Real or fictional, these movies are perfect for viewing anytime.

In honor of President's Day: Three excellent presidential movies

2/18/13

For those of you fortunate enough to have President's Day off, congratulations. You've got tons of time to catch up on some fantastic presidential movies! It's really tough to limit myself to just three, but after a great deal of thought, I've done it. One of these choices is still in many theaters right now, so in the spirit of the holiday, why not pile everyone up and head to the movies this evening?

Lincoln

Steven Spielberg's sweeping 2012 drama Lincoln stars the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis as America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. The film, which received numerous Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture, Director and Actor), focuses on the last four months of Lincoln's life. It was a tumultuous time, to say the least, and Lincoln and his team struggled to get the votes necessary to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.

I can't say enough about how much I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's without a doubt my favorite presidential movie, and if you haven't seen it, now is the time.

Frost/Nixon

Not every critic loved Frost/Nixon, but almost everyone agreed that Frank Langella's performance as Richard Nixon in this 2008 post-Watergate, Ron Howard-directed drama was astounding. It earned Langella an Oscar nomination, and the film was also up for Best Picture. It's certainly no Lincoln, but it's a solid film and a fascinating look at politics and journalism.

Air Force One

OK, so you thought all of my choices would be about real presidents? Nope. I thought I'd throw in one of my favorites that is entirely fictional: 1997's Air Force One. It's a smart action-drama and it offers plenty of thrills. Harrison Ford stars as U.S. President James Marshall, and as always, he's fantastic. I'm in a Han Solo kind of mood lately (gee, I wonder why?) and I was remembering how much I enjoyed this blockbuster.

So there you go: Those are three of my favorites, though there are certainly more. I'd give honorable mentions to 1995's The American President, starring Michael Douglas, and 1993's Dave, starring Kevin Kline.

What are your favorite presidential movies? And yes, fictional presidents count too!