The nastiest thing this little mini-series does to the Reagans is that it makes them seem exceedingly dull. Indeed, had it been even half the hatchet job that conservatives claim, it might have been at least interesting. As is, the film is a this-happened-that-happened by-the-book biopic that offers little in the way of artistic style or drama.
All in all, however, the film seems to be remarkably generous to Ronnie and Nancy. Yes, they are portrayed as shallow, ambitious and self-absorbed, not to mention lousy parents, but that is old news. Considering the way that TV movies have characterized other presidents --- Washington and Lincoln up to JFK and LBJ -- it would seem that Reagan's Teflon shield remains in place. Ronald Reagan comes off as a vague, nice, inoffensive old man (even during his younger days) and Nancy's icy image has been greatly defrosted to make her seem far less ruthless than history remembers and a good deal more likable.
To their credit, James Brolin and Judy Davis do decent jobs of impersonating the couple. Brolin, looking properly embalmed just as Ronnie always did, disappears into his character. He never quite makes us believe he is Reagan, but you quickly forget that he is Brolin. Davis opts to give Nancy a personality, a characteristic generally absent from the former First Lady's usual public persona. She makes Nancy seem genuinely human, without a trace of the Lady Macbeth that one has come to expect from the mention of her name. The various actors playing the Reagan offspring barely register at all, but given their place in their parents' lives, being portrayed as non-entities might be fairly accurate.
The historical accuracy of the film is -- as with all TV biopics -- greatly suspect. Those who worship Reagan as a great leader will not be swayed, neither will those who remember him as symbol of fascism. But the film itself is not nearly as interesting as the over-the-top controversy it generated. Like the entire Reagan presidency, it is much ado about nothing. Certainly, the claims that it defamed the former president are unfounded, and though it falls far short of deifying the man, it hardly crucifies him either. But say what you will about Ronald Reagan, he knew how to put on a good show -- something that cannot be said about this film.
All in all, however, the film seems to be remarkably generous to Ronnie and Nancy. Yes, they are portrayed as shallow, ambitious and self-absorbed, not to mention lousy parents, but that is old news. Considering the way that TV movies have characterized other presidents --- Washington and Lincoln up to JFK and LBJ -- it would seem that Reagan's Teflon shield remains in place. Ronald Reagan comes off as a vague, nice, inoffensive old man (even during his younger days) and Nancy's icy image has been greatly defrosted to make her seem far less ruthless than history remembers and a good deal more likable.
To their credit, James Brolin and Judy Davis do decent jobs of impersonating the couple. Brolin, looking properly embalmed just as Ronnie always did, disappears into his character. He never quite makes us believe he is Reagan, but you quickly forget that he is Brolin. Davis opts to give Nancy a personality, a characteristic generally absent from the former First Lady's usual public persona. She makes Nancy seem genuinely human, without a trace of the Lady Macbeth that one has come to expect from the mention of her name. The various actors playing the Reagan offspring barely register at all, but given their place in their parents' lives, being portrayed as non-entities might be fairly accurate.
The historical accuracy of the film is -- as with all TV biopics -- greatly suspect. Those who worship Reagan as a great leader will not be swayed, neither will those who remember him as symbol of fascism. But the film itself is not nearly as interesting as the over-the-top controversy it generated. Like the entire Reagan presidency, it is much ado about nothing. Certainly, the claims that it defamed the former president are unfounded, and though it falls far short of deifying the man, it hardly crucifies him either. But say what you will about Ronald Reagan, he knew how to put on a good show -- something that cannot be said about this film.