Uncle Tom on the big screen
Nabila Habib

The US Presidential race is in full throttle, buzzing with curiosity and speculations. Dust has settled over party candidate issues (like Hillary) and all that comes on the way (candidate’s personal life, reputation and career planned with a lifetime of strategy) is in imminent danger of being trampled for the sake of winning the race. The same high stakes and adrenaline rush that goes with high profile racing has inspired innumerable movie makers spanning time to show the Presidents onscreen. The big and glamorous make excellent screen presence, and US President is the biggest entity that our world has. In totality, 36 movies have been made showing US Presidents. Of course the most favorite candidate of filmmakers has been Lincoln, with 22 movies made exclusively on him!

The major movies outlining the first man of the world superpower are listed:

Air Force One (1997): Harrison Ford plays President James Marshall, who suffers for taking a tough anti-terorist stance. On his way home from Moscow after a stirring speech there, his plane (Air Force One) is hijacked by Russian terrorists. They want him to ring Moscow and release General Redek. In the confusion following, they think that the President has escaped in the pod, while he is still onboard for the sake of his wife and daughter, and the country. The terrorists plan to execute one hostage every half-hour unless/until their demands are met. However, the President is a former Medal of Honor winner, and here lies the action quotient of the flick. A dramatic thriller, the film targets a humane eye on the moist influential man on earth.

The American President (1995): Michael Douglas plays Prez Andrew Shepherd in this romantically dramatic take on a political topic. The President, a widower with a young daughter, is approaching the end of his first term. Being popular with public, his election seems assured. That is until he meets Sydney Helen Wade, a paid political activist, for whom he falls head over heels. The first date happens to a State dinner for the visiting President of France. This new relationship becomes fodder for both the press and a rival Senator - precipitating a rapid drop in the polls.

Jimmy Carter, Man From Plains(2007): Late in 2006, President Jimmy Carter tours the U.S. promoting his provocative "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." Demme`s camera follows Carter from city to city, home to Plains (population 635), visiting a Habitat for Humanity site in New Orleans, and talking on radio and TV with Teri Gross, Charlie Rose, Diane Rehm, Jay Leno, Larry King, Wolf Blitzer, Tavis Smiley, and Al Jazeera and Israeli pundits, discussing Palestine`s plight and the policies of Israel. Critics speak as well. Between events, Carter talks about Camp David, recent travels, being married, speaking Spanish and wisdom he learned from Rachel Clark, his nanny. A montage of speeches, awards, and travels ends the film. A great documentary about Jimmy Carter as he embarked on his book tour to promote "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid"

JFK (1991): This documentary is an investigative biography involving just about everyone in Hollywood. It needs to be mentioned in the list for introducing the involvement of Vice President in the most well known murder mystery of all ages.
All The Presidents Men (1976): The Watergate scandal is uncovered with clarity involving all the twists and turns of the actual happening. But the thing that gathers in all the applause is that the guys took down a presidency with typewriters and telephones. No Google, no internet. And even no president shown in the movie!

The candidate (1972): Robert Redford plays Bill McKay, the perfect candidate in a not so perfect race, for he is too young, too handsome, too liberal, and so has no chance in the race. He then decides to tweak the system!

Primary Colours(1998): John Travolta plays Governor with the acting a little bit over the top, but then again so was the president he was emulating - Bill Clinton.

Bob Roberts (1992): A cynical movie with a docu-drama look about it.Tim Robins plays Bob Roberts Documentary-style look at the fictional Senatorial campaign of Bob Roberts, an arch-conservative folk singer turned politician. This political satire includes several original songs co-written and performed by writer/director/star Tim Robbins, and cameo appearances by other stars as reporters and news anchors. Cynical movie.

Bulworth (1998): In this critically acclaimed movie, Senator Jay Bulworth faces speculation-induced financial ruin, so he puts out a contract on his own life in order to collect a large, new insurance policy for his family. Living each moment on borrowed time, he suddenly begins spouting raw, unfiltered - and sometimes offensive in word but satirical in spirit - thoughts to shocked audiences and handlers in the speech of hip-hop music and culture. His newfound uninhibitedness carries him on a journey of political and spiritual renewal.

Independence Day (1996): The sci-fi that combined politics in a hilarious presentation. With Will Smith as the war-pilot-President is at his best portraying a kick-ass president who flies a war plane to handle the crisis: the world is going to end because US is going to end (never understood this particular logic like many more confused thinkers who watch sci-fi Hollywood flicks.

Amistad (1997): This Steven Speilberg flick won an Oscar nomination, in which Anthony Hopkins plays Jouh Qyuincy Adams, the ninth President of the US. Amistad is the name of the ship in which slaves mutineed, but were caught on the American shore.

Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940): Raymond Massey played an Oscar nominated role of Lincoln, after which he got to be generally recognized as Lincoln himself!

Nixon (1992): Oliver Stone’s piece starring carpet chewing Anthony Hopkins.