Reagan

While we've all seen many biopics throughout the decades, some simply stand out more than others. "The Iron Lady", "The Queen", "The King's Speech", "The Darkest Hour", "JFK" to mention a handful all come to mind, but after viewing "Reagan", this was certainly as well crafted as the aforementioned list.

From dusty small-town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, "Reagan" is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich (Jon Voight), a former KGB agent whose life becomes inextricably linked with Ronald Reagan's when Reagan first caught the Soviets' attention as an actor in Hollywood, this film offers a perspective as unique as it is captivating. Dennis Quaid brings to life a story that transcends the boundaries of a traditional biopic offering a profound exploration of the enduring impact of the power of one man who overcame the odds, sustained by the love of a woman--his wife, Nancy (Penelope Ann Miller), who supported him in his journey. 

Others to round out the cast are Mena Suvari as Jane Wyman, Amanda Righetti as Nelle Reagan, Ronald's mother, C. Thomas Howell as Casper Weinberger, Xander Berkeley as George Schultz, Lesley Ann Down as Margaret Thatcher, Olek Krupa as Mikhail Gorbachev, Kevin Dillon as Jack Warner, David Henrie as young Reagan and Kevin Sorbo as Reverend Cleaver.

This was deftly directed with clarity by Sean McNamara ("Hollywood Chaos" '89, "P.U.N.K.S." '98, "Raise Your Voice" '04, "Bratz" '07, "Soul Surfer"'11, "Space Warriors" '13, "Spare Parts" '15, "Hoovey" '15, "Field of Lost Shoes"'15, "The Miracle Season" '18, "Orphan Horse" '18, "Mighty Oak" '20, "The King's Daughter" '22, "On a Wing and a Prayer" '23) plus other films, TV movies, TV, videos and shorts. Every character in this production simply jumped off the screen and it was almost as if we were peeking into these different lives. Considering this filmmaker's extensive resume, it should be no surprise that he could convey this to his audience. If you like his brand of direction, his "On Fire" is in post production. It was well penned by writer Howard A. Klauser ("Space Cowboys" 2000, "The Grace Card" '10, "The Last Ride" '11, "The Identical" '14, "Hoovey" '15, "The Secret Handshake" '15, "God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness" '18), based on the book "The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism" by Paul Kengor, This film was concise , cohesive, staged and paced well, and I felt that, however it was a bit odd that the film was being told through a former KGB agent, it turned out to be an excellent idea showing the extreme contrast between the Soviet Union and the USA. The acting by both Quaid and Miller as Reagan and his wife Nancy respectively was incredible and could possibly be nominated come Oscar time. 

No matter what side of the political aisle you reside, this film is captivating, exhilarating and very informative, all the while being entertaining with amazing acting and directing. Some of the same mistakes we're experiencing now are very similar to back in the 1980's. It's amazing how we seemingly do not learn from our history, 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                     Rated: PG-13                                          141mins.