Well, well, well! Strap in, folks, because on November 5th next year, we’re going to witness the American presidential elections. Just think about it! The entire world will hold its breath in anticipation, except for Enrico Mentana, who will undoubtedly take the opportunity to talk non-stop through the night. This is a man who can make a compelling argument for the existence of a fast-forward button during live broadcasts.
Now, if you’ve been living under a rock (or perhaps what we call Mars these days), you’d understand that the person who governs the USA holds more power than a toddler with a remote control during Saturday morning cartoons. Decisions made in Washington can trigger various reactions worldwide—whether that’s confidence, terror, or the sheer terror of whether to order pizza or sushi for the results night.
Let’s face it, folks: next year’s election night could define our normalcy for the next four years or until the world inevitably self-destructs because one of the candidates took a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Are you all as tense as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs? Can’t wait for a month to know whether we’ll see the first female president or just another five-gallon bucket of orange fear? Fear not! I’m here like your favorite uncle, ready to put on a film festival to distract you from the incoming existential dread!
The Silver Screen Countdown: Ten Films About Elections
So, here’s a curated list of films that focus on American elections. Grab your popcorn, keep the remote handy, and maybe a blanket to hide under during the tense moments, because goodness knows there will be plenty of those!
America, America, Where Are You Going?
Director: Haskell Wexler
Imagine a political drama that feels like it could apply to any era! This one combines mockumentary styles with chaos—much like my last trip to the supermarket during a pandemic. It’s set against the backdrop of the 1968 riots, and makes the presidential elections feel like the backdrop of a very tense family reunion.
Game Change
Director: Jay Roach
This film takes us through the rollercoaster that was John McCain’s presidential campaign. You can thank Julianne Moore for delivering a performance as memorable as that time you accidentally walked into a family gathering dressed as a clown. Spoiler alert: the headlines are terrifying yet addictive!
The Colors of Victory
Director: Mike Nichols
Witness the behind-the-scenes chaos of Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 campaign, but you won’t even see Clinton! It’s like a magic show where the magician is never revealed, and the assistants have all the fun!
The President: A Love Story
Director: Rob Reiner
Ever wondered what happens in the personal life of a fictional president played by Michael Douglas? Well, this romantic comedy gives you half the political intrigue and twice the romantic confusion. What’s not to love?
The Bitter Taste of Power
Writer: Gore Vidal
Hey, get ready for the first American film to use the word “homosexual.” Here politics and personal selection collide in a feisty way. Meanwhile, you’ll be nudging your friends and saying, “See, they did it first!”
The Ides of March
Director: George Clooney
Talk about a star-studded cast! This film covers the Democratic primaries and reminds us that everything looks better in black and white… just like my mum’s old photos of family holidays.
Sex & Power
Director: Barry Levinson
A dark comedy where the elections lurk like an unwanted Alex Reed at a party, and the president is a bit too hands-on. Not just a simple thriller but an insightful critique on media manipulation!
Swing Vote: A Man of 300 Million Votes
Director: Joshua Michael Stern
This comedy has Kevin Costner discovering that the fate of the American electoral system rests on his shoulders—imagine that! If you’ve ever wanted to procrastinate on voting day while simultaneously being remarkably influential, this film is for you.
The War Room
Directors: Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker
A documentary that truly lets you peek behind the curtain of Bill Clinton’s campaign strategy. This is what happens when you mix real footage with political moves—like a goulash of media genius and electoral chaos!
All the President’s Men
Directors: Alan J. Pakula
Finally, we have the Watergate scandal, a classic that teaches us the power of investigative journalism. It’s like your high school reunion where the class clown becomes a prosecutor. Bring your popcorn—this one’s a nail-biter!
In Closing
So there you have it folks! Ten films that promise to keep you entertained and perhaps give you a greater insight into the chaotic wonders of American politics. Just remember, while you’re getting lost in these cinematic gems, the real world still spins on—whether that’s in horror or hilarity. So, grab your remote, get comfy, and let’s escape into the world of flickering images and fictional battles for power, while the world outside spins madly on!
Il November 5th next year the whole world will stop for a few hours, hold its breath (aside Enrico Mentanawho will speak continuously throughout the night) and will await the results of the American presidential elections with confidence, or terror. The whole world, I wrote, not just the United States of America: unless you have lived on Mars all your life, you should know that person who governs the USA it is also one of the most powerful in the world, and its choices will influence the geopolitical but also environmental stability of the entire planet and so on.
Nothing serious, huh? Just one night that could change the fate of the world, even if we still don’t know how and in what direction. Are you already tense? You can’t wait for these almost thirty days to pass to find out if the United States will have theirs first female president or if they will have an orange president for the second time? Don’t worry: I’m here to help you pass the time. Below you will find, in strict alphabetical order, a list of 10 films that talk about elections in the USA: invented stories, reinterpreted true stories, documentaries, everything as long as the theme is that fateful day. Happy viewing!
Paramount
America, America, where are you going?
Haskell Wexlerdirector of photography with a double Oscar on his CV, directs this political drama bordering on mockumentary (the film mixes a bit of reality with fictional scenes, which are in any case the majority) which focuses on the National Democratic Conventionalseen from the point of view of a journalist and against the backdrop of the 1968 riots. The presidential elections are in the background, but loom over the entire atmosphere of the film.
Game Change
The (true) story of the failed presidential campaign of John McCain. Released directly for TV, he went down in history above all for his performance Julianne Moorewhich brings to the screen a Sarah Palin unforgettable.
The colors of victory
Speaking of presidential campaigns: the film by Mike Nichols tells a winning one, that of Bill Clinton in 1992. The film is all great behind the scenes, so much so that Clinton doesn’t even appear. The colors of victory it also received two Oscar nominations (for Kathy Bates and for the non-original screenplay by Elaine May).
Universal
The President – A love story
Set during the last year of the president played by Michael Douglasdirected by Rob Reiner but above all written by Aaron Sorkinone of the best “political” screenwriters in America. The film is actually more one romantic comedy than a political story, but the atmosphere is the right one.
The bitter taste of power
Written by none other than Gore Vidal (and taken from one of his plays), is the story not so much of an election, but of a selection: that of right candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. A curiosity: it is the first American film ever to use the word “homosexual”.
The Ides of March
Another film about the Democratic primaries with an election in mind, written, directed and starring George Clooney. Brilliant and supported by an exceptional cast, it is perhaps more form than substance, but what form!
courtesy of New Line Cinema//Netflix
Sex & power
In the film of Barry LevinsoWe don’t see the elections, but they remain in the background and loom like a shadow over everything that happens to the president of the United States, who also turns out to be a rapist of minors. Black comedy about the power of the media and on their ability to control and direct the public narrative, it also received two Oscar nominations (for the protagonist Dustin Hoffman and the screenwriters David Mamet and Hilary Henkin).
Swing Vote – A man of 300 million votes
Funny comedy with Kevin Costner in the role of an ordinary man, whose vote in the presidential elections will prove to be decisive in determining the winner. It is a family story, in which the elections are just an excuse to allow the protagonist to find himself.
The War Room
Another film about Clinton’s presidential campaign, this time told in the form of a documentary. It was nominated for an Oscar in 1994 as Best Documentary, but was defeated by I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School.
All the President’s men
A very classic, which talks about Watergate scandal and the importance of investigative journalism. The story is well known, and it ends with Nixon’s resignation, a prelude to the subsequent presidential elections of 1974 which confirmed the position of the Republican Gerald Ford but also saw enormous progress in the House and Senate by the Democrats.
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I have been writing about cinema, particularly the kind with monsters, explosions and flying kicks, since before the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. I have also written books on the subject together with the rest of the 400calci editorial team. I translate books, organize events and even speak, when they ask me. I even worked on writing a satirical fantasy role-playing game, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
