By all indications, Barack Obama has set his sights on having the most productive 100-day run of any president since Franklin Roosevelt. But between all the policy debates, meetings with foreign dignitaries and press conferences, the guy’s quickly going to miss out on one of the simplest pleasures in life: going to the movies. The good news is the White House has a private screening room for Obama to keep up with new releases and check out the classics, not just for entertainment purposes, but also to be inspired or learn more about a social issue that deserves his attention. Here’s what would be playing in the White House’s movie theater during Obama’s first 100 days if I had the keys to the place.
The First 10 Days
1. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II
Obama has already gone on record stating that the two parts of Francis Ford Coppola’s Mafia epic are his #1 and #2 favorite films of all time respectively, which means he’s probably watched them a bunch of times already. Still, after tucking their daughters into bed, he and Michelle should spend their first night in the White House with the Corleone clan. Not only are both movies superior entertainment, they also offer potent examinations of power, corruption and the pursuit of the American Dream. Plus, they can also have a blast re-casting the movie with members of his own cabinet, like say Joe Biden for Tom Hagen, Rahm Emanuel as Sonny and–who else?–Hillary as Michael.
2. Trouble the Water
Even if history does end up vindicating Bush on the Iraq mess (not very likely), the passing of time won’t lessen the blot of his administration’s disastrous response to Hurrican Katrina. While Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke is also essential viewing (see #12 below), Carl Deal and Tia Lessin’s moving documentary about the experiences of a New Orleans couple during and after the hurricane drives home the personal impact the disaster had on the residents of that great city, which still hasn’t gotten back on its feet three years later. Obama already has plenty on his plate, but the revival of New Orleans should be an important part of his domestic agenda.
3. The Lives of Others
If anyone tells you that they don’t mind living in a country with warrantless wiretapping because they have “nothing to hide,” just hand them a copy of this terrific thriller. Set in East Germany in the early ’80s, when the country’s secret police had virtually unlimited power to tap the phones and bug the apartments of ordinary citizens, The Lives of Others shows in unflinching detail how much power people surrender when they allow the government full access to their private lives.
4. Young Mr. Lincoln
As a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, Obama will flip for John Ford’s 1939 film that takes a semi-fictionalized look at the Illionis-born president’s early years as a crusading lawyer.
5. Taxi to the Dark Side
As if Obama needed any more reason to order the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, Alex Gibney’s Oscar-winning documentary provides an eye-opening analysis of the extreme interrogation methods that were employed there and how they most likely resulted in the death of at least one inmate.
6. All The President’s Men
Unlike his predecessor, Obama actually respects journalists, so it’s hard to imagine him stonewalling the press the way Bush or, back in the day, Richard Nixon did. Still, Alan Pakula’s film about Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s efforts to crack the Watergate cover-up is a reminder that the President is always answerable to the press and, by extension, the public.
7. Crips and Bloods: Made in America
Stacy Peralta’s documentary about the rise of these rival South Central gangs does a good job outlining how social, economic and racial factors create an environment where gang violence thrives at the expense of the larger community. As a former community organizer, Obama will undoubtedly recognize many of the root causes Peralta identifies and now he’s in the position where he might be able to do something about them.
8. Gabriel Over the White House
One of the most demented movies about the presidency ever made, this 1933 oddity revolves around President Judson Hammond, who miraculously survives a car accident and decides to assume near-dictatorial powers, dissolving Congress, executing gangsters by firing squad and forcing other countries to make good on their debt by threatening to bomb them back to the Stone Age. Obviously, Obama shouldn’t use Hammond as a role model, but he’d probably get a kick out of watching a president put bickering Senators in their place.
9. Flow: For the Love of Water
There are a number of environmental concerns facing our planet right now, but the growing lack of fresh water may top the list. Irena Salina’s documentary offers a disquieting look at this very real crisis and offers tips for what we can do to avert serious disaster.
10. Spider-Man 2
Because after 10 days in office, Obama’s gonna need to kick back and relax with a bit of blockbuster eye-candy. Plus, as a self-proclaimed fan of the wall crawler, he knows to avoid Spider-Man 3.
The Next 90
Hot Button Docs
War in Iraq: No End in Sight
The Environment: An Inconvenient Truth
Hurricane Katrina: When the Levees Broke
Gay Rights: The Times of Harvey Milk
Abortion: Lake of Fire
Labor Unions: Harlan County USA
Wall Street Gone Wild: Enron–The Smartest Guys in the Room
Health Care: Sicko
Immigration: God Grew Tired of Us
Election Reform: Uncounted
Movies to Sing Along To
Singin’ in the Rain
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
A Hard Day’s Night
Don’t Look Back
Woodstock
The Last Waltz
Wild Style
Stop Making Sense
Fade to Black
U2 3D
Hollywood’s History of America
The New World
The Last of the Mohicans
Glory
There Will Be Blood
Sunrise
Sullivan’s Travels
The Best Years of Our Lives
Medium Cool
Wall Street
Fight Club
In the Future…
The Matrix
Wall-E
A Scanner Darkly
Children of Men
Minority Report
Blade Runner
12 Monkeys
Total Recall
The Road Warrior
WaterWorld
War…What Is It Good For?
The Red Badge of Courage
The Bridge on the River Kwai
M*A*S*H*
13 Days
Dr. Strangelove
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket
Three Kings
Stop-Loss
The Wide World of Sports
Hoosiers
Rudy
Bang the Drum Slowly
Hoop Dreams
Bull Durham
When We Were Kings
The Longest Yard
He Got Game
The Express
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Politics Not as Usual
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Wag the Dog
The Candidate
Advise and Consent
Nixon
Dave
Frontrunners
The Manchurian Candidate
Bulworth
The Man
Black and White
Do the Right Thing
In the Heat of the Night
City of Hope
To Kill a Mockingbird
Imitation of Life
Blazing Saddles
The Believer
Rosewood
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Bamboozled
Around the World
Africa: Moolade
China: Up the Yangtze
India: Monsoon Wedding
France: The Class
Israel: Waltz with Bashir
Japan: Spirited Away
Italy: Gomorra
Mexico: Rudo y Cursi
Romania: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Turkey: The Edge of Heaven
Just For Fun
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Duck Soup
The Incredibles
Shaun of the Dead
