comment #1

NDH says ...

Lane Smith was a great actor. One of those underrated guys that popped up every once in a while over the years, always turning in solid work. And this was a great showcase role for him and perhaps the most quiet and restrained portrayal of Nixon on screen.

Hopkins, by contrast, didn't look at all like Nixon, and his performance was WAY over the top, but I can still watch it over and over again. Same goes for Sam Waterston's portrayal of Richard Helms. Great stuff!

comment #2

BurmaShave says ...

Best film Nixon: Phillip Baker Hall in SECRET HONOR, Best Nixon film: Oliver Stone's NIXON.

comment #3

Bilge says ...

Thanks for that, Jeff. I like the BEING RICHARD NIXON idea. You should copyright it.

BTW, the link for the article:
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/12/movie_nixons.html

Philip Baker Hall is definitely on there, but I was totally, totally blown away by Lane Smith's performance. It's a bleeding crime that the guy wasn't nominated for an Emmy. He completely inhabits that role.

comment #4

MathewM says ...

I never understood the hatred for Nixon. He did a bad thing but he was an interesting and smart president who would be held in much higher esteem should Watergate never occurred.

Of course I'll be bashed for this on a liberal blog but I never understood the love for JFK either. He seemed rather average and kind of boring. Outside of "JFK" (which revolved around his death) has there been a movie made about the guy's life other than a mini-series?

comment #5

NDH says ...

"Outside of "JFK" (which revolved around his death) has there been a movie made about the guy's life other than a mini-series?"

I thought Thirteen Days was a great film. Even though it chronicled a single point in history, as opposed to Kennedy's life story, it still showed him to be a smart president who wouldn't give in to the pressure of the military hawks around him.

comment #6

Bilge says ...

There are tons of movies about JFK, though admittedly many of them were made for TV. And very few of them are any good (at least of the ones I've seen).

And, um, Nixon did more than "a bad thing." If there's one thing that most of the books and movies have largely failed to convey, it's that Watergate was FAR from the worst thing he did.

In truth, there were some great things he did, too. His visit to China might prove to be one of the most important diplomatic achievements of the postwar era.

comment #7

lipranzer says ...

I wonder if we have a copy of THE FINAL DAYS on tape at our store. From that footage (yes, Lane Smith is a very good and underappreciated actor), I'd be curious to see it.

Though of course I thought both Philip Baker Hall and Anthony Hopkins were brilliant in serious portraits, I also liked the more comic portrayals, like Bob Gunton in ELVIS VS. NIXON and Dan Hedaya in DICK (the latter picture in particular, funny as it is, wouldn't work without him). And, of course, Aykroyd in that SNL skit.

comment #8

Pinko Punko says ...

Dan Hedaya in Dick, come on- "these cookies...are scrumptious"

comment #9

Pinko Punko says ...

My comment above should read "Dan Hedaya in Dick, right on"

what a strange and wonderful movie.

comment #10

MathewM says ...

"And, um, Nixon did more than "a bad thing." If there's one thing that most of the books and movies have largely failed to convey, it's that Watergate was FAR from the worst thing he did."

Name another thing he did that was worse than Watergate that no other president before him committed.

comment #11

corey3rd says ...

If Nixon hadn't opened up China, we wouldn't have all those poisoned baby toys under the Christmas tree.

comment #12

Bilge says ...

"Name another thing he did that was worse than Watergate that no other president before him committed."

This thread is probably not the place for this discussion, but: Carpet-bombing a neutral country, especially when part of the reason for it was because you were ostensibly trying to achieve peace with its wartorn neighbor, wasn't exactly a bright idea.

Also, read up on the history of Chile sometime. It's one of our nation's darkest moments.

I actually think there are plenty of areas where Nixon's presidency was underrated. But seriously, Watergate wasn't some one-off boner fluke. If anything, it was a symptom of far more dangerous things going on.

comment #13

arturobandini2 says ...

I agree with lip and pinko. Dan Hedaya in Dick did more than an impersonation -- he achieved performance art. Every time he was onscreen, he was both ridiculous and terrifying. Even offscreen ("Checkers, get down you piece of shit!").

comment #14

huntermdaniels says ...

Secret Honor. Done.

comment #15

TVMCCA says ...

It's forgotten now, but Jason Robards did a good fictionalized Nixon (called "Richard Monckton") in the late-70's miniseries WASHINGTON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS--adapted from John Erlichmann's novel THE COMPANY.

comment #16

frankbooth says ...

I'd love to see Rip Torn's Nixon from the Blind Ambition miniseries, based on John Dean's memoir. It seems like a perfect role for him, but I can't find the thing anywhere, not even on VHS.

Anybody seen it?

comment #17

thevisceral says ...

Headless Body Of Agnew has all them suckas beat.

comment #18

Pinko Punko says ...

[para} "Oh jesus, they're gonna crucify me..."

not the racism or anti-semitism on the tapes mind you, but something else.

Harry Shearer as Liddy. Oh my god. Kissinger? That guy ws sublime. Dave Foley as Dean. Breuer as Haldeman? The high point of Will Ferrell- "you smell like cabbage." Who on EARTH were gonna get those jokes? A perfect little film. When "popcorn" started playing on the school bus and the kids were SOL on McDonalds. You can't sell the movie to anyone, because unless they love it coming to it naively, they'll likely be disappointed. You just have to discover it organically.

comment #19

Rich S. says ...

It's tough to top Richard Nixon's head (as itself) in Futurama.

comment #20

Joshua Mooney says ...

Nixon-obsessed as I am, I have to say that Lane Smith's take is THE most authentic and realistic. It's not just mimicry or impersonation-- it's a superb acting job, as others here have noted. I haven't seen Langella yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Fact is, all these worthy actors have something to add to our understanding of this complex dude--even Hopkins, with whom I had the most trouble suspending my disbelief. But "Nixon" remeains one of my favorite Stone movies.

comment #21

Movie fan09 says ...

Bilge Author Profile Page says ...

Philip Baker Hall is definitely on there, but I was totally, totally blown away by Lane Smith's performance. It's a bleeding crime that the guy wasn't nominated for an Emmy. He completely inhabits that role.

that's the problem.
He was too real.

comment #22

alynch says ...

Hedaya really is brilliant in Dick ("Shut up Checkers or I'll feed you to the Chinese!") even if that film now makes all his scenes in Nixon have a wierd vibe; thankfully it's small part. It really is neat that only 35 years after his presidency a list of ten really good Nixon performances can be put together. How many other presidents can that be said about? His personality is just really great fodder for actors.

comment #23

Edward says ...

When will we get the film version of "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 72?" Nixon, McGovern, Thompson? Bring back Jonny Depp as Thompson, but who should play Nixon and McGovern?

comment #24

janee says ...

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