On occasion, critics and general audiences don’t see eye to eye when it comes to how a particular movie is received. While some titles sport a healthy difference of opinion that can be expected,others become polar oppositesthat have everyone wondering what critics saw that the audience didn’t and vice versa. The latest title to join this slate is the2024 biopicReagan, which starsDennis Quaid(Lawmen: Bass Reeves) as the title character AKA the country’s 40th PresidentRonald Reagan.
Reganfollows thesame patterns as most biopics: it chronicles the title character’s life from his childhood until the highest point of his career, in this case, becoming president. The story is based on the 2006 bookThe Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communismwritten byPaul Kengor, which is why the movie chooses the different approach of telling the storythrough the lens of KGB agents.
Critics were certainly not impressed with the movie, with its average score on
Rotten Tomatoesat a dysmal 19%. However, general audiences seem to be all over it, with the movie earning a staggering 98% audience score. One of the reasons is that the movie is obviously rooted in politics, which is a theme that tends to divide audiences. Fans admired Quaid’s performanceas the U.S. leading manand admitted that whileReagandoesn’t reinvent the wheel, it is a heck of a story to be told.
‘Reagan’ Has Been Called “Simplistic” And “Tedious”
Critics, however, were not very pleased with the movie’s lack of subtlety.Chicago Sun-Times’Richard Roepercalled the biopic “simplistic” and argued that the movie makes it seem that Reagan “single-handedly saved the Screen Actors Guild from being overrun by communists.” He did recognize the movie’s wins, though saying:
“This is a competently made film with decent cinematography and production design, and the casting is never less than …interesting, but it favors a simplistic approach and a narrative that verges on adoration. I mean, we actually see Ronald Reagan riding off into the sunset in this movie.”
William BibbianifromThe Wrapwas a lot less forgiving, though, stating that “there probably hasn’t been a presidential biopic this tedious in 80 years.” The critic also stressed that the movie has a sloppy approach to foreign policy and its complexities:
“Sean McNamara’s fawning and superficial biopic about the 40th president of the United States treats the political figure as a godlike messiah who was placed on this Earth to vanquish America’s enemies, foreign and domestic, and fall perfectly in love with the perfect woman while riding horses dramatically across the California hills. Criticisms of Reagan warrant no more than a brief montage about how weird the 1980s were — except for the Iran-Contra scandal, which adds up to a whopping “whoopsie-daisy.”
Reagan is directed bySean McNamara, who previously helmed movies likeOn a Wing And a Prayer(also starring Dennis Quaid) andCats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite. The cast also featuresMena Suvari(American Beauty),C. Thomas Howell(SEAL Team),Justin Chatwin(The Walk),Amanda Righetti(Far Haven),Kevin Sorbo(Until The Last Promise),Xander Berkeley(Air Force One),Lesley-Anne Down(Gates of Darkness) andJon Voight(Megalopolis).
Reaganis playing in theaters now. you’re able to check out the trailer below:
A drama based on the life of Ronald Reagan, from his childhood to his time in the oval office.
