By: Shawn McKee
Growing up in the ’80s, Ronald Reagan was a big part of my childhood. I recall his Oval Office addresses on TV or addresses to the nation with First Lady Nancy Reagan by his side.
Granted, I had little understanding of what was happening in the world, and the non-stop coverage of the Iran-Contra affair of the mid-’80s bored me to tears (as all news did). But I remember his black hair and measured, kindly-speaking voice. They called him “the great communicator” for a reason.
Reagan won two landslide Presidential elections, ushering in a new era of conservative governance. He was as emblematic of the time as the Sony Walkman, Alf, Mr. T, and neon apparel.
In the 1980s, we were in the final throes of the Cold War. This ideological battle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union lasted for decades almost immediately after WWII. Russia established an Iron Curtain dividing Europe into two separate areas. The Berlin Wall, dividing East and West Germany, was a part of this tyranny. Fear of nuclear war was a very real concern.
Throughout the Cold War, the U.S. faced immeasurable odds hindering Russian influence and the spread of Soviet-style communism worldwide. Reagan came along with a singular vision. His strategy was simple, “we win, they lose.”
Nearly twenty years after his passing in 2004, the new biopic Reagan (2024) examines the life and times of the nation’s 40th President and his lasting impact. The film covers a lot of ground, from Reagan’s earliest days to his acting career, his tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Governor of California, and rise to President of the United States.
Based on Paul Kengor’s 2006 book The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, the historical drama delivers a surprisingly complex portrayal of Reagan’s motivations, failures, and triumphs. It acts as neither a hit piece nor a glorification. As a sentimental biopic, it hits all the right notes and confidently breezes past its two-hour running time with style and grace.
Perhaps the most interesting (and impressive) aspect of the film is Dennis Quaid’s excellent performance. He transcends caricature, defying skeptics like me to fully embody Reagan—down to his mannerisms and speech patterns. I don’t care what mainstream critics say, it’s great acting and fascinating to watch.
Penelope Ann Miller also holds her own as the devoted Nancy Reagan who seemingly came into Reagan’s life at the right time and helped propel him to greatness. Mena Suvari portrays Reagan’s first wife Jane Wyman. Kevin Dillon plays Jack L. Warner, co-founder president of Warner Bros.
Other recognizable faces include C. Thomas Howell as Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, Xander Berkley as Secretary of State George Shultz, and Robert Davi as Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev.
Jon Voight portrays fictional former KGB Soviet analyst Viktor Petrovich (a composite of KGB agents tasked with keeping tabs on Reagan for decades). In a clever plot framing device, Petrovich narrates the story of Reagan’s life to a Russian underling in the present Moscow.
The young Russian agent seeking his counsel is baffled as to why the U.S.S.R fell. In detailing Reagan’s rise to politics amidst a declining acting career, Petrovich explains that the “cowboy from America” was always a threat to the Soviet Union because he truly believed in defeating them. He was a man driven toward antipathy to communism at an early age. And as Petrovich explains, Reagan’s views emboldened over time.
Following the failure of his first marriage and tenuous tenure as SAG president, Reagan (a former Democrat) met Nancy and entered Republican politics in the early 1960s. He ran and lost against Gerald Ford in the 1976 Republican primary, only to run and win against Jimmy Carter in 1980. The rest was history.
The film moves chronologically throughout these key moments in Reagan’s life at a hurried pace that teeters on summary. Much of the second half is devoted to Reagan’s time as President and the showdown with the Soviets.
We get glimpses of his assassination attempt in 1981, Iran-Contra, the AIDS crisis, “Reaganomics,” Regan’s proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), tense meetings with Soviet officials, and an unlikely respectful relationship between Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
The rousing climax delivers the defining moment of Reagan’s legacy, his 1987 Berlin Wall Speech in West Berlin. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” is a moment in history and in the film that should make anyone proud to be an American.
However, the story is nuanced enough to acknowledge the contributions of U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, and Gorbachev himself in bringing down the Soviet Union.
Reagan is not the end-all to the man’s legacy. The film accomplishes what it sets out to do—tell the story of one of the most consequential figures of the 20th century. It’s not without its flaws and pacing issues, as the tendency to overlook or summarize historical events seems choppy.
It also lacks the technical prowess and brilliance of something like Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991) or Nixon (1995). However, with Stone at the helm, it would have been an entirely different picture.
In addition to great performances, Reagan is filled with humor and heart. It undoubtedly presents a positive portrayal of our 40th President and, as a result, has plenty of detractors. Just look at what the mainstream critics are saying. Only someone like Ronald Reagan could be so revered and abhorred even today.
Most importantly, the movie validates Reagan’s lifetime fighting communism and bringing down the Soviet Union. We did win, and they lost, and the world was a better place because of it.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
