Last Updated on September 6, 2024 by
Reagan is a 2024 historical Movie Directed by Sean McNamara. It stars Dennis Quaid, C. Thomas Howell, and Mena Suvari and has a runtime of 2h 15m. It will be released on August 30, 2024.
The first Daniels film since The United States vs Billie Holiday stars the same actor as a Black single mother, whose domestic troubles are far more diabolical than they seem at first Andra Day was tantalizing in Billie Holiday, but Daniels isn’t doing much for her here, and this is one horror movie that seems less fresh with every passing frame. Apart from some bizarre supporting performance from Glenn Close as Day’s biological mom, it is just a third-rate Satanic horror flick that has no original concept at all.
The movie Reagan, released on August 30, 2023, starts with a dramatic scene: the shooting of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. John Hinckley Jr. attempts to assassinate the newly elected president but before that President Reagan delivers a moving speech where he says, “Our destiny is not our fate; it is our choice. ” Nonetheless, it is crucial to note that the movie omits the famous “Make America Great Again” quote probably to avoid relating it to the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.
This is just one of many instances in the movie where history is altered to present Ronald Reagan in a heroic light. Old Reagan, performed by Dennis Quaid, recounts his story as a part of some divine plan after he had a near-death experience A young Russian politician goes to an old spy, Viktor Petrovich, performed by Jon Voight, to learn more about the legendary fortieth President of the United States. Voight’s portrayal of Petrovich involves the funny Russian accent, and in the flashbacks of other scenes, Voight puts on the fake beard that looks quite ridiculous. It is pretty exaggerated, particularly when he portrays how, according to Reagan, the Soviet Union had the largest enemy. Petrovich calls Reagan “The Crusader” and looks scared when Reagan does something that would be ill-favored by the Soviet Union.
The movie then goes back to 1922, in Dixon, Illinois, and we are introduced to the young Ron Reagan called Dutch who practices public speaking at church. Nelle, the protagonist’s mother, knows that Jack, their father, is an alcoholic, but she does not despair and thinks that God has something better for her son. The film is about Reagan, a teenager who becomes a lifeguard and starts to discover his talent for dealing with people and women and understanding when something bad may occur. He also plays football and even offers two black players to come and live with him for a while although the emphasis is soon taken off this childish view of the world as the hero prepares to fight communism. Finally, when Reagan goes to Hollywood, a 70-year-old man named Dennis Quaid takes over for Reagan and tries to portray a man twenty years younger than he is, which doesn’t look as good as it sounds. It then progresses to scenes such as Reagan fighting a communist labor leader, to a cliché scene of him meeting his future wife, Nancy. They develop an understanding that they both love horses and that Reagan wishes he could just change the world. Nancy has made an absurd argument whereby she says that Reagan knows a lot regarding communism and politics more than Nixon and JFK because he spends his time reading. This movie over and over demonstrates the time Reagan was the governor of California and then the President in an incredibly simplified and sappy manner that makes the film look like a show from the 1980s. The film never stops preaching about Reagan’s goodness: A reverend claiming that Reagan would someday be the leader of the free world, Nancy expressing the thought that Reagan might have to “save us,” and Reagan announcing his adamant conviction against higher taxes and nuclear weapons. The film itself even depicts something like his famous ‘Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!’ speech was one of the greatest achievements ever.
The Iran Contra affair in which the Reagan administration secretly sold arms to Iran and used the money to fund the Contras is given a very brief mention in the movie and is portrayed simply as Reagan ‘telling the truth’. While the film does not set out to conclusively demonstrate that Reagan was an honest man all his life, that is not its intent. McNamara only wants to portray Reagan as a protector of America and Christianity, beloved by friends like Margaret Thatcher and feared by enemies. The movie’s rationale becomes rather complicated, especially when interpreting how Petrovich, played by Reagan, brought his country victory in this war: “People do not die for power, a state, or an ideology anymore; people die to save one another, to be free to live their lives as they please, and for God.
We deprived them of that, The Crusader has given it back to them. ” Watching the film, one cannot Considering that the movie is filled with people idolizing their president, it is only right that Reagan concludes with a shot of the real-life President who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease riding off into the horizon. All these efforts to construct Reagan as the ultimate American hero are so awkwardly and overlaid that the movie feels like propaganda at times. Quaid’s portrayal of Reagan as a charming yet sincere man with the occasional serious expression looks pretty fake while the rest of the cast seems as if they are acting in a parody of an old-fashioned biopic. All in all, Reagan is a great failure in history.
Reagan 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Reagan is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for violent content and smoking.
Violence: The movie starts with the portrayal of the shooting of President Reagan in 1981, which happened. This scene is dramatic and depicts the scene where John Hinckley junior attempts to assassin Reagan. The scene is not very violent but is quite tense and dramatic, and could be uncomfortable to many viewers, especially the young ones. Various themes touching on battles can be found throughout the movie especially the cold war between America and Russia. Although the film does not depict violence in the usual sense of the word, there are scenes where Reagan is seen in confrontation or in situations that reflect his political rivalries. There are also scenes of tension, where Reagan confronts communists and labor unions. Such scenes may involve fight scenes or dramatic wrangling of words in an exaggerated manner.
Alcohol/Drug Use: The film has scenes that depict characters such as Reagan and other personalities of that time engaging in smoking cigarettes. This is factually based on the era of the show but can be discomforting for parents, especially about the depiction of tobacco use.
Profundity: There is no vulgar language or any disrespect used in the film, nonetheless, there are a few nice words and sometimes harsh words which are part of the story since it is historical drama. As for gross-out humor, there are no direct rude words used but there is some language that may not be considered suitable for children to use.
Sexual Content: Sleaziness involves Reagan having a romance with his future wife, Nancy, in the movie. In terms of intimacy, their relations are portrayed as rather tender and perfect, showing the couple being close and affectionate.
All in all, Reagan provides a rather theatrical and stylized portrayal of the 40th president of the United States, which contains features that may be rather heavy for children and teenagers. Parents should rely on their judgment and it may be useful to explain this to kids to give some background and answer questions.
