Dick (1999)
Hands down the silliest political satire I’ve ever sat through. Equally lambasting everyone from Dick Nixon to Woodward & Bernstein, this is the way I want to remember the 70’s. Humor may be in the eye of the beholder, just as joy is in the ears that hear, but the only way to explain the panning this film gets is judging it in context with the time it was released. What time was that? Whitewater and the Clinton impeachment.
In hindsight the film becomes even funnier. At least Tricky Dick understood when he was an embarrassment to the nation, and himself. He understood that he had crossed a line, and didn’t keep trying to pretend he wasn’t a disgraced President. If only ‘W’ had employed teenage dogwalkers. Ah, the times they are a-changin.
Editor’s note. Speaking of ‘W’, I caught the trailer for W. before watching Pineapple Express on Monday. Pineapple Express would have been funny if I had been properly motivated (stoned. I mean stoned) as it was, I don’t even think it ranks getting a full review on the blog.
I can’t imagine how Oliver Stone’s W. will fair considering that it’s airing even before the subject leaves office, although they aren’t advertising an actual air date yet. Looks like it will be funny. Is it supposed to be funny? Stone’s other movies (especially JFK) all look funny in the rear view mirror, so maybe so.
