Laura Dern Picks Her Top Political Films
Candace Jackson - Associated Press
May 16, 2008
Actress Laura Dern's diverse career has included starring roles in critically celebrated films like "Blue Velvet" and "Rambling Rose," as well as mainstream blockbusters like "Jurassic Park." In her latest role, she plays former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris in "Recount," an HBO movie about the 2000 presidential election. It debuts on the network May 25. Ms. Dern, who is married to singer Ben Harper, says she has always loved watching and acting in movies that deal with politics. "You couldn't ask for a better genre for satire," she says, "and you couldn't ask for actors to be more extreme and more subtle at the same time," as when they're playing politicians. Below, a few of Ms. Dern's favorite political films.
'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939)
In this classic film directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, an inexperienced, idealistic man ends up a senator. "It's a timely movie, and everyone should watch it now," says Ms. Dern.
'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' (1964)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, "Dr. Strangelove" is a Cold War satire about a U.S. Air Force commander who plans to attack the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons. Ms. Dern says she likes this film because it "reveals how our choices and one bad apple can destroy things."
'Network' (1976)
This film stars Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch, who plays a desperate, aging TV news anchorman. In a famous scene, Mr. Finch's anchorman character rants, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going take this anymore!" Ms. Dern says the scene is one of her all-time favorites.
'All the President's Men' (1976)
This film, starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, about Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovering the Nixon Watergate scandal, "is not just a thriller, but a mystery," says Ms. Dern. The setup of a political mystery is one of her favorites in the genre.
'Syriana' (2005)
This Stephen Gaghan film about corruption in the U.S. oil industry tells several parallel stories, and stars George Clooney and Matt Damon. "I like when a central character is a cynic," Ms. Dern says of Mr. Clooney's role.
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