The Great Communicator cried out for a biopic all his own.
Until recently, we’ve had a Showtime miniseries eager to deflate President Ronald Reagan and projects capturing glib takes on the 40th president.
Dennis Quaid changed all that.
The veteran actor brings The Gipper’s story to vibrant life in “Reagan.” It’s unabashedly pro-Gipper, but then again so is history. For those who didn’t live through President Reagan’s historic two terms, much of this will play out as a fantasy, from his bipartisan pluck to that plainspoken mien.
That’s a sad undertone in an otherwise impressive feature.
“Reagan” is really Viktor Petrovich’s story. Jon Voight plays an aged KGB agent recalling Reagan’s life from the Soviet Union’s perspective. Viktor calls him the “Crusader,” a man with a mission to crush Communism.
The film takes its cues from that filter. It’s the driving force behind Reagan’s political life. Komrade Kamala won’t be amused.
We see Reagan as a boy, and later a lifeguard, all the while the screenplay ladles out elements of his future self. He loathed drinking because his Dad loved the bottle too much. His faith came organically, and we see those spiritual highlights, too.
A sequence where a young Reagan embraces his black teammates is a fact-based rebuke to the racism charges that haunt Reagan and, for that matter, every GOP figure in the press.
It’s engaging but facile, like a CliffsNotes retelling of his formative years. Time constraints matter, of course, but perhaps a tighter focus on his White House days with efficient flashbacks would work better.
It’s still invigorating to see a modestly budgeted film re-create the ’50s and ’60s with such finesse. Our leads, from Quaid’s Reagan to future spouse Nancy (Penelope Ann Miller) also age before our eyes in impressive fashion.
Makeup? CGI? A smattering of both? It doesn’t distract us from what matters: Reagan’s rendezvous with destiny.
The extended prologue gives us the measure of this man. He’s proud, unassuming and driven. Always driven. Miller’s Nancy is his rock, and her emotional outbursts play out like Obama’s Anger Translator from “Key & Peele.”
Except hers is born from love, not Beltway politics. The Quaid/Miller bond proves sweet and satisfying.
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Director Sean McNamara cut his teeth on humble projects like “Soul Surfer” and “The Miracle Season.” “Reagan” demands a broader canvas. The director, aided by cinematographer Christian Sebaldt, capture Reagan’s journey with compositions that sizzle.
Love or loathe President Reagan, he remains a consequential figure.
The story takes few detours to show Reagan’s detractors. An exception? A video montage of actual anti-Reagan protests, attacks on his AIDS record and more. The scenes covering the Iran-Contra scandal are meatier, showing Reagan’s missteps and political acumen.
Some exchanges may seem simplistic for a 21st century production, but they convey Reagan’s way of deconstructing complex matters to make them digestible. A certain former (and future?) president shares a similar knack, albeit without Reagan’s aw-shucks appeal.
It’s still impossible not to see the parallels.
REAGAN Movie director Sean McNamara talks about his first Gig: Plugging in mics for Reagan’s Inauguration? pic.twitter.com/ADdNn9NPXd
— Reagan The Movie (@ReaganMovie) August 27, 2024
The story’s political battles fascinate, especially Reagan’s protracted talks with Mikhail Gorbachev (Olek Krupa). It’s a chess match, with Reagan ready to use charm and guile to get the job done.
Quaid looks enough like the real Reagan to pass the all-important test, and his gravelly voice is similar to the real deal. His crowning achievement? He channels the president’s inner life, an Everyman thrust onto the world stage.
The team behind “Reagan” chose its lead wisely.
Modern biopics are either hagiographies (any given pop music yarn or Democrat icon) or hit pieces (any movie made by “Vice” director Adam McKay). “Reagan” falls in the former camp, full stop.
It’s also a powerful time capsule recalling when leaders led, didn’t hide from microphones and took their lumps when needed.
In that way, “Reagan” feels more like fiction than history.
HiT or Miss: “Reagan” rushes through the GOP icon’s formative years, but when he’s installed in the White House this sprawling biopic finds its purpose.
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