Dave (Movie Review)
One of the more charming romantic comedies of the 1990s, Dave is a Washington insider’s dream - a dead president, behind the scenes power struggles, conspiracies, and lots of cameos by famous Washington politicians. Playing the title role, Kevin Kline comes across as an extremely likeable character, and Sigourney Weaver turns in one of the best performances of her career. In short, Dave is about the American Dream - the dream that anyone can grow up to be President of the United States. It’s just that most people dream of taking a different route to the highest office in the land…
Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) is a normal American, living out the American Dream by running his own business - an employment agency. A charismatic and loved figure in his own community, Dave also happens to be a spitting image of the President of the United States. Around town, he’s famous for his brilliant impressions of the president, and people take notice. In fact, the Secret Service also takes notice…
One day, several Secret Service agents approach Dave in regard to acting as a double for the president. He agrees, and they hurry him off to a hotel where he’s supposed to leave through the front entrance while the president sneaks out the back. But when the president suffers a stroke while having an affair with his secretary, Dave is retained by White House Chief Of Staff Bob Alexander (Frank Langella) and White House Communications Director Alan Reed (Kevin Dunn). The two men want Dave to fill in for the president while he recovers from his stroke, so as not to worry the general public.
Convincing the nation is easy for Dave, but convincing First Lady Ellen Mitchell (Sigourney Weaver), even though her relationship with the president soured long ago, proves to be a far more formidable task. With Alexander running the show as de facto president - telling Dave what to do, what to say, and how to act - Dave decides to strike out on his own and start introducing legislation. Angered, Alexander his cohorts devise a scheme which will implicate Vice President Gary Nance (Ben Kingsley), an honest man, for past crimes committed by President Mitchell. Meanwhile, Alexander plans to have himself appointed Vice President after President Mitchell’s stroke is announced to the public. The nefarious scheme would make Alexander the new president, but Dave has other ideas in mind. Teaming up with the first lady, he devises a plan of his own to foil the evil Bob Alexander…
Like its contemporary, The American President, Dave doesn’t take itself too seriously. Despite the absurd proposal of a guaranteed job for everyone (why not pass a bill that guarantees peace on earth?), the film doesn’t pick a side between Republicans or Democrats. But more importantly, this film is funny. It’s witty and entertaining. Dave isn’t a film that was ever in danger of sweeping the Academy Awards (although it was nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar), but instead it’s a film that’s just to be enjoyed. And it is enjoyable - that’s why Dave ranks as a definite must-see film…
About the Author
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Dave (DVD).
