"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What movie lost the most money in the box office?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"While John Carter is far from a poorly made movie and, in fact, does quite a few things well, it will forever remain one of the biggest box office bombs in history. At over $250 million in loss of revenue, John Carter rules both the red planet and the leaderboard of feature picture commercial catastrophes."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Which movie is the #1 watched box office movie ever?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Although the nominal earnings chart is dominated by films adapted from pre-existing properties and sequels, it is headed by Avatar, which is an original work."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where is Ronald Reagan actually buried?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the presidential library and burial site of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States (1981–1989), and his wife Nancy Reagan. Located in Simi Valley, California, the library is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"When did Reagan stop acting?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"With this, Reagan appeared in multiple western films, something that had been denied to him while working at Warner Bros. In 1952, he ended his relationship with Warner Bros., but went on to appear in a total of 53 films, his last being The Killers (1964)."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is Killing Reagan accurate?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Those four Reagan biographers, who had written 19 biographies on Ronald Reagan among them, penned an op-ed for The Washington Post on October 16 that highlighted what they claimed to be major historical inaccuracies and outright fabrications used in O'Reilly's book."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is Dennis Quaid a good actor?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Dennis Quaid, a very good actor who can usually work hints of sadness into his manic machismo, is hamstrung here by the need to impersonate."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What happened to Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"She and Quaid announced their separation in June 2000, and their divorce became final in July 2001. Ryan became romantically involved with actor Russell Crowe while working on their 2000 film Proof of Life. In January 2006, Ryan adopted a 14-month-old girl from China whom she named Daisy True."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Did Dennis Quaid learn to play piano?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Playing the guitar from the early age of 12, he always had an affinity for music. He learned how to play piano in his 30s when preparing for the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in \"Great Balls of Fire.\" Jerry Lee was actually one of his piano teachers, and Dennis has been playing ever since."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who escorted Nancy Reagan at Ronald Reagan's funeral?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"During the week's events Nancy Reagan was escorted in public by U.S. Army Major General Galen B. Jackman."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why is Nancy Reagan so famous?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Nancy Reagan (/ˈreɪɡən/; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress who was the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989, as the second wife of President Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the movie Reagan about?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"
From the glitter of Hollywood to the world stage, Ronald Reagan overcomes the odds to become the 40th president of the United States.
Reagan / Film synopsis
\"Image
"}}]}}

Dennis Quaid’s ‘Reagan’ Is the Worst Movie of the Year (2024)

Directed by Sean McNamara, the artist behind 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite, and Baby Geniuses and the Treasure of Egypt and its follow-up Baby Geniuses and the Space Baby, Reagan lives up to its creator’s illustrious canon.

Describing this two-hour, 20-minute film (which has been sitting on the shelf for close to four years) as a hagiography is to understate its fawning celebration of its subject, who’s presented as not merely a charismatic actor and effective statesman but as God’s chosen warrior in a titanic battle between good and evil. Regardless of how you feel about Ronald Reagan the president, most will be united in finding this biopic a preachy, plodding, graceless groaner.

Reagan, which hits theaters Aug. 30, begins with the March 30, 1981, attempted assassination of the newly elected commander-in-chief by John Hinckley Jr.—a calamity that’s preceded by Reagan telling an AFL-CIO conference, “Our destiny is not our fate. It is our choice. You and your forebearers helped build this nation. Now help us rebuild it.” Left out of this scene is Reagan’s “Make America Great Again” remark, no doubt to avoid drawing parallels between its protagonist and Donald Trump, and it’s the first of innumerable instances in which McNamara and screenwriter Howard Klausner warp history for one-note lionization.

In narration, the Gipper (Dennis Quaid) remarks that this near-death experience is part of a “divine plan,” at which point Reagan establishes its present-day framing narrative, in which a promising young Russian politician (Alexey Sparrow) visits former spy Viktor Petrovich (Jon Voight) to hear about the legend of the 40th president.

This involves Voight affecting a hilarious Russian accent (as when he refers to “da Hollywood glitz and glamoor”) and, in flashbacks, wearing a fake beard that’s as dark as his awful dye job. His performance is no more subtle, dominated as it is by faux-sage pronouncements about how he knew that Reagan was the Soviet Union’s most formidable adversary—they called him “The Crusader!”—and his laughably fearful reaction-shot expressions whenever the president makes a speech or move that challenges the USSR’s ambitions.

Reagan subsequently rewinds to 1922 Dixon, Illinois, where adolescent Reagan (Tommy Ragen)—known by his childhood nickname Dutch—hones his public speaking skills at the First Christian Church and abides by the pious teachings of his devout mother Nelle (Amanda Righetti). Reagan’s dad Jack (Justin Chatwin) is a drunken lout but Nelle is sure that God has a purpose for her son, and he starts to discover what it is while a teenage lifeguard (David Henrie).

    At this job, Reagan realizes that he’s a natural charmer with the ladies and learns how to foresee trouble by watching the currents beneath the surface. He’s also a football player who brings two Black teammates home to stay with his family, although healing racial tensions aren’t his true calling—defeating communism is, as he understands after attending a speech by a Soviet defector who talks about how the USSR denied its people their churches.

    By the time he arrives in Hollywood, he’s embodied by Quaid, and the sight of the 70-year-old actor trying to play a thirtysomething Reagan is about as awkward as it sounds. Such clunkiness is omnipresent in Reagan, whether it’s Reagan cornily fighting communist labor leader Herb Sorrell (Mark Kubr) on behalf of Jack Warner (Kevin Dillon) and the Screen Actors Guild—Sterling Hayden dubs Reagan “a one-man battalion against this thing!”—or sharing a strained meet-cute in his office with future second wife Nancy (Penelope Ann Miller).

    Riding horses together, Reagan confesses, “I just want to do something good in this world. Make a difference.” He figures out how to do just that by entering politics—a natural evolution according to Nancy, who expounds that, thanks to reading books about communism, espionage, and Eastern Europe, he knows more about politics than Nixon and JFK!

      Reagan’s governorship and two terms in the Oval Office are dramatized with similar hokeyness, such that Reagan resembles a TV movie from the era of its subject’s presidency.

      The simplistic and sentimental sermonizing never ends: Pat Boone plays a reverend who prophesizes that Reagan will be the leader of the free world; Nancy surmises, “You just may need to save us;” and Reagan rails against higher taxation and nuclear proliferation, all while simultaneously taking a tough stand against Mikhail Gorbachev (Aleksander Krupa). Opposition to Reagan’s first term is encapsulated by a brief montage of non-fiction footage set to Genesis’ “Land of Confusion,” but this is just a means of setting up his eventual re-election win against Walter Mondale, after which he proceeds to keep kicking Soviet butt, most notably by demanding, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”—a moment cast in effusively triumphant terms.

      Reagan briefly skims past the Iran-Contra scandal, which Reagan handles by “doing what you do best—tell them the truth.” Reagan doesn’t prove that honesty is its main character’s strong suit, per se, but that’s beside the point; McNamara is only interested in suggesting that, at every turn, Reagan was a staunch defender of down-home American (and Christian) values, and instilled respect in his allies—such as Margaret Thatcher (Lesley-Anne Down), who exclaims “Well done, cowboy!” after his Berlin Wall remarks—and terror in his adversaries.

      Dennis Quaid’s ‘Reagan’ Is the Worst Movie of the Year (1)

      ShowBiz Direct

      Nonsensicality abounds, never more so than in Petrovich’s explanation for Reagan’s success: “People will not give their lives for power or a state or even ideology. People give their lives for one another, for the freedom to live those lives as they choose, and for God. We took that away. The Crusader gave it back to them.” Good luck separating truth from slop in that whopper.

        Considering its ceaseless hero worship, it’s unsurprising that Reagan concludes with an Alzheimer’s-afflicted Reagan riding off into the sunset. Yet for all the effort it expends trying to sell the late president as the embodiment of American virtue, McNamara’s film is so ungainly and transparent that it plays like embarrassing propaganda.

        Alternating between folksy charm and noble resolve, Quaid’s superficial turn is painfully unconvincing, and everyone else (including Creed frontman Scott Stapp as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him Frank Sinatra) appears to be acting as if they’re in a parody of an old-timey biopic. “Say what you mean and mean what you say,” advises Reagan. That’s easy to do: Reagan is a historic dud.

        Dennis Quaid’s ‘Reagan’ Is the Worst Movie of the Year (2024)

        FAQs

        How is the Reagan movie doing at the box office? ›

        The $25 million independent production surprised forecasters by grossing $10.3 million on 2,750 screens, doubling the $5 million they widely projected it would make. Showbiz Direct, the film's startup distributor, announced Monday that “Reagan” took in another $5.2 million during its second weekend.

        How is the Reagan movie doing? ›

        Box office. As of September 8, 2024, Reagan has grossed $18.1 million worldwide.

        What movie made Dennis Quaid famous? ›

        However, Dennis initially had trouble finding film roles, but began to gain notice when he appeared in Breaking Away (1979) and earned strong reviews for his role in The Right Stuff (1983).

        Who played Nancy Reagan in the movie Reagan? ›

        What movie lost the most money in the box office? ›

        While John Carter is far from a poorly made movie and, in fact, does quite a few things well, it will forever remain one of the biggest box office bombs in history. At over $250 million in loss of revenue, John Carter rules both the red planet and the leaderboard of feature picture commercial catastrophes.

        Which movie is the #1 watched box office movie ever? ›

        Although the nominal earnings chart is dominated by films adapted from pre-existing properties and sequels, it is headed by Avatar, which is an original work.

        Where is Ronald Reagan actually buried? ›

        The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the presidential library and burial site of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States (1981–1989), and his wife Nancy Reagan. Located in Simi Valley, California, the library is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

        When did Reagan stop acting? ›

        With this, Reagan appeared in multiple western films, something that had been denied to him while working at Warner Bros. In 1952, he ended his relationship with Warner Bros., but went on to appear in a total of 53 films, his last being The Killers (1964).

        Is Killing Reagan accurate? ›

        Those four Reagan biographers, who had written 19 biographies on Ronald Reagan among them, penned an op-ed for The Washington Post on October 16 that highlighted what they claimed to be major historical inaccuracies and outright fabrications used in O'Reilly's book.

        Is Dennis Quaid a good actor? ›

        Dennis Quaid, a very good actor who can usually work hints of sadness into his manic machismo, is hamstrung here by the need to impersonate.

        What happened to Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid? ›

        She and Quaid announced their separation in June 2000, and their divorce became final in July 2001. Ryan became romantically involved with actor Russell Crowe while working on their 2000 film Proof of Life. In January 2006, Ryan adopted a 14-month-old girl from China whom she named Daisy True.

        Did Dennis Quaid learn to play piano? ›

        Playing the guitar from the early age of 12, he always had an affinity for music. He learned how to play piano in his 30s when preparing for the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in "Great Balls of Fire." Jerry Lee was actually one of his piano teachers, and Dennis has been playing ever since.

        Who escorted Nancy Reagan at Ronald Reagan's funeral? ›

        During the week's events Nancy Reagan was escorted in public by U.S. Army Major General Galen B. Jackman.

        Why is Nancy Reagan so famous? ›

        Nancy Reagan (/ˈreɪɡən/; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress who was the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989, as the second wife of President Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States.

        What is the movie Reagan about? ›

        What movie had the biggest box office success? ›

        Top Lifetime Grosses
        RankTitleLifetime Gross
        1Avatar$2,923,706,026
        2Avengers: Endgame$2,799,439,100
        3Avatar: The Way of Water$2,320,250,281
        4Titanic$2,264,750,694
        116 more rows

        What movie is doing the best in the box office? ›

        Top Box Office (US)
        • Reagan. Weekend Gross: $5.2M. ...
        • Alien: Romulus. Weekend Gross: $3.9M. ...
        • It Ends with Us. Weekend Gross: $3.8M. ...
        • The Forge. Weekend Gross: $2.9M. ...
        • Twisters. Weekend Gross: $2.3M. ...
        • Blink Twice. Weekend Gross: $2.1M. Total Gross: $20M. ...
        • Despicable Me 4. Weekend Gross: $1.8M. Total Gross: $358M. ...
        • The Front Room.

        What happens when a movie fails at box office? ›

        Studio failure

        It is common for a single film's lackluster performance to push its studio into the red, in the sense of recording a net loss on its income statement. In extreme cases, a bomb may push its studio into bankruptcy or closure.

        Who is the biggest box office movie star? ›

        Who is the highest-grossing actor of all time? Who is the most successful actor of all time based on total box office gross? Samuel L. Jackson takes the crown for being the number one actor in the world as far as box office revenue goes.

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