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America loves its political movies. He likes satires Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Fascinating dramas such as Chicago trial 7Hollywood will never fail to turn a moment from 250 years of American history into a feature film. But amidst all the movies about political corruption or legal cases, there are also movies that focus mainly on elections and all the drama behind them.
Another election night with us, you can celebrate your civic duty with an election-themed movie night if a simple “I Voted” sticker isn’t enough. Check out our list of 10 election movies that will also help pass the time as the results come in across the country.
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Manchurian candidate (1962)
Released during US-Soviet tensions, Manchurian candidate Laurence Harvey stars as Raymond Shaw, a Korean War veteran who was captured by the Communists and brainwashed to play the role of a sleeper assassin. But where is the election connected? After being manipulated by Shaw’s mother, Eleanor Iselin (Angela Lansbury), his stepfather, Senator John Iselin (James Gregory), seeks a presidential bid to install an authoritarian regime in the upcoming election. Manchurian candidate A gripping Cold War espionage thriller that touches on America’s anxieties about communism. However, if the original 1962 film with Frank Sinatra isn’t your cup of tea, the film was remade in 2004 starring Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and Liev Schreiber.
candidate (1972)
In 1968, Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy ran for President against incumbent President Lyndon B. Against Johnson in the anti-Vietnam War campaign. McCarthy’s speechwriter Jeremy Larner later wrote candidateA satire about what goes on in a political campaign. In the film, Robert Redford portrays Bill McKay, the son of former Governor John McKay (Melvin Douglas), who is running for the California Senate. Initially popular for speaking his mind freely, McKay later moderates his stance to address polls at the cost of his beliefs. In a 1972 review, The New York Times called candidate “One of the few good, really funny American political comedies ever made.”
All the President’s men (1976)
All the President’s men Set against the backdrop of the 1972 election, incumbent President Richard Nixon won a landslide victory over Democratic Senator George McGovern. The Washington Post Reporters Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) cover a break-in by White House plumbers at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., which snowballs into a national conspiracy of political sabotage involving the Committee to Re-Elect Nixon for the President (CREEP). Much has been said about Watergate and its effect on public trust in government, but All the President’s men Easily one of the most iconic films in American political history.
shake the dog (1997)
After the president becomes embroiled in a sex scandal that threatens his re-election chances, he mounts a media attention war. Robert De Niro plays the “spin doctor” Conrad Bean, behind this ingenious strategy. To bring it to life, he enlists Hollywood producer Stanley Motts (Dustin Hoffman) to film a fake war with Albania, complete with staged news footage, a theme song and fake footage of an orphan running away from the American public. for a satire on the dangerous interplay between media and politics, shake the dog It will definitely leave you laughing (and thinking).
basic colors (1998)
John Travolta plays the lead role basic colors Like Jack Stanton, the governor of Arkansas, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president. The film follows his associate Henry (Adrian Lester) as Stanton’s campaign grapples with scandal after scandal, from Stanton’s past arrest to his extramarital marriage and their investigation into any incriminating information against Stanton’s opponent, Florida Governor Fred Picker (Larry Hagman). Inspired by Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, basic colors is a cautionary tale about ambition, exploring what you lose when you try to win at all costs.
elections (1999)
Ask anyone who’s run for student government and they’ll probably tell you that getting elected was an intense process. electionsStarring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, it may be set in high school, but its cast is as high as any national. When junior Tracy (Witherspoon) runs afoul of student government, civics teacher Jim (Broderick) convinces popular football player Paul (Chris Klein) to join the race and ruin her chances. What follows is a chaotic tale of ambition, betrayal and sabotage. If you’ve ever wanted to see what would happen if Washington crossed paths average girlsThis movie is for you.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
i don’t care what you say Napoleon Dynamite It is considered to be an election film. Gosh! If you haven’t seen the cult classic yet, 16-year-old socially awkward loner Napoleon Dynamite (John Hader) befriends new immigrant student Pedro (Efren Ramirez) and helps him become class president. For lighter viewing, don’t miss the charming coming-of-age humor – plus its stunning dance sequence to Jamiroquai’s ‘Canned Heat’. Don’t forget your Vote for Pedro t-shirt.
milk (2008)
Sean Penn stars in this biopic as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. After Milk and her boyfriend Scott Smith (James Franco) move to the Castro, one of the first gay neighborhoods in America, Milk becomes a political activist for gay rights in San Francisco. milk Follows the political life of Harvey Milk, from being elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, lobbying for his story, and later being murdered by former supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). Want to learn more about America in the 70s? Interested in the gay rights movement? You won’t want to miss it milk.
Ides of March (2011)
Starring Ryan Gosling Ides of March As Stephen Meyers, the press secretary for Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) as he seeks the Democratic presidential nomination. However, after meeting Morris’ rival’s campaign manager, Ted Duffy (Paul Giamatti), Myers pursues an aggressive, ruthless strategy to ensure victory at any cost, embroiling him in scandal. For a political thriller about playing dirty (or just playing politics), you won’t get much better than this Ides of March. and you
Red, white and royal blue (2023)
Adapted from Casey McQuiston’s hit 2019 YA novel, Red, white and royal blue Taylor Zachary-Perez and Nicholas Galitzin star as Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the United States, and Prince Henry, third in line to the British throne, respectively. After a long-standing feud between Alex and Henry boils over at a state event, they are forced to go public together as “friends”. But as every good nemeses story goes, the pair go from ‘friends’ to true friends, and then to secret lovers. During their growing relationship, Alex helps her mother Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman), America’s first female president, get re-elected and plans to turn Texas blue in her favor.
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