Former first lady Nancy Reagan once said about her beloved husband, “They broke the mold when they made Ronnie.”
Knowing them both personally, I can vouch for the truth of her words. (I will share a few personal stories about the Reagans in my column next week!)
Though no leader is without his or her flaws, President Ronald Reagan was a stellar man and ginormous influencer on this planet, like few others.
For those possibly too young to remember, “The 40th president of the United States, who served from 1981-89, appeared in 53 films as an actor before segueing to politics. He served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild and later shifted from liberal to conservative in becoming the governor of California in 1966. He was reelected in 1970,” as the Hollywood Reporter reported.
Politically as president, among myriad global accomplishments, he is credited with spearheading the West’s fight in ending the Cold War and bringing down the reign of the Soviet Union.
It would not be easy to capture his personage – let alone legacy – in film, but I believe that finally has been accomplished in a first full-length feature titled simply, “Reagan.”
I cannot say enough great accolades about this new movie, in which Dennis Quaid stars and gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the 40th president.
The screenplay was written by Howard Klausner and is based on Paul Kengor’s insightful 2006 book, “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.” (Kengor teaches political science at Grove City College in Pennsylvania.)
This new must-see biopic had its world premiere last Tuesday at Hollywood’s most iconic theater, TCL Chinese Theatre, coincidentally at the same time as the Democratic National Convention was broadcast. It will now open in theaters across the nation this Friday night, Aug. 30.
The film was showcased by our good friend and exhibition veteran Kevin Mitchell and his newly founded ShowBiz Cinemas. “Reagan” is the company’s debut release, partnering with former Lionsgate distribution president Richie Fay, and former Open Road distribution co-president Scott Kennedy, Deadline reported.
As his Linkedin profile explained, “Mr. Mitchell has been engaged in the theatrical exhibition business for more than 35 years. … .[Kevin] has also served on multiple board of directors, including former Chairman of the Board for Variety The Children’s Charity Of Texas, an Advisory Board Member for National Association Of Theatre Owners and Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, as well as a Board Member for Chuck Norris’ Kickstart Kid’s Foundation.”
Discussion “Reagan,” Mitchell explained, “I’ve had my eyes on this movie for a while. Dennis Quaid does such an amazing job portraying Reagan. ‘Reagan’ was sought by many, and we are happy that we could reach an agreement with Mark Joseph and his team.”
Deadline reported: “A biopic set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film follows Reagan’s journey from his childhood in Dixon, Illinois, to Hollywood and on to the White House. It begins with an aging [former KGB agent Viktor] Petrovich (Jon Voight), now 90 years old, being visited by an up-and-coming Russian leader who wants to know how the Soviet Union was lost. Petrovich, the spy who knows everything there is to know about Reagan, begins recounting the tale of his adversary: the man he mockingly nicknamed ‘The Crusader,’ beginning in 1922, when 11-year-old Ronald Reagan faces his first life crisis.”
Additional cast members include Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan, David Henrie as the teenage Reagan, C. Thomas Howell as Caspar Weinberger, Nick Searcy as James Baker and Lesley-Anne Down as Margaret Thatcher.
Gena and my very close friends are the veteran actor and mega-patriots Marshall and Lindy Teague. As part of the all-star cast, Marshall plays Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Shevardnadze in “Reagan.”
Marshall explained his role to Gena and me this way: “When you have the opportunity to be a part of a movie about one of the greatest presidents, all I could do was smile!
“As a character actor, portraying a real-life personality is always captivating, as you not only take on the persona but also the physical look – in this case as Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Shevardnadze with a Georgian/Russian accent. That was fun!
“Filming started in the fall of 2020, which made the challenges of COVID protocol difficult on set. Yet, in true Reaganesque nature, Dennis Quaid flawlessly crawled into the spirit of Reagan and would flash that indelible smile along with the iconic twinkle in his eye and say, ‘Let’s go to work!’
“It was an absolute honor to be a part of this amazing ensemble cast touching upon the greatest moments of one of the greatest presidents, Ronald Reagan.”
Outside of its amazing entertainment value, with lots of unexpected comedy too, another great aspect about the “Reagan” movie is that it’s receiving acclaim from those on every side of the political aisle.
Filmmaker Sean McNamara explained that “Reagan” is not a right-wing or leftist movie. He told the Hollywood Reporter, “With ‘Reagan,’ our film has everything. It’s not only about his presidency. It’s also about him as a little boy, how he grew up, how he fell in love with Nancy and their love story. It goes on to detail how he became governor then president through to when he retired and when he got Alzheimer’s. It’s the full length of his life story.”
Penelope Ann Miller, who stars opposite Quaid as Nancy Reagan, shared, “There are a lot of Democrats in the film, and a lot of Democrats are here [at the premier] to support our film because they are interested in finding out more about Reagan. We all need to be able to talk to each other.
“It’s so divisive in our country, and if you shut down one side over another, it’s harmful. We’re all a part of the same country, and it’s important that we all can be seen and heard. One of the great things about Reagan was that he was such an effective communicator. He was able to cross party lines.”
Quaid summarized his monumental role to Deadline this way: “Portraying Ronald Reagan was an enormous challenge. This is an important movie, one of my most interesting roles and I am really excited to work with the ShowBiz team to get this film opened in theaters this summer.”
Even Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., hosted an interview with the cast of “Reagan” followed by a dinner in late July. The library’s official website explained about this amazing movie, “On August 30, 2024, REAGAN will be released in theaters nationwide. REAGAN is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. … This film offers a perspective as unique as it is captivating!”
I guarantee you: Whether you lean more to the political right or left, you will be absolutely inspired and empowered by “Reagan”! Don’t walk but run to see “Reagan”! (Watch the trailer here.)
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