Nixon (1995)

Cast:

Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, David Paymer, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Sorvino, Mary Steenburgen, JT Walsh, James Woods.

Synopsis:

Incredible all-star cast fight for elbow room in Oliver Stone’s sprawling and talky examination of America’s most notorious president (up until the nineties, at least). Anthony Hopkins is wonderful and tragic. Saul Rubinek (AKA Donny Douglas) pops up, as do loads of familiar faces.

David's role:

White House counsel John Dean. Though he disappears for huge swathes of the movie, it’s an interesting role in that it’s devoid of comedy, and he’s quite muted and sombre. Also, he’s playing a living person.

The real Dean worked as a consultant on the movie. His verdict was: “In the larger picture, it reflected accurately what happened." David was able to pick Dean’s brain as part of researching the role: "Most of the things I asked him were very technical. Whether he picked what he wore to testify very consciously. What the temperature in the hearing room was. Oliver was very particular in adjusting tone and nuance.”

What the critics said:

“The squeeze reduces most performances to cameos, though James Woods (H.R. Haldeman), Powers Boothe (Alexander Haig), David Hyde Pierce (John Dean), E.G. Marshall (John Mitchell) and Madeline Kahn (Martha Mitchell) register strongly.”

– Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“David Hyde Pierce is a touch too morose for John Dean; Brad Pitt would have had the right pretty-boy quality ...”

– John Simon, National Review

“At the top of a long list of superlative supporting players are Joan Allen, who gives the female performance of the year as Pat Nixon; David Hyde Pierce as the mirror image of John Dean.”

– Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Best bits:

Dean gives Nixon an update on the “Watergate clowns” on Air Force One; suddenly there’s an ominous jolt of turbulence, and Dean gives a little yell.

Dean’s dead-of-night meeting with Howard Hunt (Ed Harris) on a bridge, where Hunt warns him that his “grave’s already been dug.” Pure film noir.

The Oval Office scene where Nixon tries to get Dean to put his name to a complete report of Watergate. Dean squirms in his chair and politely tells him he’s not going to be the scapegoat. Then Nixon pulls the doorknob off (intentional?).

Best lines:

[to Hunt, who has just snuck up on him] “If you’d been that stealthy at the Watergate we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

DEAN: There’s a cancer on the presidency, and it’s growing. With every day that –
NIXON: Jesus, y’know, everything’s a crisis with these upper intellectual types, these softheads. The average people don’t think it’s much of a crisis. I mean for Chrissakes this isn’t Vietnam, no one’s dying here. Isn’t it ridiculous?

DVD extras:

The R1 DVD apparently has a commentary by Oliver Stone, plus deleted scenes. But we Europeans wouldn't know about that. The R2 DVD just has a featurette, in which DHP does not really, well, feature.