’. Photo: Amazon Studios / Bleecker Street.

    In 1970, a few days before Christmas, Elvis Presley (Michael Shannon) showed up on the White House lawn seeking to be deputized into the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs by the President (Kevin Spacey) himself.

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    19. ‘The Butler‘ (2013)

    A look at the life of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) who served eight presidents as the White Houses head butler from 1952 to 1986 and had a unique front-row seat as political and racial history was made.

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    18. ‘W.‘ (2008)

    The story of the eventful life of George W. Bush (Josh Brolin), his struggles and triumphs how he found both his wife and his faith and the critical days leading up to his decision to invade Iraq.

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    17. ‘Captain America: Brave New World‘ (2025)

    After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam (Anthony Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

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    16. ‘Frost/Nixon‘ (2008)

    For three years after being forced from office, Nixon (Frank Langella) remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting David Frost (Michael Sheen) as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost’s team harboured doubts about their boss’s ability to hold his own. But as the cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted.

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    15. ‘Primary Colors‘ (1998)

    John Travolta in 'Primary Colors'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    John Travolta in ‘Primary Colors’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef about Bill Clinton’s 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta). Burton is pulled into the politician’s colorful world and looks on as Stanton — who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall — contends with his ambitious wife, Susan (Emma Thompson), and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton).

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    14. ‘Dick‘ (1999)

    Two high school girls (Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams) wander off during a class trip to the White House and meet President Richard Nixon (Dan Hedaya). They become the official dog walkers for Nixon’s dog Checkers, and become his secret advisors during the Watergate scandal.

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    13. ‘Reagan‘ (2024)

    Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich (Jon Voight), a former KGB agent whose life becomes inextricably linked with Ronald Reagan’s when Reagan (Dennis Quaid) first caught the Soviets’ attention as an actor in Hollywood, this film offers a perspective as unique as it is captivating.

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    12. ‘Vice‘ (2018)

    George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) picks Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), the CEO of Halliburton Co., to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney’s impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and Defense Secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world.

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    11. ‘Olympus Has Fallen‘ (2013)

    When the White House Secret Service Code “Olympus” is captured by a terrorist mastermind (Rick Yune) and the President (Aaron Eckhart) is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) finds himself trapped within the building. As the national security team scrambles to respond they are forced to rely on Banning’s inside knowledge to help retake the White House save the President and avert an even bigger disaster.

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    10. ‘The Contender‘ (2000)

    Jeff Bridges in 'The Contender'. Photo: DreamWorks Pictures.
    Jeff Bridges in ‘The Contender’. Photo: DreamWorks Pictures.

    The vice president is dead and as the president (Jeff Bridges) makes his choice for a replacement as a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival. When Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.

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    9. ‘Thirteen Days‘ (2000)

    The story of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the nuclear standoff with the USSR sparked by the discovery by the Americans of missile bases established on the Soviet-allied island of Cuba.

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    8. ‘Independence Day‘ (1996)

    On July 2, a giant alien mothership enters orbit around Earth and deploys several dozen saucer-shaped ‘destroyer’ spacecraft that quickly lay waste to major cities around the planet. On July 3, the United States conducts a coordinated counterattack that fails. On July 4, a plan is devised to gain access to the interior of the alien mothership in space, in order to plant a nuclear missile.

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    7. ‘The Apprentice‘ (2024)

    A young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), eager to make his name as a hungry scion of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the cutthroat attorney who would help create the Donald Trump we know today. Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protégé—someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

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    6. ‘Dave‘ (1993)

    A sweet-natured Temp Agency operator and amateur Presidential lookalike (Kevin Kline) is recruited by the Secret Service to become a temporary stand-in for the President of the United States.

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    5. ‘Air Force One‘ (1997)

    Harrison Ford in 'Air Force One'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    Harrison Ford in ‘Air Force One’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    When Russian neo-nationalists hijack Air Force One the worlds most secure and extraordinary aircraft the President (Harrison Ford) is faced with a nearly impossible decision to give in to terrorist demands or sacrifice not only the country’s dignity but the lives of his wife (Wendy Crewson) and daughter (Liesel Matthews).

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    4. ‘The American President‘ (1995)

    Widowed U.S. president Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), one of the world’s most powerful men, can have anything he wants — and what he covets most is Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), a Washington lobbyist. But Shepherd’s attempts at courting her spark wild rumors and decimate his approval ratings.

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    3. ‘All the President’s Men‘ (1976)

    During the 1972 elections, two reporters’ (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.

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    2. ‘JFK‘ (1991)

    Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner).

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    1. ‘Lincoln‘ (2012)

    Daniel Day-Lewis in 'Lincoln.' Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
    Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘Lincoln.’ Photo: Walt Disney Studios.

    The revealing story of the 16th US Presidents tumultuous final months in office In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) pursues a course of action designed to end the war unite the country and abolish slavery With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come

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  • 8 Great Movie Presidents And 1 That Wasn’t

    8 Great Movie Presidents And 1 That Wasn’t

    Hollywood likes high-stakes stories, so making a movie about a US President immediately fits that bill. We’ve put together a list of eight great movie Presidents that have done everything from balancing budgets to stopping alien invasions. And just by way of comparison, we’ve thrown in one president that maybe wasn’t so great. All of these movies are currently streaming, so pick your favorite movie President and give yourself an Executive Order to watch their movie.


    Dave Kovic: Dave (1993)

    Kevin Kline in 'Dave'
    Kevin Kline in ‘Dave’

    “Hail to the Chief, he’s the one we all say hail to.” It’s no wonder Dave (Kevin Kline) is singing, since being a dead ringer for the sitting President is a pretty good side gig–especially when the President’s staff approaches you to work for the White House directly. But when the President suffers a stroke, Dave takes over the Oval Office and all the responsibilities that come with it–including being the husband of a very angry wife (Sigourney Weaver). Dave is charming, warm, and totally un-Presidential, so it’s no surprise that everyone ends up loving him.
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    Thomas Whitmore: Independence Day (1996)

    Bill Pullman in 'Independence Day'
    Bill Pullman in ‘Independence Day’

    Bill Pullman is the Prez in charge when the world gets invaded by pushy aliens who have a fondness for blowing up landmarks and people holding signs of welcome. He’s more of a rough-and-tumble guy, and even withstands a psychic attack from the aliens in Area 51. But once he knows their plan, he helps mobilize forces against them, and gives an unforgettable speech that is even more badass than how he hops into a fighter jet of his own right after wrapping it up.
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    James Marshall: Air Force One (1997)

    Harrison Ford in 'Air Force One'
    Harrison Ford in ‘Air Force One’

    Harrison Ford, at a fancy dinner in Moscow, declares that the United States will not negotiate with terrorists, and that the capture of Russia’s dictator Ivan Radek (Gary Oldman) was just. That’s all it takes for Radek to enact his dastardly plan for his team to take over the President’s plane with himself, his staff, and his family still on it. As a Medal of Honor winner and veteran, Marshall is not one to back down from a fight. And even though the space on a plane is limited, somehow this movie manages to be a riveting cat and mouse game, with Marshall (and the writers of the screenplay) delivering one-liners that land with…well, the force of an explosion on Air Force One (too soon?).
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    Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho: Idiocracy (2006)

    Terry Crews in 'Idiocracy'
    Terry Crews in ‘Idiocracy’

    Say what you will about President Camacho’s intellect, but man, can that guy wear a puffy red white and blue blouse. Terry Crews plays this President leading a troubled, dumb-as-rocks United States as they face a critical food shortage in 2505. Bleak times don’t stop Camacho from wowing the crowd with a State of the Union address, though, that we secretly hope is how they go down in 484 years. Or next year. Whatever.
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    Mays Gilliam: Head of State (2003)

    Chris Rock in 'Head of State'
    Chris Rock in ‘Head of State’

    Plenty of people can get behind the idea of comedic genius Chris Rock being President–especially in the form of Mays Gilliam, a Washington D.C. alderman who turns hero and Democratic nominee for the highest office in the United States. Of course initially, the Dems thought they had already lost the race and chose Gilliam as a token candidate, but as soon as he starts spouting truths that the people want to hear, his campaign picks up steam, and audiences are left with rousing speeches yelling “That ain’t right!” on their couches.
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    James Sawyer: White House Down (2013)

    Jamie Foxx in 'White House Down'
    Jamie Foxx in ‘White House Down’

    In the second Roland Emmerich-directed film on the list (the German fellow has a real thing for American patriotism), Jamie Foxx plays the President that terrorists are actively hunting within the White House walls. Only one man stands between them: the guy from Magic Mike (Channing Tatum). But Sawyer is no shrinking violet: he can scale elevator shafts, handle a rocket launcher, and keep any bad guy’s hands off his Jordans.
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    Matt Douglas & Russell Kramer: My Fellow Americans (1996)

    James Garner and Jack Lemmon in 'My Fellow Americans'
    James Garner and Jack Lemmon in ‘My Fellow Americans’

    Two, two, two Presidents in one! Kramer (Jack Lemmon) and Douglas (James Garner) have a long-standing history of duking it out for the Presidency. As they seem to be entering the twilight of their lives, spending time writing books and doing pointless speaking engagements, Kramer is asked to investigate a series of bribes under code name “Olympia” as a favor. Well, no good deed goes unpunished. The plot keeps thickening and thickening, drawing in Douglas, and threatening both of their lives. The banter is off the charts in this one, as is the convoluted plot that has a surprising ending.
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    Richard Nixon: Dick (1999)

    Dan Hedaya in 'Dick'
    Dan Hedaya in ‘Dick’

    This film explores how Woodward (Will Ferrell) and Bernstein (Bruce McCulloch) “really” got all their inside information during the Watergate Scandal from two teens named Betsy (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene (Michelle Williams). Every noteworthy event during that period of time in the administration, including Vietnam peace protests and the Nixon-Breznhev accord, were accidentally masterminded by these two girls who just liked walking the President’s dog and accidentally baked marijuana into their cookies. Dan Hedaya plays a great Richard Nixon, but the movie is much more about the two teens that bring him down in the name of what’s right. Since he was known as “Tricky Dick,” we stand by our choice.
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