Quaid Shines as Reagan, but the Film Feels More Commercial than Biopic

“Is there anything worse than an actor with a cause?” questions a frustrated Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan’s first wife, early in “Reagan,” the new biopic starring Dennis Quaid.

After spending two hours with this story, an affectionate look back at the man who was the 40th president of the United States, one may argue there’s something worse: an actor without a solid script.

However, it’s unfair to put the full weight on Quaid, who has portrayed more than one president. He captures Reagan’s iconic smile, well-groomed hair, and notably, his folksy voice—close your eyes, and it’s distinctly Reagan. On “Saturday Night Live,” this would be a casting triumph akin to Larry David as Bernie Sanders.

However, this is not an “SNL” skit. It’s a 135-minute film demanding far greater depth. As Bill Clinton, another president portrayed by Quaid might say: It’s the script, stupid.

Directed with love by Sean McNamara and scripted by Howard Klausner, “Reagan” begins with a chilling event: the assassination attempt on Reagan in Washington in March 1981, only two months into his presidency.

Some say the botched assassination solidified Reagan’s bond with Americans; he famously told Nancy from his hospital bed: “Honey, I forgot to duck.” The filmmakers use this incident to kick off their narrative, returning to it later in a chronological manner.

Initially, they assert that Reagan emerged from the ordeal with a divine sense of purpose. “My mother said everything in life happens for a reason, even the most disheartening setbacks,” he says. He tells Tip O’Neill, the House speaker, that everything from then on would be part of this divine plan.

The broader theme here is that Reagan, according to this film, was solely responsible for the downfall of the Soviet Union by demonstrating the essence of freedom to the world. “I knew he was the one,” says Viktor Petrovich, a retired spy played with a heavy Russian accent by Jon Voight, who serves as the film’s narrator. The film is based on Paul Kengor’s book “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism,” and Kengor mentioned that Viktor is a composite of various KGB agents who tracked Reagan for years.

That point is reiterated frequently. What follows is a historical montage, gloriously lit to flatter the star. We look back at Reagan’s early years, learning about his mother’s teachings on faith, his Hollywood days as an actor and Screen Actors Guild president (when he was a Democrat), and his full plunge into politics and the GOP.

We also see Reagan’s romance with Nancy Davis, who became his loyal companion and second wife. Penelope Ann Miller, much like Quaid, is a competent actor given little nuance to explore. Together, they embark on a journey of political ascendance, starting with Reagan’s governorship of California. A memorable moment occurs when a housewife, hearing “RR” on Reagan’s badge, mistakes him for Roy Rogers.

Fast forward a decade and Reagan is inaugurated as President, commencing his two terms. “It became my obsession to understand what was beneath the facade,” Voight’s Petrovich explains, delving into why Reagan was so impactful.

By the movie’s end—depicting Reagan’s death in 2004, ten years after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis—we know little more about this significant political figure than we did at the outset.

The film hits the expected highlights. We hear Reagan command, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” in Berlin in 1987, with significant buildup.

The famous debate lines are included, such as “There you go again,” directed at Jimmy Carter in 1980, and Reagan’s clever handling of the age issue against Walter Mondale in 1984. “I will not make age an issue of this campaign,” the then-73-year-old president quipped, “I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Mondale laughed, and so did the nation. The movie, however, misses similar revitalization.

“History is never about when, why, how—it always comes down to ‘who,'” says Voight’s Petrovich. While historians might dispute that, one would have appreciated more specifics about any aspect that would provide genuine insight instead of prolonged adulation into who Reagan really was.

“Reagan,” released by Showbiz Direct, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for violent content and smoking. Its running time is 135 minutes. Rating: One and a half stars out of four.

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