DVD

Nixon
Oliver Stone, the most outspokenly political American filmmaker of the 1980s and '90s, directs this epic-length biography of Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the U.S., who was re-elected by a landslide in 1972, only to resign in disgrace two years later. Taking a non-linear approach, Nixon jumps back and forth between many different periods and events, from Nixon's strict upbringing at the hands of his Quaker mother, through the many peaks and valleys of his political career, to his downfall in the wake of the Watergate scandal. The facts of his life are blended with supposition and speculation to create a portrait that is often critical of the man's policies but displays an unexpected compassion toward his failings as a human being. Anthony Hopkins stars as Nixon, Joan Allen plays his long-suffering wife Pat, Mary Steenburgen portrays his mother Hannah, Bob Hoskins is cast as J. Edgar Hoover, Powers Boothe plays Alexander Haig, Paul Sorvino portrays Henry Kisinger, and Ed Harris plays E. Howard Hunt. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Anthony Hopkins as Richard M. Nixon Joan Allen as Pat Nixon Powers Boothe as Alexander Haig Ed Harris as E. Howard Hunt Bob Hoskins as J. Edger Hoover E.G. Marshall as John Mitchell

Crew Margery Zweizig - Art Director Don Woodruff - Art Director Richard Mays - Art Director Richard Rutowski - Associate Producer Heidi Levitt - Casting Mary Vernieu - Casting Billy Hopkins - Casting Eric Hamburg - Co-producer Dan Halsted - Co-producer Richard Hornung - Costume Designer David Sardi - First Assistant Director Oliver Stone - Director Hank Corwin - Editor Brian Berdan - Editor Andrew G. Vajna - Executive Producer John Williams - Composer (Music Score) Victor Kempster - Production Designer Robert Richardson - Cinematographer Oliver Stone - Producer Dan Halsted - Producer Clayton Townsend - Producer Andrew G. Vajna - Producer Merideth Boswell - Set Designer Peter Kelly - Set Designer Henry Alberti - Set Designer Charlie Vassar - Set Designer David MacMillan - Sound/Sound Designer Christopher Wilkinson - Screenwriter Stephen J. Rivele - Screenwriter Oliver Stone - Screenwriter

Nixon
Nixon is not a subtle movie, but at least Oliver Stone tries to depict the former president as a tragic character instead of a one-dimensional villain or victim. As the film switches haphazardly between different points in Richard Nixon's life, viewers see that his cold and demanding parents helped shape him into a stiff, socially awkward adult who resented the more charismatic people around him. Feeling unloved and misunderstood, he eventually became undone later in life by his own resentment and paranoia. Anthony Hopkins manages to convey these aspects of Nixon's personality while bringing some pathos to his role, but he's not totally convincing as the former president. He doesn't look like the real-life Richard Nixon and his speaking voice doesn't resemble Nixon's famous unmodulated baritone. Furthermore, he doesn't convey the "stronger" elements of Nixon's personality, such as the craftiness and ambitiousness that enabled him to become a successful politician. Even though this film is ostensibly a character study of Richard Nixon, he often seems like a passive cog in the political machinery. This may be compatible with Stone's belief that the "Beast" (the forces of big business and government that control our lives) is so powerful that even Nixon himself wasn't able to dominate it; however, Stone undermines the credibility of his viewpoint by laying it on too thick and adding too many questionable conspiracy theories (e.g., linking a cabal of Texas millionaires to the JFK assassination). The fact remains that the real-life Richard Nixon was a driven politician who rebounded from several career setbacks to achieve the highest office in the land; this film makes it too easy to forget that he could act decisively and effectively. Indeed, he seems less astute than his wife Pat, who is portrayed as more cagey and articulate than her public persona. Allen's performance is quite good if you accept her interpretation of the role; likewise, James Woods seems fine if you accept that his portrayal of H.R. Halderman seems less imposing than his real-life counterpart. Paul Sorvino does an impression of Henry Kissinger that's both impressive and somewhat creepy, while Bob Hoskins camps it up as J. Edgar Hoover (Stone seems to enjoy drawing attention to Hoover's sexual orientation). Although the actors might not be exact duplicates of the real-life characters they portray, the cast is solid enough to carry much of the film. Unfortunately, Stone's heavy-handed filmmaking style undermines the human elements of his movie. Neither intimate nor tightly paced, Nixon feels like a visual assault with jump cuts, superimposed images, jarring shifts between camera angles and film stocks, and changes between color and black-and-white; borrowing from real-life incidents (e.g., the Lincoln Memorial scene) as well as films such as Citizen Kane (e.g., the scene in which Richard Nixon argues with his wife at the dinner table), Stone tries unsuccessfully to compensate for a disjointed narrative structure with sheer filmmaking bravado. Consequently, the movie seems ham-fisted, which is admittedly not surprising quality for an Oliver Stone film. It is more disappointing in this particular instance, however, since it appears that Stone was attempting to present a more nuanced view of politics. ~ Todd Kristel, All Movie Guide
 

Anthony Hopkins: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actor (nominated) Anthony Hopkins: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (nominated) Anthony Hopkins: Screen Actors Guild, Best Actor (nominated) Christopher Wilkinson: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated) Joan Allen: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Supporting Actress (nominated) Joan Allen: Chicago Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress (winner) Joan Allen: Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress (winner) Joan Allen: National Society of Film Critics, Best Supporting Actress (winner) Joan Allen: Screen Actors Guild, Best Actress (nominated) John Williams: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated) Oliver Stone: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated) Oliver Stone: Chicago Film Critics Association, Best Director (winner) Stephen J. Rivele: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated)

Screen Actors Guild, Best Ensemble Acting (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: Subtitle Options: Spanish, French Sound Processing: DTS: Digital Theater Systems (akin to 5.1) DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: cc Deleted scenes "Charlie Rose Interviews Oliver Stone" featurette Audio commentaries introduced by Oliver Stone Theatrical trailer Widescreen edition Dolby Digital 5.1 audio French and Spanish subtitles MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 212 min Part of Series: Collector's Edition Series   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Opening Credits [6:06] 2. No Pistol [2:47] 3. White House Involvement [7:20] 4. Stolen Fair and Square [4:53] 5. Pat and Dick: On Losing [5:54] 6. A Little Man [3:16] 7. Marriage on the Rocks [6:43] 8. Last Press Conference [9:07] 9. Much in Demand [5:56] 10. A Terrible Loss [5:16] 11. The Old Nixon Charm [6:29] 12. At the Races [10:31] 13. Harold's Death [7:54] 14. Bold Moves [4:31] 15. Nudging History [5:08] 16. Just Kids [1:21] 17. Meeting With Helms [10:42] 18. Nightcap [1:59] 19. The Beast [6:42] 20. Nixon and Hoover/The Wedding [5:04] 21. No More Mr. Nice Guy [4:41] 22. Meet Mr. Liddy [2:50] 23. Playing for Keeps [7:08] 24. The Enemy of the Enemy [5:11] 25. Texas Strong-Arms [9:54] 26. Playing With Power [3:50] 27. Getting Personal [8:50] 28. An Hors D'oeuvre [5:01] 29. Whitewash [1:45] 30. No Discussion [8:13] 31. Drunken Words [6:08] 32. No Tears [8:50] 33. Smoking Gun [5:05] 34. A Prayer [5:18] 35. In the Dark [2:42] 36. Closing Remarks/End Credits [10:40] Side #2 -- Bonus Features 1. Introduction by Oliver Stone [8:16] 2. Nixon's Limousine Through Protesters [1:55] 3. CIA Building: Richard Helms & Nixon [11:54] 4. Hoover & Nixon (Second Meeting)/Tricia's Wedding (Expanded) [8:24] 5. Cabinet Meeting [2:57] 6. Air Force One (Expanded) [3:57] 7. Jones Ranch Bull Ring [1:42] 8. Oval Office: Nixon, Dean, Haldeman & Ehrlichman (Expanded) [5:00] 9. Haldeman/Erlichman Walk (Expanded) [3:37] 10. The Rockefeller Party (Expanded) [5:42] 11. The Jones Ranch Barbecue [1:59] 12. The Director's Closing Remarks [3:04]