Film Review: Dave (1993)

People tend to watch the past with rose-tinted glasses, even when it comes to US politics. From today’s perspective, when people elected to White House happen to be unhinged egomaniacs or lacking basic mental faculties, their predecessors from few decades ago look like serious responsible statesmen, people with dignity, gravitas and ability to earn respect even by those who didn’t agree with their politics. A glimpse to this alleged golden age can be given by Dave, 1993 comedy directed by Ivan Reitman.

Protagonist, played by Kevin Kline, is Dave Kovic, owner of temporary employment agency who occasionally makes ends meet with comical impersonations of US President William Harrison Mitchell. His incredible physical resemblance catches attention of US Secret Service which recruits Dave to serve as Mitchell’s double while President is having sexual encounter with one of his secretaries. What was supposed to be temporary job becomes something more permanent when Mitchell suffers stroke during sex. Bob Alexander (played by Frank Langella), Mitchell’s ambitious chief of staff, convinces him that he must continue impersonating the President because the Vice President Gary Nance (played by Ben Kingsley) is allegedly unfit for office. Nance is conveniently sent to long good-will trip to various African countries while Dave performs Mitchell’s duties under the guise of Alexander who actually plans to become President himself. This plan, however, didn’t account for Dave’s character and his willingness to do the right thing. Instead of being Alexander’s puppet, he actually starts using his position to pursue policies in the interest of common American people. This change doesn’t go unnoticed by First Lady Ellen Mitchell (played by Sigourney Weaver), who was estranged from her husband due to his philandering and who now finds attracted to mysterious stranger who looks like President.

Political themes shouldn’t be surprise in the script written by Gary Ross, veteran of three presidential campaigns and ardent supporter of Democratic Party, never shy of injecting his beliefs in content of his films. For Ross the best President in history of USA was Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his administration coincided with times when Frank Capra used to make populist comedies in Classic Hollywood, including those with overtly political themes in which ordinary decent person triumphed over rich, powerful and corrupt. Dave is in many ways continuation of such tradition and some may ask how such simple one-sided world view could have worked in for more cynical and jaded audiences in early 1990s. On the other hand, production of the film coincided with electoral campaign of Bill Clinton, politician who paved his way to White House by presenting himself as decent ordinary man, very much like Dave and very much unlike aristocratic, rich, old and elitist George H. W. Bush (who obviously served as model for Mitchell). Clinton would later express great fondness for the film, returning the favour to Hollywood that would spend the rest of 1990s worshipping his administration on and off the screen. Despite the obvious partisanship, Dave gives almost nostalgic depiction of Washington D.C. as place where even problematic or scandalous politicians like Mitchell or Alexander look like choir boys to those depicted in House of Cards two decades later and where it is completely possible for one decent man to make all the difference. Dave is ultimately allowed to abandon his role and leave the country in good hands of Vice President, who is depicted as saint.

Such syrupy over-idealistic portrayal of American politics might have resulted in complete disaster if not for incredibly effective performance of Kevin Kline, who simply shines in difficult double role of philandering President and his well-intentioned doppelganger. Sigourney Weaver is adequate in somewhat thankless role of First Lady who, somewhat unconvincingly, isn’t aware of the charade. Frank Langella is effective as villain, while Kevin Dunn is good as White House communication director who, thanks to Dave’s charm, switches loyalty from Alexander to Dave. Direction by Ivan Reitman, on the other hand, is adequate but not particularly inspiring and Dave has problems with pacing. But the biggest problem, at least from today’s perspective, is viewers’ experiences with real life President which is very different from what Reitman and Ross tried to portray. Today we know that single individual, even when elected to White House, can’t do anything that goes against powerful interests and the story ends either with bending the knee to Alexanders and similar Deep State characters or being sabotaged by them. Dave can be enjoyed as unpretentious paper-weight comedy only if those sad facts of life are ignored or forgotten.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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