The American President

The American President
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRob Reiner
Written byAaron Sorkin
Produced byRob Reiner
Starring
CinematographyJohn Seale
Edited byRobert Leighton
Music byMarc Shaiman
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • November 17, 1995 (1995-11-17)
Running time
113 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$62 million[2]
Box office$107.9 million[3]

The American President is a 1995 American political romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin. The film stars Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd, a widower who pursues a relationship with environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) – who has just moved to Washington, D.C. – while at the same time attempting to win the passage of a crime control bill during a re-election year. Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox and Richard Dreyfuss star in supporting roles.

The American President grossed $107.9 million on a budget of $62 million, and was praised by critics for its performances (especially of Douglas and Bening), musical score, story, and screenplay. The film earned composer Marc Shaiman a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score.[4][5] The film was nominated for six Golden Globes: Best Picture - Comedy/Musical, Best Director, Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical for Douglas, Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical for Bening, and Best Screenplay.[6][7] The American Film Institute ranked The American President No. 75 on its list of America's Greatest Love Stories.[8]

  1. ^ "The American President (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 15, 1995. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  2. ^ "The American President (1995) - Financial Information". M.the-numbers.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "1996 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". Oscars.org. March 25, 1996. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  5. ^ "Past Winners Database: 1995 68th Academy Awards". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 16, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
  6. ^ "The 53rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1996)". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on October 28, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
  7. ^ "Past Winners Database: 1995 53rd Golden Globe Awards". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 11, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
  8. ^ "AFI's 100 YEARS...100 PASSIONS". afi.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2011.