The American President (1995) The American President (1995)
A romantic political comedy directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Widower President Andrew Shepherd, riding a 63% approval rating, falls for environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade as Republican challenger Senator Bob Rumson opens his campaign by attacking Shepherd's character through hers. The film tracks Shepherd's three-year strategy of poll-protective prudence to its breaking point, then to the press-room speech in which he finally engages the fight he has been avoiding — the speech and its idiom became the template Sorkin carried into The West Wing four years later.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Director | Rob Reiner |
| Writer | Aaron Sorkin |
| Stars | Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, David Paymer, Anna Deavere Smith, Samantha Mathis, Richard Dreyfuss |
| Composer | Marc Shaiman |
| Cinematographer | John Seale |
| Editor | Robert Leighton |
| Production Companies | Castle Rock Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises |
| Distributor | Columbia Pictures (US theatrical) |
| Budget | ~$62 million |
| Box Office | ~$108 million worldwide |
| Release Date | November 17, 1995 |
| Running Time | 114 minutes |
| MPAA | PG-13 |