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Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson, Denis Leary ... see more see more... , Willie Nelson , Andrea Martin , Michael Belson , Suzanne Cryer , John Michael Higgins , Suzie Plakson , Kirsten Dunst , William H. Macy , Roebuck "Pops" Staples , Merle Haggard , Jason Cottle

In a 29-day shoot, Barry Levinson filmed this $15 million political and media satire, adapted by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet from Larry Beinhart's novel, American Hero. Two weeks prior to re-electio... read more read more...n, the President (Michael Belson) is accused of cornering an underage girl in the Oval Office. To keep the media from learning of this, Presidential adviser Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) brings in political consultant and spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro), a specialist in such salvage operations. Brean suggests fabricating denials of non-existent emergencies -- such as denials about the B-3 bomber. The denial, of course, is true, since no B-3 bomber exists. Brean visits the mansion of Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) and gives him the assignment to create a patriotic campaign centered around a war in Albania. Motss assembles a creative team -- Liz Butsky (Andrea Martin), the trend-setter Fad King (Denis Leary), and songwriter Johnny Green (Willie Nelson). Treated like an ad campaign, the songs and symbols are transmitted directly from a Hollywood soundstage to CNN. The star of their campaign is a "rescued" pilot -- in reality, a psychotic military prisoner (Woody Harrelson), who's a ticking time bomb. The flag-waving song, "The American Dream" was written for the film by Tom Bahler (who co-wrote "We Are the World"). Beinhart's original novel involved a real President (Bush), a real war (the Gulf War), and the premise that George Bush and Saddam Hussein staged it. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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72% liked it

42,211 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

72 critics

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Barry Levinson

Release Date: December 25, 1997

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DVD Release Date: July 28, 1998

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Stats: 1,687 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,687)

  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    May 14, 2012
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

    Before elections, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to "fabricate" a war in order to cover-up a presidential sex scandal.

    REVIEW</
    ... read morefont>
    A political spin doctor, Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro), and a Hollywood producer, Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman), both well endowed with chutzpah, set out to create the illusion that the USA has gone to war with Albania, as a distraction from a Presidential sexual peccadillo. Made and released before the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke, it is not clear whether the movie's makers had great insight, or inside knowledge; either way, that episode adds to the interest and relevance of the film. De Niro and Hoffman are both brilliant, though understandably the latter seems especially to relish lampooning a film-world type he must have encountered many times in his career. Anne Heche is just right as a Presidential aide who previously thought she was streetwise, but faced with Brean and Motss realises she's a tyro in the kiddology game; and Woody Harrelson has a wonderful role as the man picked to play the war hero who just happens to be a psychotic convict.

    Among the targets of the satire are clearly the US political establishment, the broadcasting media and Hollywood; but there is a danger that the primary target may be overlooked, and it is worthwhile remembering the derivation of the film's title. Normally, the dog wags the tail because the dog's smarter than the tail; but if the tail was smarter, it would wag the dog; and there can be little doubt that the dog being wagged by Brean and Motss is the viewing and voting public.
  • cosmo313
    March 18, 2012
    cosmo313
    Two weeks before election day, news gets out that the U.S. President is accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. To divert attention away from the scandal and increase the president's chances of getting re-elected, a top political spin doctor named Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro)... read more enlists the help of a big wig Hollywood producer named Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to help create a phony war with Albania.

    It's a smart and funny set up to begin with, but what really gives added edge and humor to this biting satire is that it was in production around the time of Bill Clinton's real life sex scandal, making the material even more relevant, intriguing, and thought provoking.

    This is some funny stuff (usually of the dark variety though), and it really makes you wonder about what actually goes on behind the scenes in Washington, and if the stuff the media feeds us cocncerning all things politics is legit or just the product of movie magic and trickery.

    Co-written by David Mamet and Hilary Henkin, and directed by Barry Levinson, this is a solid piece of work with an all star cast including (besides Hoffman and De Niro) Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson, Kirsten Dunst, and Craig T. Nelson. They all deliver some good work, but it's definitely De Niro and Hoffman who steal the show.

    The film is quite sharp and very well done, but it also feels rather light at times, and it seems a little underwhelming with how it ends. It ended and I was like, "is that it?" So yeah, there's some flaws here, but those aside, this is some terrific stuff, so definitely check it out.
  • ironclad1609
    December 8, 2011
    ironclad1609
    One of the rare cases of reality catching up to a satire movie sooner than you can blink. The story of the spin doctors creating a fictitious war to distract from the US president's sex affair with a minor may sound over the top but is about as realistic as they come. Of course t... read morehe details get more and more outrageous, as they should in a decent media satire. The acting is top notch, deNiro and Hoffman are particularly hilarious, the writing smart and poignant. The things the film has to say about politics and media are sad, funny and true, yet it's never preachy and stays entertaining and tongue in cheek.
  • moonrivers
    May 23, 2011
    moonrivers
    "Political crisis"? Here's a bit that enlightens that particular oxymoron. Starts with a bang but finishes less than so yet is nonetheless entertaining. Hoffman is touching as the artist dying for attention and Deniro turns in a working man's performance as the Washington smoo... read moreze, sure of his power.
  • ajaymuthecooldevils
    October 30, 2010
    ajaymuthecooldevils
    Yet, another brilliant movie from Barry Levinson I already watched besides 'Rain Man'... The story about president's sex scandal just a few days before election and they hire a great Hollywood producer for making an excuse to cover-up the scandals and it turns into a huge success... read more... An Oscar nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay proves that the story of this movie was great... Yet, Dustin Hoffman gave another Oscar-worth performance to watch and he earned it by playing a successful Hollywood producer who never gets a credit for his work, but when his masterpiece for covering president's sex scandal was a huge success, he betrays the agreement and trying to tell the American of this masterpiece... Robert DeNiro and Anne Heche gave another great performance too, and the cast become more outstanding with another performance from Woody Harrelson, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, even short William H. Macy performance... Overall, this movie was totally recommended by me as you will know a little more trick about making movies in Hollywood, but this movie has pretty much scenes with a long conversation and they talked about politics, so don't watch if you can't stand again politics movie before, even I admit I can't stand political movies before but I love this one...
  • fb619846742
    July 3, 2010
    fb619846742
    An entertaining if flawed satire concerning a spin doctor (Robert De Niro) and a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) and how they come to the aide of the President of the United States after he's accused of having an affair with an underage girl two weeks before the election. Whi... read morele the pace is appropriately fast-paced, it is deliberately this way so you don't get to thinking about the plot-holes this movie possesses (such as the way the press would cover this story - no one from the press would want to be present in Albania covering it from a first-person perspective?). It is well-made though, and Hoffman is an absolute blast in this, with enough comic relief put in place (Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson, to name a few) to compensate for the few problems it has. If you want to see an effective, funny film concerning politics and people's belief in the press - this is the movie for you.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    Clever idea but very poorly executed in my opinion. Nice to see Dustin Hoffman & Robert De Niro acting together though!
  • kiriyamakazou
    August 22, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    A very observational satirical comedy that could have had more of an impact, if it had taken things more seriously. The film is still relevant today, as a White House spin doctor and a Hollywood producer team up in an attempt to cover up a sex scandal. They create a fake war/conf... read morelict with varying degrees of laughs. A fake bit of footage, a song or two and Woody Harrelson's convict/"war hero". De Niro and Hoffman are fantastic and are supported by a large array of talent in smaller roles. Wag the Dog shows how unscrupulous politicians and Hollywood producers can be. The scariest thing about this film is that it isn't too far fetched to believe something like this could happen
  • RossCollinsUK
    July 20, 2009
    RossCollinsUK
    Hilarious political satire about the lengths spin doctors will go to secure the re-election of a president. A great cast list, with the pairing of De Niro & Dustin Hoffman, in particular, making a surprisingly good comedy duo. In the late-90s this could easily have been mistaken ... read morefor yet another conspiracy theory movie, but more than 10 years later it's almost prophetic!
  • djdemersseman
    January 21, 2009
    djdemersseman
    There's a lot to love about this film, just not enough to give it 4 or more stars.

View All Wag the Dog Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
March 30, 2009
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Hilary Henkin and David Mamet's script is gleefully hyperbolic without ever straying from its political target. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 12, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Amusing as it is, Wag The Dog does what it purports to sat irize -- the bark is real but the teeth aren't. Full Review

Godfrey Cheshire
February 14, 2001
Godfrey Cheshire, Variety

The pacing is crisp, the dialogue quippy and fast, the tone arch but energetic. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

A wicked smart satire on the interlocking worlds of politics and show business, Wag the Dog confirms every awful thought you've ever had about media manipulation and the gullibility of the American pu... Full Review

Lucy Mohl
January 1, 2000
Lucy Mohl, Film.com

When the film makes the leap from plausibly outrageous to pure satire, it slips, and the logic goes with it.

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Swift, hilarious and impossible to resist.

Gene Siskel
January 1, 2000
Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

A bright idea well realized by director Barry Levinson.

Mick LaSalle
January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Between the laughs, there are moments that ring so true they can raise goosebumps. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The movie is intelligent, but it's also a lot of fun. Full Review

Richard Schickel
January 1, 2000
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

Director Barry Levinson and writers Hilary Henkin and David Mamet (no less) have obviously known their share of Stanleys, and we have no trouble believing in him.

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  • This political film follows Robert DeNiro and Anne Heche's characters as they try and build up an elaborate, media-manipulative lie to detract attention from a political scandal.  Answer »
  • What does Robert De Niro create in Wag The Dog to deflect attention away from a sex scandal?   Answer »
  • Robert Deniro and Dustin Hoffman have co-starred together in "Meet the fockers" and "Sleepers". Which other movie did they co-star in?  Answer »
  • Who can be credited with all these movies? Meet the Fockers Rain Man Tootsie Hook Wag The Dog  Answer »
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