Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fairly tame biopic more about the legend than the man.
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Reagan
What's the Story?
In REAGAN, young up-and-coming Russian politician Andrei Novikov (Alexey Sparrow) meets with retired KGB agent Viktor Petrovich (Jon Voight) to learn about how the Soviet Union fell. Petrovich tells the story of Ronald Reagan (Dennis Quaid), whose progress he followed for many years. An actor in Hollywood, Reagan became president of the Screen Actors Guild and fought Communist attempts to control the unions. There, he also met his future second wife, Nancy (Penelope Ann Miller). After finding his footing in politics, Reagan was elected governor of California. He made an unsuccessful attempt to run for U.S. president in 1976, and then won in 1980. In the White House, he used his powers to continue to fight the Soviets and Communism, undeterred, even by the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Is It Any Good?
This by-the-numbers biopic is a soggy, second-rate attempt at myth-making that cares more about legacy than about who the man behind the legend really was. A great biopic finds an emotional center in a well-known person, and a decent biopic at least has an admirable performance at its center. Reagan has neither. Directed by Sean McNamara—whose resume includes several made-for-TV Christmas movies, Bratz movies, and Baby Genius sequels, not to mention the aggressively awful Dangerous Game: The Legacy Murders—Reagan begins with the perplexing choice to have an ex-KGB spy tell the story. Could this really be the person (an amalgamation apparently based on several real people) who knows Reagan best? This decision also makes the fight against Communism the central point of the movie, which is problematic at best.
So scene after scene consists of either "and then this happened" or so-called "legendary" moments such as a prophecy (!) predicting that Reagan would become president. Not one moment in the movie is organic or reveals anything personal. The movie avoids any character flaws or controversies; it's the opposite of a movie like Oliver Stone's nuanced Nixon. And then there's Quaid in the lead role. Normally a likable, charming actor, he can't really find a center to the character. His voice wavers between raspy and squeaky, and he frequently lets his familiar sideways smile creep across his face. He always seems more like Dennis Quaid than Regan. (Ironically, his brother Randy played Reagan on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s, and the two performances are comparable.) Likewise, not one supporting character makes any lasting impact. Fans of history and politics would do better reading Reagan's Wikipedia page than watching Reagan.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Reagan's violence. How does it compare to what you might see in an action movie? Which typically has more impact for you?
Why has Reagan's popularity endured? How do you think the real Reagan was similar to, or different from, the version in this dramatization? Is the movie biased? Does it treat its subject fairly?
How does Reagan demonstrate integrity? Perseverance? Do you consider him a role model?
How are drinking and smoking depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 30, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : October 15, 2024
- Cast : Dennis Quaid , Penelope Ann Miller , Jon Voight
- Director : Sean McNamara
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Showbiz Direct
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Run time : 141 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violent content and smoking
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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