Ellie (21 Feb. 2001)

The surgeon general makes some controversial comments about marijuana, leading to an attack by family values groups and an unsolicited comment by Bartlet's middle daughter, Ellie, to Danny ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Engler

Writers:

Aaron Sorkin (creator), Aaron Sorkin (teleplay),

Stars:

Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Lowe	...	Sam Seaborn
Dulé Hill	...	Charlie Young
Allison Janney	...	C.J. Cregg
Janel Moloney	...	Donna Moss
Richard Schiff	...	Toby Ziegler
John Spencer	...	Leo McGarry
Bradley Whitford	...	Josh Lyman
Martin Sheen	...	President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet
Mary Kay Place	...	Surgeon General Millicent Griffith
Kathleen York	...	Andrea Wyatt
Nina Siemaszko	...	Ellie Bartlet
Robert Knepper	...	Morgan Ross
Kathryn Joosten	...	Dolores Landingham
NiCole Robinson	...	Margaret Hooper
Paul Eiding

Storyline

The surgeon general makes some controversial comments about marijuana, leading to an attack by family values groups and an unsolicited comment by Bartlet's middle daughter, Ellie, to Danny Concannon that her father wouldn't fire the s.g. The president summons Ellie from med school in Baltimore to the W.H., and we learn that she, unlike her parents and sisters, is shy and reticent, and has always felt like the family outcast in Jed's eyes. Elsewhere, Sam gives a visiting movie producer a verbal lynching for publicly calling the president a coward after Charlie turns down a W.H. screening of his salacious new film.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 2001 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 23, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

President Josiah Bartlet tells his daughter, Ellie, played by Nina Siemaszko, "The only thing you ever had to do to make me happy was come home at the end of the day." In the first season finale of Sports Night: What Kind of Day Has It Been?, which featured Nina Siemaszko as a nanny, Casey McCall, played by Peter Krause, tells his son Charlie "The only thing you have to do to make me and your mom happy is to come home at the end of the day." Aaron Sorkin created both series, and wrote both episodes.

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Goofs

Several times in the episode the Surgeon General says (or is quoted as saying) that Marijuana isn't addictive like Heroin or LSD are. LSD is not addictive.

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Quotes

Surgeon General Millicent Griffith: As a doctor, I have an obligation to tell the truth. Come to think of it, as a person I have that obligation as well.

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Connections

Features Dial M for Murder (1954)

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Soundtracks

"West Wing Main Title"
(uncredited)
Written by W.G. Snuffy Walden
Performed by Pete Anthony

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