“Dave” (1993) – U.S. President Bill Mitchell suffers a stroke and lies in a coma, so Chief of Staff Bob Alexander (Frank Langella) and Communications Director Alan Reed (Kevin Dunn) have a local employment agency manager, Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline), impersonate the president…for a while.
You see, Dave is Bill Mitchell’s uncanny doppelganger, but pretending to be the leader of the free world? That sounds frightening, but not as scary as attempting to convince First Lady Ellen Mitchell (Sigourney Weaver), who carries the gravitas of a U.S. president herself. While we’re constantly concerned about Dave’s well-being during this grand charade, we’re equally wondering about this everyday man’s navigation with Ms. Mitchell, a most intimidating presence. Sigourney easily fits into a First Lady role and also gives Ellen a welcoming side.
Dave absolutely has a hospitable persona, and Kline is so good at playing this kind everyman who is thrown into a role of a lifetime. Do Ellen and Dave make a great couple? Watch this pitch-perfect comedy – arguably director Ivan Reitman’s most endearing film – to find out!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Written by: Gary Ross
Starring: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Charles Grodin, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, Laura Linney, and Ben Kingsley
Runtime: 110 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Image credits: Warner Bros.
