The American President (1995)

The Rewatchables' awards

Picked in other episodes

• Double feature (pick) for A Few Good Men (1992): A second Sorkin script with a happier ending, picked in honor of Amanda Dobbins. Bill Simmons · 1:50:09
• Double feature (pick) for A Few Good Men (1992): A later speaker (apparently the guest who joined late) gives the same pick when asked for hers. unknown · 1:52:08

Who talked about it

The Big Picture

• Amanda Dobbins: 5 lines in ‘Captain Marvel’ Is a ’90s Nostalgia Play. Did It Work? | Exit Survey · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
• Sean Fennessey: 2 lines in Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

The Rewatchables

• Amanda Dobbins: 1 line in ‘The War of the Roses’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Amanda Dobbins

Came from

What the speakers say it drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

No line says it drew on another film or person.

Led to

What the speakers say drew on it, marked the same way.

The West Wing (TV series): 1 line the host's read ×1

1. lineage (lineage): The American President ⇒ The West Wing (TV series) (the host's read). The film is a test case for the West Wing, sharing actors like Martin Sheen and ideals.

   “it is a lot of ways a test case for the West Wing”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:02:11 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)

Connected to

Aaron Sorkin: 1 line theme ×1

1. theme (theme): The American President → Aaron Sorkin. The film is Sorkin's broadest political work, and a training ground for the West Wing.

   “it's his broadest political work, which in some ways to me means that it's the best”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:05:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)

Annette Bening: 1 line career ×1

1. career (career): Annette Bening → The American President. Amanda adds The American President as a 90s movie Sean did not mention, deeply problematic but loved.

   “A 90s movie that you didn't mention is the American president, which is deeply problematic, but also I love it”

   The Big Picture · ‘Captain Marvel’ Is a ’90s Nostalgia Play. Did It Work? | Exit Survey · 0:40:17 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)

Malice: 1 line craft ×1

1. craft (craft): The American President → Malice. The president's declarative speech is compared with Alec Baldwin's 'I am God' kicker.

   “I think I am the president is only rivaled by, I am God, Alec Baldwin's kicker at the end of that film.”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:03:23 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)

Michael Douglas: 1 line career ×1

1. career (career): Michael Douglas → The American President. For the younger speaker the first Michael Douglas movie was The American President, which made his dark turns a shock.

   “the 1st Michael Douglas movie I saw was the American president.”

   The Rewatchables · ‘The War of the Roses’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Amanda Dobbins · 0:06:45 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)

Rob Reiner: 1 line people ×1

1. people (people): The American President → Rob Reiner. Rob Reiner directed it and A Few Good Men; he will come up again.

   “Another in the in the Rob Reiner Hall of Fame”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:06:26 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

The West Wing (TV series): 1 line lineage ×1

1. lineage (lineage): The American President → The West Wing (TV series). The film is a test case for the West Wing, sharing actors like Martin Sheen and ideals.

   “it is a lot of ways a test case for the West Wing”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:02:11 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)

Where it came up

• anecdote in The Rewatchables · ‘Working Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Joanna Robinson, first at 1:58:51, 1 time
• anecdote in The Rewatchables · ‘The War of the Roses’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Amanda Dobbins, first at 0:06:45, 2 times
• passing in The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan, first at 0:59:15, 1 time
• passing in The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman, first at 0:15:04, 3 times
• passing in The Rewatchables · ‘What About Bob?’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Van Lathan, first at 0:23:15, 1 time
• compared in The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, first at 0:19:06, 12 times
• recommended in The Big Picture · ‘Captain Marvel’ Is a ’90s Nostalgia Play. Did It Work? | Exit Survey, first at 0:40:17, 1 time
• passing in Blank Check — Patreon · 2025 March Madness Update 1, first at 0:05:35, 2 times
• anecdote in Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free), first at 0:29:50, 4 times
• passing in Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free), first at 0:20:17, 2 times

What was said about it, by kind

career (2)

1. career (career): Michael Douglas → The American President. For the younger speaker the first Michael Douglas movie was The American President, which made his dark turns a shock.

   “the 1st Michael Douglas movie I saw was the American president.”

   The Rewatchables · ‘The War of the Roses’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Amanda Dobbins · 0:06:45 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
2. career (career): Annette Bening → The American President. Amanda adds The American President as a 90s movie Sean did not mention, deeply problematic but loved.

   “A 90s movie that you didn't mention is the American president, which is deeply problematic, but also I love it”

   The Big Picture · ‘Captain Marvel’ Is a ’90s Nostalgia Play. Did It Work? | Exit Survey · 0:40:17 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)

craft (1)

1. craft (craft): The American President → Malice. The president's declarative speech is compared with Alec Baldwin's 'I am God' kicker.

   “I think I am the president is only rivaled by, I am God, Alec Baldwin's kicker at the end of that film.”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:03:23 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)

lineage (1)

1. lineage (lineage): The American President → The West Wing (TV series). The film is a test case for the West Wing, sharing actors like Martin Sheen and ideals.

   “it is a lot of ways a test case for the West Wing”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:02:11 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)

people (1)

1. people (people): The American President → Rob Reiner. Rob Reiner directed it and A Few Good Men; he will come up again.

   “Another in the in the Rob Reiner Hall of Fame”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:06:26 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

theme (1)

1. theme (theme): The American President → Aaron Sorkin. The film is Sorkin's broadest political work, and a training ground for the West Wing.

   “it's his broadest political work, which in some ways to me means that it's the best”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 1:05:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)

Fun items about it

1. fun, about The American President: The president really should not date a lobbyist.

   “The president shouldn't date a lobbyist.”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 0:35:28 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
2. fun, about The American President: Amanda showed the VHS to a Republican friend's dad at a sleepover: too liberal for him.

   “I just remember him saying, he's too liberal for me.”

   The Big Picture · Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ · 0:36:24 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)

Who the speakers said made it

As said on the shows, not checked against the real credits.

• Aaron Sorkin: writer (The Big Picture, Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’)
• Aaron Sorkin: writer (Blank Check — Patreon, 2025 March Madness Update 1)
• Aaron Sorkin: writer (Blank Check — Patreon, The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free))
• Aaron Sorkin: screenwriter (Blank Check — Patreon, The Social Network (Ad-Free))
• Richard Dreyfuss: actor (The Rewatchables, ‘What About Bob?’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Van Lathan)
• Rob Reiner: director (The Rewatchables, ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman)
• Rob Reiner: director (The Big Picture, Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’)
• Rob Reiner: director (Blank Check — Patreon, 2025 March Madness Update 1)
• Michael Douglas: actor (The Rewatchables, ‘The War of the Roses’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Amanda Dobbins)
• Michael Douglas: lead (the president) (Blank Check — Patreon, The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free))
• Martin Sheen: actor (The Big Picture, Aaron Sorkin Top 5s and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’)