Dennis Quaid’s new movie,Reagan, is out, and, unsurprisingly, it’s proven very divisive, with a big gap between critics' and audiences' responses.Reagan, starringactor Dennis Quaid as the titular president, Ronald Reagan, is a movie that falls somewhere between biopic and faith-based drama, thoughit is based on the 2006 bookThe Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communismby Paul Kengor.The movie opens in 1981, shortly before Reagan is shot in an attempted assassination by John Hinckley Jr.
The rest of the movie flashes back through Reagan’s past before moving forward again.Reagantakes particular care to explore the ways that becoming a born-again Christian and an anti-union activist and FBI informant in Hollywoodshaped the radically conservative views he held in his later political life, particularly his years as President of the United States. Unsurprisingly,Reaganhas wildly divided critics and the audiencesalready predisposed to see it thanks to its focus and tone. Even so,Reagandid top the box office during a slow Labor Day weekend.
What Critics Dislike About Reagan: Why It Currently Has 21% On Rotten Tomatoes
Critics Have Pointed At The Movie’s Thin Characters & Schmaltzy, Idolizing Tone
Currently,Reaganholds a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, a dismal score regardless of how one spins it.Reaganwas always going to be a hard sell with most audiences, professional or otherwise, but film critics have been particularly unsparing in their thoughts about the biopic. The main point of criticism across the board is that the characters are simply boring and not well-drawn, more two-dimensional, tropey sketches of characters than fully realized, complex human beings who make for a compelling watch. Considering the whole point of a biopic is to dive into a particular historical figure’s life, that figure needs to be compelling enough to carry a whole narrative, butReaganappears to have failed at that.
The movie has also been criticizedfor pandering so hard to a specific audience that it comes very close to self-parody.That, argues critics, is because the movie has gone incredibly far to avoid and ignore any of Reagan’s very well-documented flaws, both as a man and as a policy-setter. It engages in shameless adoration and adulation of the former president, painting a wholly unrealistic portrait of Ronald Reagan, making him less of a man and more of a holy warrior for a conservative-only God. In that, critics argue, the movie is as much a faith-based piece of fiction as it is a biopic about a real, divisive person.
Where To Watch Reagan: Showtimes & Streaming Status
Ronald Reagan’s life and presidency in America is the subject of Dennis Quaid’s biopic movie, and there are options for where to watch Reagan.
The quotes bear this out: “A fawning biopic light on subtlety,” says Richard Roeper ofChicago Sun-Times. Nell Minow ofRoger Ebertwrites, “It comes so close to parody that it brings to mind the Saturday Night Live ‘Mastermind’ skit.” Erik Childress ofMovie Madness Podcastdid not hold back when he calledReagana “disingenuous collection of the greatest hits played for the fans that neglects any of the flaws or the consequences of his policies…” But perhaps the most brutal commentary came from Sean Burns ofNorth Shore Movies: “A children’s film for the adult diaper set.”
Reagan’s 98% RT Audience Score Explained: What The Verified Ratings Say
Audiences Have Praised The Movie’s Focus On Reagan’s Faith & Conservative Principles
Conversely, audiences have painted a glowing picture ofReagan, giving it an extraordinary 98% on Rotten Tomatoes' new audience Popcornmeter,a rating system open only to those who have purchased a ticket for the movie.Audiences have praised what they see asReagan’s heartwarming journey, that it is inspirational and uplifting, and that it is true to history, though it should be noted that the accuracy of the movie, both in the complexities of the historical events and of the character, is questionable.
It should be noted that the accuracy of the movie, both in the complexities of the historical events and of the character, is questionable.
There is a strong thread through the audience reviews praisingReaganfor being anti-communist and pro-God, lauding the character as an exemplary American and the movie one that all patriots and Americans should see. Audiences are particularly enjoying the waythe biopic puts the focus on Reagan’s faith and conservative ideals,painting Reagan as a man who did not back down from any of his principles even during the tumultuous era of the 1980s. Conservative audiences who lived in the ’80s are appreciating it for being a reminder of the history they lived through, a neat walk back through memory for them.
Reagan Was Always Likely To Be A Divisive Movie
Ronald Reagan Is A Wildly Controversial & Criticized Figure These Days
In truth, the wide gap between critical and audience reviews forReaganshouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who knows anything about Ronald Reagan or the people involved with the movie. Today’s political climate is divisive, andfew historical figures have been more divisive than Ronald Reagan,who is often upheld as the platonic ideal of a conservative by old-school Republicans. At the same time, many historians and normal voters alike have argued Reagan’s numerous flawed policies, from trickle-down economics to drastically cutting social services while bloating the defense budget, have been destructive and harmful in the long-term.
In 2024, there’s no real way to make a biopic about Ronald Reagan, especially one with an overt angle, a movie that is anything other than divisive. The team aroundReaganis also somewhat telling:director Sean McNamara is best known for his faith-based films, so it isn’t that surprising thatReaganalso has a strong slant in that direction. Likewise, actors Dennis Quaid and Jon Voight have become wildly divisive in recent years for their pro-Trump rhetoric, particularly Jon Voight, who has come under fire for regularly spreading conspiracy theories. With that all in play,Reaganwas never going to elicit anything but strong and divided reactions.
Reagan
Reagon follows the life of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, from his time as a young boy through his tenure in the Oval Office.
