 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The American President
- Review Date: October 2, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 1995
Common Sense Media says
Witty, wise, and idealized political romance.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Sydney and Andrew (both unmarried) sleep together on their second date. Andrew's wife died of cancer, leaving him to raise his daughter alone, which may sadden teens who've lost a parent. There's some minimal cursing, and political rival Robert Rumson is quick to accuse Sydney of being a slut on national television. There's a lot of potential for mean-spirited digs in this film, and some of them are taken, but mostly it's an uplifting romantic comedy in which the president learns to stand up for what he believes in rather than sticking to what makes him popular.
What's the story?
It's hard to imagine a world in which an American president is single and dating, let alone standing up for what he believes in the face of downward-spiraling polls before an election year. But that's the world viewers get to escape to in this romantic comedy. It's three years into Andrew Shepard's (Michael Douglas) first term, and he's never been more popular or more ready for re-election. All is well until star lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) comes into the picture. The couple starts dating, and soon they have to face some hard realities. Can their relationship stand up to constant rumors and innuendo proffered by Andrew's opponent, Robert Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss)? And can Andrew keep his promise to Sydney when his approval rating slips?
Is it any good?
This is a delightful romantic comedy. Viewers of all ages will likely be able to relate to the president's conflict -- especially when it's resolved with the help of great dialogue from Aaron Sorkin, who went on to write The West Wing.
Romantics will love Andrew's decision and the goofy way the president behaves around Sydney. For girls, Sydney provides a great model of how to be a strong, compassionate, and powerful woman.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the similarities between the behaviors of the characters in the movie and kids in high school: the mean-spirited gossip, the flirting, the struggle between being cool and having integrity. Has anyone in your family faced these challenges? How did you decide what to do? What would you have done if you were in Andrew's shoes, or in Sydney's?
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AGE
A Truly Perfect Film!
Kids won't likely be interested in this witty, funny, and moving political romance. I heard of it because I was a fan of the writer's (Aaron Sorkin) later TV series THE WEST WING, also about politics (there's a review for it on COMMONSENSE). But, even if you're not a WEST WING fan, there's tons to love in this movie. It's funny, smart, filled with witty dialogue, and packed with great performances.
It's okay for teens and up, and maybe some mature preteens. As COMMONSENSE warns, Andy and Sydney sleep together early on in their relationship. Onscreen, they have a conversation about how she's not comfortable with physical intimacy because he's the President. Then, she comes out of his bathroom in only one of his T-shirts (nothing is shown, as it covers sensitive spots). They start kissing, and nothing at all is shown after that. However, the next 15-20 minutes of the film are devoted to the media scandal that results from her spending the night with him. Be prepared for several scenes where the media makes reference to their sex, and even one where a President hopeful lies about Sydney giving "sexual favors" in exchange for votes. The President never comments on his relationship with her to the press, so the act of their pre-marital sex is neither condoned or portrayed as bad. Make sure young kids know your policy about pre-marital sex before watching the film (if you haven't spoke of it yet, this film could be a good launch point for discussion). If kids know the consequences of pre-marital sex, the film should be fine. If not, they might get some wrong ideas from the President and Sydney's relationship.
In addition, we've got 2 "f**k"s, 4-5 "s**t"s, 3-4 "a*s"s, and several "d**n"s and "h*ll"s.
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| Studio: | Castle Rock Entertainment |
| Director: | Rob Reiner |
| Cast: | Annette Bening, Michael Douglas, Michael J. Fox |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 115 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 2, 1995 |
| DVD release date: | August 31, 1999 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual content and thematic intensity. |
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