Wag the Dog (1997)

Shortly before an election, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to fabricate a war in order to cover up a Presidential sex scandal.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Larry Beinhart (book), Hilary Henkin (screenplay)

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dustin Hoffman	...	Stanley Motss
Robert De Niro	...	Conrad Brean
Anne Heche	...	Winifred Ames
Woody Harrelson	...	Sgt. William Schumann
Denis Leary	...	Fad King
Willie Nelson	...	Johnny Dean
Andrea Martin	...	Liz Butsky
Michael Belson	...	President
Suzanne Cryer	...	Amy Cain
John Michael Higgins	...	John Levy
Suzie Plakson	...	Grace
Kirsten Dunst	...	Tracy Lime
Jason Cottle	...	A.D.
David Koechner	...	Director
Harland Williams	...	Pet Wrangler

Storyline

After being caught in a scandalous situation days before the election, the president does not seem to have much of a chance of being re-elected. One of his advisers contacts a top Hollywood producer in order to manufacture a war in Albania that the president can heroically end, all through mass media.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | satire | scandal | filmmaking | film producer | 

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Taglines:

Is this life imitating art in the film that preceded the biggest news story of 1998.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Barry Levinson New Line Cinema [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Albanian

Release Date:

9 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bite the Bullet

Filming Locations:

El Cholo,1121 S Western, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$92,079, 28 December 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$43,022,524, 3 May 1998

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$64,217,092

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baltimore Pictures,New Line Cinema,Punch Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dustin Hoffman and Barry Levinson did this movie while on a break from making Sphere (1998).

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Goofs

When the coffin is unloaded from the aircraft, the flag is positioned properly, with the blue field over deceased's left shoulder. At the memorial service, the blue is over the deceased's right shoulder.

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Quotes

[Commissioned to write a propaganda song about war with Albania]
Johnny Dean: Albania's hard to rhyme.

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Crazy Credits

Dustin Hoffman's main title credit is faded in over a close up of a vacuum cleaner.

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Connections

Spoofs Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

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Soundtracks

News And Presidential Campaign Music
Written, Arranged, Produced and Performed by Evan Kopelson and Walter Werzowa

User Reviews

The greatest political satire ever

I do not understand the people who did not like the movie. For me this is the greatest political satire since Chaplin's "The great dictator". Both de Niro and Hoffman are great as well. This movie is not about Clinton although they did predict correctly the Kosovo war, and Albanian terrorists. It is about American political system which is made by and for TV. Several lines from that movie ("Why Albania?" - "Why not?", "Albania does not rhyme", "What do you remember about the Gulf war? One smart bomb... I was in that building when we shot that shot", and many more) are impossible to forget because everyday political life does not let us forget them.