Hollywood is getting presidential this election year, but will moviegoers enjoin they approve this message?
Films about U.S. presidents � past, stage and fictional � take up this week.
(Courtesy Ben Glass/Touchstone Pictures'/Treehouse Films')More Photos
�"Swing Vote", opening Friday, stars Kevin Costner as a blue-collar worker who becomes the focus of iI candidates (Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper) after an Election Day tie and a ballot error traced back to his vote.
� "Frost/Nixon", based on the play by Peter Morgan (film writer of "The Queen"), traces the origins of the fierce post-Watergate interview between British journalist David Frost and late president Richard Nixon. It's directed by Ron Howard and opens Dec. 5.
� "W.", from director Oliver Stone, chronicles the rise of the flow president and his relationship with his father, old president George H.W. Bush. It premieres Oct. 17 and stars Josh Brolin as the president, Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush and James Cromwell as the elderberry bush Bush.
And after the election dust settles, Michael Moore returns in the outpouring, back on the Bush-whacking trail with a objective described as a followup to "Fahrenheit 9/11".
It's unclear whether election-year fervor will boost enthusiasm, says Gregg Kilday, cinema editor for The Hollywood Reporter. "The challenge for the movies is that politics take been so entertaining all year long, that if a flick isn't good, it testament pale by comparison," he says.
As escapism, "Swing Vote" stands the best chance.
Costner, who financed the movie himself, says he was aiming for a "Capraesque" story, reflecting first the cynicism many feel toward politicians simply shifting to a more hopeful point in time of view. "He basically says that voting doesn't count for a goddamn thing. It's just a way to make you feel important," Costner says of his character.
"Frost/Nixon" crataegus laevigata have an easier time connecting with today's consultation, says Kendall R. Phillips, author of Controversial Cinema.
"My theory would be the Frost/Nixon motion-picture show would own a bettor chance at being politically relevant because it's historically removed."
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