The Celluloid President

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Gary and Jim discuss the 2000 Mel Gibson film "The Patriot," which depicts the brutal war between the patriots and the British during the War of Independence. They agree that George Washington is a great but remote hero and that the movie itself is rough to watch. War is Hell indeed. 

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In 1988, Senator Gary Hart was the front runner to be the next President of the United States until he went for a three-hour cruise on the pleasure craft "Monkey Business."  Hugh Jackman plays Hart in "The Front Runner," which asks an always relevant question: how much of a politician's personal life is relevant to his performance as a public servant?

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In addition to being a massive hit, "Hamilton" also provides insight into three U.S. Presidents. But more important as we approach July 4, what does the musical say about America and is it still relevant today? 

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Jim and Gary discuss the 1962 adaptation of "Advise and Consent," possibly the most popular American political novel of all time, which was turned into movie by the director Otto Preminger. They muse on the meaning of so many conspiracy and paranoid movies from the early 1960s and debate theU.S. Senate's power to advise and consent on a Presidential nomination.  

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In 1944, Daryl F. Zanuck, the head of Twentieth Century Fox, produced a movie about his political hero Woodrow Wilson. Despite being nominated for ten Academy Awards and the winner of five, the film is now largely forgotten. Jim and Gary discuss its historical and artistic merits, while chewing over what they think about Wilson the president.

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"The Apprentice" purports to tell Donald Trump's origin story, back when the notorious Roy Cohn took him under his wing and showed him how to win at any cost.  Jim and Gary take the movie on its own terms -- as a piece of history in the 1970s and 80's -- and refrain from discussing contemporary events. 

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Jim and Gary discuss "A Complete Unknown," the Oscar-nominated biopic of Bob Dylan, which explores the cultural and social politics of the early 1960s. And, yes, there is a reference or two to the US President who exemplifies those years -- JFK. 

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As they look forward to Lincoln's Birthday, Gary and Jim discuss John Ford's "Young Mr. Lincoln," the 1939 classic tale of Abe Lincoln as a young aspiring lawyer in Springfield, Illinois. Henry Fonda seems to embody Lincoln's very essence in a strong performance that challenges Daniel Day-Lewis for the best impersonation of Lincoln in cinematic history.

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Gary and Jim discuss the 1993 political comedy "Dave," in which a Presidential lookalike assumes the powers of the Chief Executive when the real President has a stroke. And what do you know, the imposter starts solving the country's problems. Starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver as rough stand-ins for Bill and Hillary Clinton.

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In the spirit of Christmas, Gary and Jim sought out a Christmas classic that depicts a U.S. President and landed on "Love Actually," one of Gary's least favorite Christmas movies. Has he changed his mind since the last time he watched it? And what did Jim think now that he's finally seen it? Crack open a bottle of Christmas cheer and fire up the podcast to find out what love actually means.