To divert attention from a presidential scandal, an adviser (Robert De Niro) hires a Hollywood producer... (Learn more)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche (View All)
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Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche
In a 29-day shoot, Barry Levinson filmed this $15 million political and media satire, adapted by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet from Larry Beinhart's novel, American Hero. Two weeks prior to re-election, the President (Michael Belson) is accused of cornering an underage girl in the Oval Office. To keep the media from learning of this, Presidential adviser Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) brings in political consultant and spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro), a specialist in such salvage operations. Brean suggests fabricating denials of non-existent emergencies -- such as denials about the B-3 bomber. The denial, of course, is true, since no B-3 bomber exists. Brean visits the mansion of Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) and gives him the assignment to create a patriotic campaign centered around a war in Albania. Motss assembles a creative team -- Liz Butsky (Andrea Martin), the trend-setter Fad King (Denis Leary), and songwriter Johnny Green (Willie Nelson). Treated like an ad campaign, the songs and symbols are transmitted directly from a Hollywood soundstage to CNN. The star of their campaign is a "rescued" pilot -- in reality, a psychotic military prisoner (Woody Harrelson), who's a ticking time bomb. The flag-waving song, "The American Dream" was written for the film by Tom Bahler (who co-wrote "We Are the World"). Beinhart's original novel involved a real President (Bush), a real war (the Gulf War), and the premise that George Bush and Saddam Hussein staged it. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
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US Release Date
12/25/97
MPAA Rating
Rated R
Running Time
105 mins.
Locations
- Los Angeles, California, USA
Language
- English
Box Office Total
$43,022,524
Awards
- Nominated for a Best Picture - Musical or Comedy award at the 1997 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay award at the 1997 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or award at the 1997 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Actor award at the 1997 Screen Actors Guild [Festival/Award] Awards.
- Winner of the Best Supporting Actress award at the 1997 National Board of Review [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Screenplay award at the 1997 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Actor award at the 1997 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize award at the 1998 Berlin International Film Festival [Fe Awards.
Distributor
- New Line Cinema
- New Line Home Entertainment
