Search

Richard

1972, Movie, G, 83 mins

Richard: Review

starstarstarstar
This pre-Watergate satire, like the 1972 Philip Roth novel Our Gang, points out what America would soon be learning: Our President was indeed a crook. Resin plays the young Richard Nixon, an "aw-shucks" boy-next-door type. He answers an advertisement for a Congressional candidate and becomes subject to Glifford, Garrett, and Forrest, a trio of unholy advisers. After some political failures, they advise the hopeful to submit to some plastic surgery under the knife of facial reconstruction whiz Carradine (the same job he held in MYRA BRECKENRIDGE). The result is a new Nixon, played by Richard M. Dixon, a popular Nixon look-alike who had steady work from 1968 to 1974. This incarnation still can't cut the political mustard, so the Powers Up Above send down for the future President a guardian angel (played here by Rooney in a parody of his boyhood role of "Puck" in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM). Dixon is forced to undergo a filmic brainwashing not unlike that of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Ford, McCarthy, and Blaine subject him to newsreel footage of the actual Nixon (which is funny stuff in and of itself--the infamous "Checkers" speech, a classic in unintentional self-parody). Dixon learns his lessons well and goes on to political fame and fortune. This is a clever comedy that pokes fun not only at the subject but at itself as well. Often hilarious, it is a frighteningly honest film, and the newsreel footage proves that comedy and reality were a lot closer than anyone liked to think. Considering what happened over the next few years, RICHARD is weirdly prophetic as well. leave a comment
Advertisement

Shop

Richard Avedon: Photographs 1946-2004
Buy Richard Avedon: Photographs 1946-2004 from Amazon.com
From Louisiana Museum Of Modern Art (Hardcover)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarhalfstar
Usually ships in 7 to 13 days
Buy New: $44.10 (as of 11/22/09 10:17 PM EST - more info)
Richard Simmons - Disco Sweat
Buy Richard Simmons - Disco Sweat from Amazon.com
From Good Times Video (DVD)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarstar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $11.99 (as of 11/22/09 10:17 PM EST - more info)

more Richard products

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. Dancing with the Stars
  2. The Game
  3. NCIS
  4. American Idol
  5. Wife Swap
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Taylor Swift
  2. Jennifer Lopez
  3. Adam Lambert
  4. Whitney Houston
  5. Lady GaGa
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
  2. The Blind Side
  3. 2012
  4. Planet 51
  5. A Christmas Carol
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. The View
  2. The View
  3. Project Runway
  4. Robert Pattinson
  5. Grey's Anatomy
more top videos