The American President

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Rob Reiner

Producer:

Rob Reiner, Charles Newirth, Jeffrey Stott

Release Date:

Nov 17, 1995

Runtime:

1hr 54m

Synopsis

The U.S. President falls for a lobbyist during a re-election battle that's already tough enough.

Cast

  • Michael Douglas
  • Annette Bening
  • Martin Sheen
  • Michael J. Fox
  • David Paymer
  • Samantha Mathis
  • John Mahoney
  • Anna Deavere Smith
  • Nina Siemaszko
  • Wendie Malick

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.4
82.1K
18.8K
16.0K
RATINGS 301 FANS
3.4
  • Oct 10, 2020

    More unrealistic than ENDGAME. Tremendous speeches.

    696 Likes
    Sean Fennessey
    Sean Fennessey
    Sep 14, 2023

    [Aaron Sorkin making his pitch for this script.] "What if a president were just as horny as Bill Clinton but in a classy way?"

    680 Likes
    Jamelle Bouie
    Jamelle Bouie
    Dec 17, 2018

    im crying over both aaron sorkin’s writing ability and the dichotomy between this movie and our devastating reality

    642 Likes
    lauren
    lauren
  •
    Nov 30, 2016

    "...you cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I'm gonna convince Americans that I'm right, and I'm gonna get the guns. We've got…

    375 Likes
    Jacob Knight
    Jacob Knight
    Jan 23, 2019

    Michael Douglas as the PRESIDENT, in a SUIT, WIDOWED, a DEMOCRAT, speaking witty and liberal lines written by AARON SORKIN is the hottest thing don't @ me

    343 Likes
    phoebe 💫
    phoebe 💫
    Jan 18, 2018

    this alternate reality episode of the west wing was pretty cute!

    280 Likes
    mulaney
    mulaney
  •
    Nov 15, 2025

    im BAAACK 😎 thank u to everyone who told me you can restrict your letterboxd comments to only people u follow - carley letterboxd will never die 🤩 anyways this movie is an aaron sorkin romcom (pre-west wing) where the president has to end the second date early to BOMB…

    247 Likes
    carley :)
    carley :)
    Aug 2, 2017

    Aaron Sorkin writes the best fanfiction tbh

    241 Likes
    Robin
    Robin
    Dec 11, 2018

    michael douglas for president 2020

    239 Likes
    megan
    megan

Queue Community Reviews

92%
Community 1,306
❤️ LOVE
26%
👍 LIKE
66%
😐 MEH
7%
👎 DISLIKE
2%
Top Reviews
  • Andrew Gooder
    Andrew Gooder liked
    The American President

    I watched this movie for one of my college history classes a while back and didn’t think it was going to be all that interesting, but I was definitely proved wrong. It was interesting to see them combine both politics and love to make a really good romance. Impressive. 8.5/10

    3Y
    Reyham
    Reyham liked
    The American President

    CUTE and heartwarming with actual political issues being brought up. Micheal Douglas is the president I want to see in America because he just outplayed every single actor I’ve seen portray a lot president as well as real life presidents.

    2Y
    Nick Dubberly
    Nick Dubberly loved
    The American President

    Once upon a time when Presidents were well spoken and actually cared about the American people. Watching this really makes me wish Michael Douglas was actually president! This one is one of those that I watch at least once a year.

    1Y
  • Matthew Golad
    Matthew Golad loved
    The American President

    Aaron Sorkin. Rob Reiner. Michael Douglas. Annette Benning. Martin Sheen. Michael J Fox. I mean come on. What a cast. Great movie. Precursor to the West Wing.

    3M
    Mickerdoo
    Mickerdoo liked
    The American President

    A really charming and enchanting look into the date life of a POTUS. Very 90s. Cast delivers and is deep. Wish Bening had different hair.

    3Y
    kerry
    kerry liked
    The American President

    rewatched this movie a week ago… it’s enjoyable and fun to see these actors when they were young back in the day

    1Y
  • Jennifer Robinson
    Jennifer Robinson loved
    The American President

    My other favorite President Movie. I absolutely loved this movie. Annette Benning is one of my favorites.

    4Y
    Steven Erick
    Steven Erick liked
    The American President

    It’s unfair to compare this to “The West Wing”, but it feels more like a pilot episode than a movie.

    8M
    Gerben Joustra
    Gerben Joustra loved
    The American President

    Second to none, without a doubt! Still relevant, nothing has changed… How’s that for quality?

    10M

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

68
metacritic
Based on 21 Critics
6.4

USER SCORE (47)

Generally favorable reviews based on 47 Reviews
100

Watching The American President, I felt respect for the craft that went into it: the flawless re-creation of the physical world of the White House, the smart and accurate dialogue, the manipulation of the love story to tug our heartstrings.

Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
63

It comes across as painfully politically correct, offering trite sermons on various hot-button issues (gun control and the greenhouse effect). The narrative follows an unwavering by-the-numbers strategy with an ending that echoes the cornball of Al Pacino's climactic Scent of a Woman speech.

Metacritic review by James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
80

With great looks, a dandy supporting cast, a zinger-filled screenplay by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men) and Mr. Douglas twinkling merrily in the Oval Office, The American President is sunny enough to make the real Presidency pale by comparison.

Metacritic review by Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
The New York Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The American President (1995) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG-13, meaning that some material may be considered inappropriate for children under 13.
How long is The American President (1995)?
The movie is 1hr 54min long.
What's The American President (1995) about?
The U.S. President falls for a lobbyist during a re-election battle that's already tough enough.
Who's the cast of The American President (1995)?
  • Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd
  • Annette Bening as Sydney Ellen Wade
  • Martin Sheen as A.J. MacInerney
  • Michael J. Fox as Lewis Rothschild
  • David Paymer as Leon Kodak
  • Samantha Mathis as Janie Basdin
  • John Mahoney as Leo Solomon
  • Anna Deavere Smith as Robin McCall
  • Nina Siemaszko as Beth Wade
  • Wendie Malick as Susan Sloan
Who's the director behind The American President (1995)?
Rob Reiner directed The American President (1995).
Who produced The American President (1995)?
Rob Reiner, Charles Newirth and Jeffrey Stott produced The American President (1995).