Todas as Garotas do Presidente

Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams) are bubbly giggly 15 year old bffs. Betsy lives in the Watergate apartments, and one night, the girls cause the cops to catch the break-in. They keep being in the right place at the right time to cause all kinds of problems for Nixon (Dan Hedaya). When they come to the White House tour, everybody assumes they're clueless, and Nixon decides to keep them as the official White House dog walkers.

I love the political spoof. When this starts with Woodward (Will Ferrell) and Bernstein (Bruce McCulloch) fighting on TV, it signals everything about the movie. All the political personalities are brilliantly played. Kirsten and Michelle are just wonderful. Their cluelessness is hilarious.

Much time has passed since the Watergate scandal of 1974. In the present day, we see so many scandals involving upper-crust politicians (including, but not limited to, the President), that we have become jaded to their importance. In 1974, though, this scandal marked the first time a president's authority and character had been publicly questioned. The two main characters are two 15-year-old girls - one the only offspring of a single mother (who is played by Teri Garr) and the other the only sister in a standard nuclear family, complete with a pothead older brother who's about to be drafted. The events of the times are swirling around these two young ladies, but we see them all through their eyes. Some of us know about the events of the early 1970s because we were there, and others of us know about them through history books or from our elders. But now we get to see these events as they pertain to two teenagers. It's interesting how the basic character of a teenager hasn't changed - these girls dismiss Watergate and Vietnam initially and are more concerned with teen idols, school, and, well, teenager stuff. Admittedly, the plot's a little contrived, but it never makes the mistake of taking itself seriously. One of the girls happens to live in the Watergate Hotel, and late one night they both innocently learn of the break-in. They subsequently get to meet many key Watergate players, including Haldemann, Liddy, Wooodward, Bernstein, Kissinger, and, of course, Nixon himself.

The most amazing thing about this script is that while nothing is really historically revised to tell the tale, the girls' characters are used to supply details of these historical events that may answer some old questions. What happened to the section that Nixon's secretary chopped from the illegal tape? Who was Deep Throat, anyway? The 'answers' to these questions will make you laugh.

As for the acting, it's absolutely perfect. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams are a real treat as the giggly, naive teenage girls. Their characters are very well-written - at no point do they do something that seems out of character. But the biggest treat of all is Dan Hedaya as Nixon. Some people can do Nixon impressions, and some ARE Nixon. Hedaya captures the feel for the ex-President, from his creepy scowl when trying to be friendly to his state of panic when the truth of the scandal finally set in. He's the best thing going in this film, and possibly should be nominated for his work.

This was a huge bomb when it came out in 1999--it was badly advertised and disappeared quickly. That's a shame because it's a very fun movie. If ever a film should be rediscovered, it's this one. Two very dumb teenage girls (beautifully played by Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams) in the early 70s, get separated from their tour of the White House, and accidentally meet Nixon. They start walking his dog Checkers and, inadvertently, discover all about Watergate without even knowing it! It sounds silly (and it is) but damned if it doesn't work! Dunst and Williams are totally believable (and very lovable) as the teenagers. Dan Hedaya does a perfect interpretation of Nixon. As for everybody else, I couldn't tell you. I'm no whiz on Watergate and who Nixon's staff was in the 70s. But the script is sharp, everyone has wonderful comic timing and the best bits were done by Will Ferrell and Bruce McCulloch who make Woodward and Bernstein out to be total idiots. Also an excellent selection of 70s songs which always complement the action. The final gag played on Nixon is uproarious! Well worth watching.

"Dick", aside from the inherent laugh value in its title (it's okay, you can admit it) puts an delightful spin on history, suggesting that Deep Throat was actually just two ditzy blondes who got really lucky. Even ten years after we all heard who the mystery informant really was, that's still funny. This whole thing feels like a counterpoint to "All the President's Men", right down to the opening shot (and its explanation for the 18-minute gap in the Nixon tapes was pretty clever).

But this is one hell of a cast (jeez, everyone is in this flick), and the chemistry between Williams and Dunst forms the bubbly and likable core of the movie. If the jokes aren't doing it for you, I guarantee you'll like the Ferrell and McCullough take on Woodward and Bernstein. Not to mention pretty much all of Nixon's staff.

7/10

... for anyone old enough to have seen the Watergate hearings on television the first time around, or who still remembers people telling Bebe Rebozo jokes.

I have no idea how anyone under 35 would react, there were so few at the theatre.

Dave Foley's H.R. Haldeman haircut had me in stitches. You see his scalp; what an unexpected trip down memory lane.

Saul Rubinek was a hoot as Henry Kissinger, although he couldn't quite compare to Paul Sorvino, uncanny in that part in "Nixon".

Everyone's character seemed right on. Exaggerated of course, naturally. Even the two halves of Woodstein, a nice bit of caricature.

The two young girls -- Dunst and Williams -- are stellar. The girls' final action of the movie seemed out of character to me, but that struck the only false note I heard in this funny film.