Ronald Reagan (February 6, 1911-June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, his presidency constituted the Reagan era, and he is considered one of the most prominent conservative figures in American history.
Now, after being completed for a few years now, this film biopic about Reagan finally arrives on the big screen.
From dusty small town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, ‘Reagan’ is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds.
Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent whose life becomes inextricably linked with Ronald Reagan’s when Reagan first caught the Soviets’ attention as an actor in Hollywood, the film offers a perspective as unique as it is captivating.
The filmmakers (along with Quaid) bring to life a story that transcends the boundaries of a traditional biopic, offering a profound exploration of the enduring impact of the power of one man who overcame the odds, sustained by the love of a woman who supported him in his journey.
‘Reagan’ is one of the few biopics that have really divided critics and audiences. While the initial critic reviews for the film are largely mixed\/negative, the film has been receiving good word of mouth from audiences (as of this writing, the film has a 98% audience score on the Rotten Tomatoes site).
‘Reagan’ delivers quite a few decent performances (including from Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller), and throughout the film we get to see some very pivotal moments from Reagan’s Hollywood years to the end of his second term as U.S. president.
This historical biopic does a great job focusing on his pivotal moments, which includes the time that Reagan was an FBI informant (something I honestly didn’t know). The film also goes through his infamous assassination attempt, showing us how Nancy and Ronald have gotten each other through everything … and even his love of jelly beans.
Actor Dennis Quaid does a great job portraying the iconic US president. His performance embodies Reagan with a depth that is captivating and moving at times. Now, it may not be the most perfect portrayal, but Quaid does a great job nonetheless.
‘Reagan’ is definitely a must see for anyone interested in politics and history. Also, during the end credits, footage from Reagan’s funeral is shown. And, another really positive note, during a showing that I attended, some audience members applauded after the film’s conclusion (which rarely happens after a film).
Some of the cast include: Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan; Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan; Mena Suvari as Jane Wyman; C. Thomas Howell as Caspar Weinberger; Amanda Righetti as Nelle Reagan; Justin Chatwin as Jack Reagan; Kevin Sorbo as Reverend Cleaver; Kevin Dillon as Jack Warner; Olek Krupa as Mikhail Gorbachev and Jon Voight as Viktor Petrovich, among many others.
‘Reagan’ is written by Howard Klausner (God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness; Space Cowboys) and directed by Sean McNamara (On a Wing and a Prayer; The King’s Daughter; Soul Surfer).
The film is based on the Paul Kangbor book ‘The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.’ Filming for the project actually started in September 2020, when the film industry was slowly starting back up after everything was shut down.
Initially, ‘Reagan’ was supposed to be released in 2021, but was delayed to a then-unknown date. In March 2024, it was announced that new distributor ShowBiz Direct would distribute the film.
‘Reagan’ is rated PG-13 for violent content and smoking and has a running time of 135 minutes.
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