Vote on this title
Click on a gene to vote or discover related titles.
-
Mood:
- CleverHumorousWittyCynicalBiting
-
Plot:
- PoliticsPolitical CorruptionDishonestyMediaState AffairsCampaignJournalismMedia Satire
-
Genres:
- ComedyIndependentDrama
-
Time/Period:
- 20th Century90s
-
Place:
- Washington DCWhite House
-
Praise:
- Critically Acclaimed
-
Humor:
- SatireIrreverent Humor
-
Style:
- TalkyAll Star Cast
-
Based on:
- Based on Book
-
Attitudes:
- Semi SeriousRealistic
-
Flag:
- Profanity
Does this gene fit Wag the Dog?
Find it on:
| IMDb | |
| Rotten Tomatoes |
Wag the Dog , 1997
English
USA
Profile of Wag the Dog
Wag the Dog can be described as cynical, clever, and witty. The plot revolves around political corruption, media, and politics. Its comic aspect comes from satire and irreverent humor. Wag the Dog's main genres are comedy, independent, and drama. In terms of style, it is talky and features an all-star cast. In approach, it is realistic. Wag the Dog is set, at least in part, at the White House. It is located in Washington DC. It takes place in the 1990s. Wag the Dog is based on a book. The movie has received attention for being critically acclaimed. Note that it involves profanity.
Summary of Wag the Dog
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.
Details
| Language: | English |
| Country: | USA |
| Release date: | 9 January 1998 |
| Runtime: | 97 min |
Cast and Crew
as Stanley Motss
as Conrad Brean
Photos
Clips
Critics Reviews
Entertainment Weekly
If the result is often as glib as the targets it's satirizing, it's also driven by a cruelly distilled joy. Wag the Dog is an ode to the thrill of deception, a thrill embodied in Hoffman's inspired performance.
- |
- by: Owen Gleiberman
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Wag The Dog is an oft-hilarious, witty, scathing satire that represents four gifted if uneven artists (De Niro, Hoffman, Levinson, and Mamet) at the top of their respective games.
- |
- by: Nathan Rabin
Users Reviews
...and you may learn a few things from it. The idea that they can distract the public by faking a war is just mind boggling. De Niro is very good as the clever character, and Hoffman is great as the producer. There's even Willie Nelson in this....
- 23.September.2009
- |
- by: nanikves
- nanikves rated this movie
8/10Great
that cast doesn't go to waste in this shrewd satire about politics, media and the (non existing) boundaries between them. really worth watching.
- 25.October.2008
- |
- by: ani
- ani rated this movie7/10Good
