Details
Movie Description
When a Firefly Girl accuses the president of sexual misconduct in the Oval Office less than two weeks before the upcoming election, White House official Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) is told to bring in Conrad Bream (Robert De Niro) to fix the situation and save the president's chances for reelection. This mysterious "fixer" fabricates a conflict with Albania in an effort to detract attention from the sex scandal, bringing in legendary Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to "produce" the war. When the CIA foils the initial plot, the creative team turns to a new story line, creating the saga of a U.S. soldier left behind enemy lines whom the president vows to find and return to American soil. Directed by Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN) and loosely based on Larry Beinhart's novel AMERICAN HERO, this merging of Hollywood and politics is both thought provoking and comical. The inspired casting of Hoffman as the self-absorbed producer and De Niro as the mysterious spin doctor is bolstered by a superb supporting cast that includes Denis Leary and Andrea Martin.
Film Notes
Theatrical release: January 9, 1998.
Filmed on location in Los Angeles, CA; Bakersfield, CA; and, Washington, D.C.
After filming began but before WAG THE DOG was released, the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky sex scandal broke and military action was threatened against Iraq.
Industry Reviews
"...WAG THE DOG, besides being outrageous fun, is also a groundbreaker..."
Rolling Stone - p.61-2 - Peter Travers
"...Extremely well-made..."
Sight and Sound - p.57 - Robin Dougherty
"...Fitfully amusing political satire..."
USA Today - p.3D - Mike Clark
"...As scarily plausible as it is swift, hilarious and impossible to resist....Splendidly acted, written with biting acuity...and directed in discreetly sidesplitting fashion..."
New York Times - p.E7 - Janet Maslin
"...The sharp script makes for a movie sure to be appreciated by media junkies and conspiracy theorists alike..."
Premiere - Danny Lorber (01/01/1998)
"...Like DR. STRANGELOVE, it makes you laugh, then it makes you wonder....For Hoffman, this is the best performance in some time..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (01/01/1998)
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