Dave (1993)

Editor's Note A presidential look-alike finds himself in the oval office "filling in" for the president who has fallen ill. Lacking the political savvy of the real president, "Dave" proceeds to govern the country with a refreshingly straight-forward approach. Academy Award Nominations: Best (Original) Screenplay.

	Kevin Kline
	Kevin Dunn
	Ving Rhames
	Frank Langella
	Ben Kingsley
	Charles Grodin
	Sigourney Weaver
	Gary Ross - Screenwriter
	Ivan Reitman - Director

Judging by their looks, conservative United States President Bill Mitchell and liberal minded temp-agency owner Dave Kovic could be identical twins separated at birth. When two Secret Service agents, at Chief-of-Staff Bob Alexander's request, clandestinely draft Dave into servicing his country by temporarily standing-in for President Mitchell, the carefree humanitarian gladly answers his call to duty. After all, as the President's look-alike Dave has aped austere Mitchell before.| Luckily, the plan goes off without a hitch. But in an ironic twist of fate, President Mitchell is incapacitated, leaving Dave in a political hot-spot. Once Dave takes the extraordinary opportunity to implement progressive programs, reduce the national deficit and significantly effect social change, he nearly overturns Mitchell's reactionary administration, even as the very handlers begin conspiring against him.

Alan Simpson who appears in a cameo and Bill Clinton agree that the movie "kind of gives you a warm feeling." ---- Jeff Giles, NEWSWEEK 5/10/1993

"I basically make grand entertainments...I hate pretentious filmmaking." Director Ivan Reitman on "Dave." ---- Jeff Giles, NEWSWEEK, 5/10/1993

"In `Dave,' he would basically let me do what I wanted...Then he would ask me to do what he saw. Then he would say, `Do what you want.' In those takes after his directon, I could satisfy both of us." Sigourney Weaver talking about director Ivan Reitman. ---- Randall Rothenberg, NEW YORK TIMES, 5/2/1993

New York Times
"...Bright and buoyant....[Kline] brings wit and presence to his dual role..." 05/07/1993 p.C12

Rolling Stone
"...A winner....Kline is a comic marvel..." 06/10/1993 p.55-6

Variety
"...Delightful, buoyant....[Ross] and director Ivan Reitman have done a masterful job, crafting a near-perfect movie by realizing its simple goals with panache, political savvy and ample warmth and humor..." 04/26/1993

Entertainment Weekly
"...Kline has grown into a masterful sly comedian....He does a deadpan star turn..." 05/14/1993 p.36-7

Chicago Sun-Times
"...One of the movie's charms is the way it toys with our expectations..." 05/07/1993 p.45