Wag The Dog Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
A Hollywood producer. A Washington spin-doctor. When they get together, they can make you believe anything.
A comedy about truth, justice and other special effects.
Why does a dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter than its tail. If the tail were smarter, the tail would wag the dog.
After being caught in a scandalous situation days before the election, the president does not seem to have much of a chance of being re-elected. One of his advisors (DeNiro) contacts a top Hollywood producer (Hoffman) in order to manufacture a war in Albania that the president can heroically end, all through mass media.
| Dustin Hoffman | Stanley Motss |
| Robert De Niro | Conrad Brean |
| Anne Heche | Winifred Ames |
| Denis Leary | Fad King |
| Willie Nelson | Johnny Dean |
| Andrea Martin | Liz Butsky |
| Kirsten Dunst | Tracy Lime |
| William H. Macy | CIA Agent Charles Young |
| John Michael Higgins | John Levy |
| Suzie Plakson | Grace |
| Woody Harrelson | Sergeant William Schumann |
| Michael Belson | President |
| Suzanne Cryer | Amy Cain |
| Jason Cottle | A.D. |
| David Koechner | Director |
| Barry Levinson |
7.00 out of 10 (22915 votes)
Visitor Reviews
always topical
posted on 05 Jul 2009People may think of "Wag the Dog" as fiction, but time and again, the movie has shown itself to be reality. Whether it was Bush Sr. coming up with the Gulf War to distract people from the Savings and Loans scandal, Clinton threatening military action against Iraq to distract people from the Lewinsky thing, Bush Jr. invading Iraq as a we-can't-find-Osama diversion, or the current threats against Iran, this movie is the hilarious but unfortunate truth.The plot of course has spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert DeNiro) teaming up with Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to fabricate a war, so as to distract the country from the president's sexual follies (and to think that the movie came out around the same time as you-know-what). It just goes to show that truth really is stranger than fiction, especially when politics is involved. A great satire. Also starring Anne Heche, Willie Nelson, Kirsten Dunst and Woody Harrelson.
Not believable
posted on 05 Jul 2009After all the attention the movie got, and with the strong cast, I expected a great movie. Instead I got an unbelievable story that just kept running and running. The idea of faking a war just wasn't plausible, and after sitting through the whole movie the ending was a big letdown.
Satire will never catch up with reality
posted on 20 Jun 2009Watching TV news footage has become different after this movie.This movie is a MUST-SEE...it should make you a little more alert what to believe or better what not. Would it really be impossible to fake things at such a level...I don´t think so.Great acting and a story with so many little "kicks". To be watched over and over again !
Great movie, one of the best
posted on 04 Mar 2009I have to say that this movie is one of the best I've ever seen. The story is amazing and with actors like De Niro and Hoffman you are guaranteed a great movie. I laughed a lot during this movie mostly since it's just so crazy you can't do anything else than laugh. The characters are so special and funny, and some scenes are just hilarious! It gets 10 out of 10 and you can see it over and over again... It's just so great!
Great political satire
posted on 26 Feb 2009It's funny to see how this movie has garnered polarized responses. From those who loved it, and, conversely, those who didn't get it. I, personally, thought that it was hilarious. Yes, it does require some prior knowledge of politics and current events. And for that reason, I don't recommend it to everyone. The humor is subtle, and, as I can testify first hand, there were numerous times when I laughed hysterically while everyone else sat deadpan.Boring? No. Thought-provoking? Absolutely. And, for that reason, I think a lot of people will not like this movie, particularly after all of the press it received recently, as the President's problems could not have been any more parallel to the events of the film.I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to watch a movie that lets them to think as they laugh. Otherwise, watch the Wedding Singer and laugh because they have a Rubik's Cube.
A clever but mostly just very entertaining political satire.
posted on 05 Feb 2009Scariest thing about "Wag the Dog" is that it has a very realistic feel. Sure, there are some far fetched things but overall the movie leaves the impression like this is something that could actually happen in real life or already maybe has happened.But "Wag the Dog" is more entertaining than anything. Yes, in a way you can compare it to "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" even though it is not as brilliant of course. The subject is treated in a very entertaining and comical way and that is what makes "Wag the Dog" a very fun movie to watch. But yet it also knows how to bring over the important political message of the movie. In that way this movie is comparable to "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb".The main cast is very good. Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman are great in their second movie together ("Sleepers" was the first which was also directed by Barry Levinson and they can now be seen together again in "Meet the Fockers"). It sounds weird but they really have some chemistry together. Anne Heche however at times irritated me and also isn't exactly the most talented actress I've seen. There also is a very good and entertaining supporting cast with actors such as Willie Nelson, William H. Macy, Woody Harrelson, a still very young Kirsten Dunst and Craig T. Nelson in a uncredited role as 'enemy' Senator John Neal. Really entertaining are all of the Woody Harrelson sequence's, they are highly fun and might very well be the best parts of the movie.A very fun entertaining movie with a realistic feel! Highly recommendable.8/10
Wonderful
posted on 27 Jan 2009I love this one because it shows how dangerous it can be if only one country concentrates all the power, enough to, not start, but fake a war in an independent country, even if it is a cover up on a sexual harassment case involving the president or any economic or political reasons, and also hits hard when it shows how easy is to manipulate the masses thru television and media. Funny, yes, intelligent, too, original, sure, but the point must never be forgotten; after all, nobody can be sure that it won't become reality.8/10
Not worth the purchase price.
posted on 24 Jan 2009Yes, we did understand where others were coming from, when comparing to Bill Clinton, spin doctoring, etc. Yes, there are probably elements of truth about present circumstances and politics in general. Nevertheless, we thought this was the film version of the "Emperor's New Clothes". The film probably would have never achieved note if not for the present political situation. We had heard the 'spin' about the film's relevance today, but think the comments we heard must have been for the same reason as that of the citizens in the "Emperor's New Clothes" -- they wanted to appear sophisticated, worldly, in-tune, etc. Did we enjoy the movie? Not at all. Are we recommending it to others? Quite the opposite. Don't waste your money, even for a rental. Recommend renting "Dave", instead. It is more insightful without being cynical, more of a comedy, and more worth the money.
Simply awful: one good idea and then there were none
posted on 03 Jan 2009Sure that sounded interesting at first: a movie about spinmeisters starring Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. That's actually the only thing to be remembered: one good idea buried under mass ineptitude.The biggest mistake is in the tone: who wants to see a movie where the main characters are babbling about fooling their fellow citizens and having fun along the way? Somebody wanted to compare this to such a well-tailored political satire as Dr Strangelove, well that's an outrage! Kubrick masters black humor in this movie whereas Wag the Dog only circles inwards around the starting point.The story only gets duller as new elements unfold to make the movie longer and we never care about this stuff supposed to occur in the final days leading to a Presidential election. No suspense, no rhythm... nothing. All in all a general failure where nothing is to be saved. Even Dustin Hoffman's work is just as painfully ridiculous as the whole would-be-deep-and-funny fumbled fable.
To be seen repeatedly!
posted on 28 Dec 2008Oh my dear goodness. I'd heard of this film when it came out, andduring/after the Monica thingie. Last night, this was on the TV, so Idecided to view it.Forget Clinton (leave that in the basement of your library). THISdeserves to be given status as eternal legend! We should, especiallypeople of the US should view this film time and again just to remindour/themselves what the 21 inch box in front of you could be doing toyou.An effective satire with capable performers Taking us through, youshall enjoy it. I'll never see CNN the same way ever again.
:-)
Conspiracy Theory Concepts
posted on 04 Nov 2008Wag the Dog isn't a well made film. Barry Levinson never went beyond his work with Rain Man and Good Morning, Vietnam--that's a given. Now he is stuck making half-films that fall apart quicker than they come together.
The Natural was like that and so is Wag the Dog, except the Natural never clicked to start with.On the positive side, Mamet creates an articulate script that's enjoyable to hear and flows from the many actors with such precision. My only complaint with the writing is that once the movie gets going, it trips, falls, and careens into the end. Other than that, it is a nice satire with more than it's share of dumb moments and points of wisdom.Notice all the different efforts gone into making the phony war look real, this is exactly how reality TV works. Create the fake, drag in some X variables to silence any plot holes, and fill the gaps with loopholes so you can always fall back on them. Smart thinking, huh?Overall, I generally respect my 2-star ratings more than 3-stars (I don't know why). As a drama, 'Wag' doesn't work, as a comedy, 'Wag' sputters about. I'm sure the Coen brothers could've done better. A solid 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Do you still believe the same?
posted on 26 Oct 2008This movie is like a divination. Simple? Probably you are right, but who can advance in 1997 that Bush was going to make the same? Where are the mass destruction weapons/ShoeMan? Why attacking Irak/Albania?A good movie to start been critic with the politics and the the tones of rubbish we have to eat everyday.From lots of sentences that are extremely actual now I just like to quote one that summarizes a very depth though: "TV destroyed the electoral process".Sincerely, do you think is a simple movie?
Best Movie After JFK, Fahrenheit 9/11, Loose Change, etc.
posted on 17 Oct 2008These are the movies that open our eyes !!! America , with the help of Freud's nephew that was Hitler's main producer for selling the WW2 to the German people , learned how to sell it's own garbage to the American people and the whole world . Yes , after WW2 , Freud's nephew was employed by The Pentagon for more than 20 years . He is the one that "sold" the dismantling of Yugoslavia into 6 countries that are still raging social wars just because the U.S.A. was afraid by the fact that Yugoslavia and Romania could be presented as good examples of perfectly functional socialist economies . After working for Hitler , he was taken under the wing of the Pentagon to help them sell everything like Korea , Vietnam , Yugoslavia , Iraq I , etc . In real life , he was The Producer .Don' believe the lies that the TV is selling you ! Do your own research ! This is the TV they want you to believe is impartial : NBC (National Broadcasting Company) is owned by General Electric, ABC (American Broadcasting Company) is owned by Disney, CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), is owned by Viacom, and CNN (Cable News Network) is owned by AOL (America Online) Time Warner.There is no free press . If you are against them they shut your whole life down . You can't go and say these for real and these facts must be disguised in movies otherwise any actor/producer/director might end up like Charlie Sheen .P.S. Read the book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins .
Wag The Dog
posted on 11 Oct 2008I'm not sure anymore, as time goes by, if we actually landed man on the moon. Films like "Capricorn One" question that viably, but are foreseen as entertainments. I think a film like "Wag the Dog" might seem quite ludicrous to the average person, but who's to say that the right producer and strategist couldn't fake a war and get their President reelected? In Barry Levinson's marvelous(working form a sharp script from David Mamet)political satire, "Wag the Dog" the United States President has been caught in a sexual act with a youngish girl(a Firefly girl)and needs help from someone fast for if this flaw in his humanity lingers in the press and media, his slipping in the polls will become catastrophic to his campaign for reelection. Enter "Mr. Fix-It", Robert DeNiro who has the uncanny ability to get people(political and governmental)out of messes who, with presidential aide Anne Heche, coerces through smooth manipulation Hollywood Producer extraordiaire Dustin Hoffman to fake a war with Albania to bring America's eyes away from the controversial sexual act by the President.The film follows their tasks to do just this as they face lots of unforeseen crisis along the way such as their President's maneuvers to keep them from completing their mission due to the CIA probing, their having to develop a war hero(played by Woody Harrelson, great in his small roll)who is actually a convict, their working over certain individuals to get things done, and most importantly somehow smoothing out rough edges when it comes to faking a war with a country who has nothing to do with the US and keeping certain untruths secret.The film has a dynamite performance from Hoffman as a producer who can work magic with ease when it comes to keeping the spirit of an idea alive. Often, when they are faced with certain ordeals, Hoffman is able to concoct amazing scenarios out of the blue. I thought some of the early developments in creating a war torn Albania was hilarious such as finding a certain cat to be held in "refugee" Kirsten Dunst's hands and how Willie Nelson has to come up with that "just right" Albania song(though, the funny part was his bewilderment about Jim Belushi's being Albanian). The way the war hero Shumann is created is stunning to see develop and just shows how really terrific this screenplay is.Seeing the media tackled with a horse-collar through movie magic is really a hoot and I love this movie's way of showing people all over the place putting together an elaborate ruse to fool the American people just to reelect a man who was caught with his hands in the girl-scout cookie jar.
Great job Barry!
posted on 20 Sep 2008This is one of the best and bravest American movies to date. It's funny, satirical, serious and most of all not far from the truth.This movie, or so I've heard is not so popular in America. I read that CNN gave it a very low score, which means that they actually got it, because the movie actually critisising the American media and it's way of controlling the people. But I also think that the movie in that way is very universal because that sort of thing can happen everywhere in the world.Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro are simply great in the movie. Especially Hoffman, who is so funny in this movie. Also Woody Harreldson's breaf preformance is memorable. This movie is a pure classic. I'm from Yugoslavia so for me this movie is both truthful and close.I can only warmly recommend this movie to everyone who likes smart and intelligent humor.
Do not even bother with this movie...
posted on 24 Aug 2008unless you want to see some good actors totally wasted on what seems like an interesting premise, but ends up entirely homogenized with a mediocre script.Seriously inane generalizations abound, and after the movie was over, I not only felt jipped, but I wanted the nearly 2 hours back of my life that I lost to this movie.Remember though, this is but one opinion, people waste countless hours doing worse stuff other than watching a bad movie.
Eleven Stars - Wag the Dog is a Modern Masterpiece
posted on 21 Aug 2008Alfred Hitchcock once said, "The audience is like a giant organ that you and I are playing. At one moment we play this note on them and get this reaction, and then we play that chord and they react that way. And someday we won't even have to make a movie---there'll be electrodes implanted in their brains, and we'll just press different buttons and they'll go 'ooooh' and 'aaaah'' and we'll frighten them, and make them laugh. Won't that be wonderful?" This movie, Wag the Dog, asks: "Is that...wonderful?"Beyond this motion picture, Wag the Dog has entered the national dialectic as a concept; some pundits have alluded to this movie Wag the Dog as being eerily prescient about U.S. domestic and foreign policy issues in the last half of the twentieth century. Wag the Dog depicts how media, governments, advertising, and political figures manipulate emotions to garner public support or make money.Regardless of the extent to which you, the viewer, think that a "Wag the Dog" scenario could occur, this movie encourages critical thinking and reflection about propaganda and the manipulation of emotion during times of war, the manufacturing of media, and yellow journalism.Robert Evans' "The Kid Stays in the Picture" docudrama (Evans was the model for Dustin Hoffman's Hollywood producer, Stanley Motss) led me to the movie "Wag the Dog" and both movies complement each other well.Too bad Motts wasn't given the line "Nothing beats good writing. Nothing." And writers often receive little more credit than producers (and are probably paid a whole lot less). So here's a thanks for the great writing, screenwriters. And thanks to the editors, director, and producers, too. : > Eleven stars.The DVD version recommends other politically satirical movies and has other fun bonus features.
It's so real
posted on 15 Aug 2008Great actors (De Niro, Hoffman) in a movie, that is so realistic, that I would be glad, if everybody would have seen this film. You want to know, how American politics works, how Americans think and how (propaganda - just another way of advertising) they are brought to think "right" - just watch this film. I would definitely not call the film a comedy: It's too serious. However, truth never came up soooooo funny. Film should be shown in every school - but this will not happen. Looks like the simple truth is too harmful for some guys...
totally incomprehensible and lacking comedic moments
posted on 03 Aug 2008I just recently saw "Wag the Dog" on video, and it was definitely not what I expected. After reading reviews that were extremely high and hearing people recommend the movie, I definitely wanted to check this out.Don't get me wrong, I love comedies, and I thought that a political spoof would work beautifully. Unfortunately, it didn't. After watching nearly half an hour, I thought, "why isn't this film being funny?" I clearly don't understand why it was categorized as a comedy. It seemed like a bunch of chitter-chatter that went too fast for anyone to comprehend it.It's weird; I learned more about the plot from reviews than the actual movie. As a totally incomprehensible mess, this movie would only appeal to those with incredible brain capacity or to those who want to give themselves a comprehension test. The ending too, left me scratching my head in disbelief. Overall, this movie is disappointing. It didn't come close to being funny, and the extremely fast talking clouded up the plot. The acting was ok, but that's about it. Should you want to see this film, be sure to turn your brain up to full power. But who knows, you may get bored at any given moment. MY RATING: *
One of the Most Prescient Political Movies Ever
posted on 11 Jul 2009This is easily the most accurate political satire ever committed to film.
It shows the potential for government to manipulate media during times of crisis, whether political scandal or war. This film has repeatedly come true since it came out, first during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and now in the War on Terrorism and Iraq. Furthermore, the film is extremely funny, with great performances from Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson. Everyone should see it.