The American President

Movie review by Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media
The American President Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Witty, wise, and idealized political romance.

PG-13 1995 115 minutes
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 6 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 3 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

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.

Community Reviews

donna6348
donna6348 Adult
July 13, 2022
age 14+

One of my all time favorite movies!

I have always loved this movie. The casting of each role was spot on. Every single actor could not have been a more perfect fit. They added so much to the roles they played. The writing was top notch and very realistic. It told the story in a captivating way. You were never led off course. The topics were realistic. It was impressive to get a glimpse of what goes on in Washington. It may have been idealistic but with what we’ve got going on in politics now, who couldn’t use this movie to help us forget for a short time what politicians are really like. Syd’s role made me want to rethink my career path and I’m 61 years old. She’s a person with a job that could make huge impacts in America. Something to aspire to. All the scenery was beautiful and realistic . Excellent job all around. I pull this movie out as a favorite go-to movie!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
acoolio
acoolio Adult
February 15, 2021
age 13+

WARNING! The CommonSense Ratings are inaccurate!

The Common Sense Media rating is completely wrong. It says that there's no sex, but there are multiple conversations about sex, the president and the girl he's courting end up sleeping together. Nothing's shown, but it's a main part of the plot and many conversations afterward refer back to it. Common Sense's rating for language is accurate, but the description only reports three instances of swear words being used. My kids counted well over 15. Based on Common Sense's ratings, we thought that the PG-13 rating probably wasn't merited and decided to watch it with the whole family. That was a bad idea. This movie isn't for kids.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 6 parent reviews

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • Dave Poster Image

    Dave

    Uplifting political comedy combines romance and satire.

    age 12+
  • Bob Roberts Poster Image

    Bob Roberts

    A political horror story for teens and adults.

    age 17+

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