| | | A comedy about truth, justice and other special effects.
Features: DVD, Pan and Scan (TV Format), Widescreen, French, Spanish, Subtitled, Commentary
When the President is caught in a sex scandal less than two weeks before the election, White House spinmaster Conrad Brean creates a phony war with the help of Hollywood producer Stanley Motss. It's a wickedly funny political satire that couldn't be more timely.
"Swift, hilarious, and impossible to resist!" Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Editor's Note
When a Firefly Girl accuses the president of sexual misconduct in the Oval Office less than two weeks before the upcoming election, White House official Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) is told to bring in Conrad Bream (Robert De Niro) to fix the situation and save the president's chances for reelection. This mysterious "fixer" fabricates a conflict with Albania in an effort to detract attention from the sex scandal, bringing in legendary Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to "produce" the war. When the CIA foils the initial plot, the creative team turns to a new story line, creating the saga of a U.S. soldier left behind enemy lines whom the president vows to find and return to American soil. Directed by Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN) and loosely based on Larry Beinhart's novel AMERICAN HERO, this merging of Hollywood and politics is both thought provoking and comical. The inspired casting of Hoffman as the self-absorbed producer and De Niro as the mysterious spin doctor is bolstered by a superb supporting cast that includes Denis Leary and Andrea Martin.
| Features | Subtitles: English, French | | Filmographies | | Theatrical Trailer | | Audio: English, French 5.1 Dolby Digital | | Audio Commentary By Barry Levinson And Dustin Hoffman | | From Washington To Hollywood And Back: A Look At Hollywood And Politics | | Cast And Crew Biographies | | Widescreen And Fullscreen Versions Of The Film |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: New Line |
| Release Date: 11/14/2006 |
| Running Time: 96 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1997 | | Catalog ID: 4658 | | UPC: 00794043465826 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen/Standard 1.85:1/1.33:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1998) | | | Dustin Hoffman, Nominee, Best Actor | | | Hilary Henkin, David Mamet, Nominee, Best Writing, Screenplay Based On Material From Another Medium | |
Golden Globe (1998) | | | Dustin Hoffman, Nominee, Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture-Comedy/Musical | | | Hilary Henkin, David Mamet, Nominee, Best Screenplay--Motion Picture |
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...WAG THE DOG, besides being outrageous fun, is also a groundbreaker..." 01/22/1998 p.61-2Sight and Sound
"...Extremely well-made..." 03/01/1998 p.57 USA Today
"...Fitfully amusing political satire..." 12/23/1997 p.3D New York Times
"...As scarily plausible as it is swift, hilarious and impossible to resist....Splendidly acted, written with biting acuity...and directed in discreetly sidesplitting fashion..." 12/26/1997 p.E7 Premiere
"...The sharp script makes for a movie sure to be appreciated by media junkies and conspiracy theorists alike..." 01/01/1998 p.21 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Like DR. STRANGELOVE, it makes you laugh, then it makes you wonder....For Hoffman, this is the best performance in some time..." 01/01/1998 p.31 Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
...a satire that contains just enough realistic ballast to be teasingly plausible; like Dr. Strangelove, it makes you laugh, and then it makes you wonder... It's creepy how this material is absurd and convincing at the same time. - Roger Ebert
Los Angeles Times 9 of 10
A gloriously cynical black comedy that functions as a wicked smart satire on the interlocking worlds of politics and show business... confirms every awful thought you've ever had about media manipulation and the gullibility of the American public. And it has a great deal of fun doing it. - Kenneth Turan
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