Election 2016: 9 Movies That Will Make You Feel Good About American Politics

Brooke Hauser
Kevin Kline in 'Dave'
Kevin Kline in Dave. (Credit: Warner Bros.)

The 2016 campaign season has had all the ingredients of a blockbuster thriller — feuding foes, endless plot twists, and a killer cliffhanger: Who will take the oath as president of the United States on Jan. 20? Maybe some future Oliver Stone will find a way to capture it all on screen years from now.

In the meantime, the daily grind of a contentious, 24-hour political news cycle can wear anyone down. Is cynicism the big winner in 2016? That’s where the movies come in: We’ve found nine that defy the prevailing reality and remind us it’s still possible to think about what goes on in Washington, D.C., and be smiling at the end. Some are lighthearted looks at politicians in human stories; others are inspiring reminders that public service can make a genuine difference in people’s lives.

(And, for balance, we’re also serving up a list of 9 movies that will make you feel miserable about American politics — because sometimes, the campaign really does bring the pain.)

Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in 'All the President's Men,' 1976
Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in All the President’s Men, 1976. (Credit: Warner Bros.)

All the President’s Men
Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star in this 1976 thriller as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post reporters whose dogged pursuit of the Watergate break-in story uncovered connections to the White House and abuses of power, helping to drive the investigation that ultimately cost President Nixon his job and affirmed that in the United States, even the commander in chief is not above the law. (Available on HBO GO, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

The American President
Before The West Wing, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin penned this charming 1995 Rob Reiner-directed rom-com starring Michael Douglas as a widowed commander in chief who falls in love with an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening) and reenters the dating game just as he’s running for reelection. This one’s bound to appeal to romantics on both sides of the aisle. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Dave
In this 1993 comedy from director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters), Kevin Kline plays a regular guy who runs a temp agency — until he’s recruited as a stand-in for his look-alike, the philandering U.S. president (also played by Kline), who falls into a coma before a scandal comes to light. The only thing better than Kevin Kline as president? (Turns out he’s a natural!) Sigourney Weaver as the first lady. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Good Night and Good Luck
Director George Clooney’s artful 2005 black-and-white drama about the 1954 showdown between CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow and “Communist hunter” Sen. Joe McCarthy will reaffirm your faith in political journalism, if not politics. David Strathairn delivers a diamond-sharp performance as the legendary journalist who helped shut down one of history’s biggest political bullies. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Watch the trailer for ‘Good Night and Good Luck:’

Lincoln
America’s 16th president gets the Steven Spielberg treatment in this inspiring 2012 drama adapted from Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln during his final months in office. On his to-do list: ending the Civil War, abolishing slavery, and uniting the country. NBD. Wise words: “All we’ve done is show the world that democracy isn’t chaos. That there is a great, invisible strength in a people’s union. Say we’ve shown that a people can endure awful sacrifice and yet cohere. Mightn’t that save at least the idea of democracy to aspire to?” Here’s hoping. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Milk
In director Gus Van Sant’s retelling of this true story, Sean Penn masterfully plays politician Harvey Milk, who, in 1977, became the first openly gay man in the U.S. elected to a major public office, winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Tragically, he was assassinated the following year, but Milk’s story speaks volumes about the importance of activism — and the power of a single voice — in American politics. (Available on Max GO, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Director Frank Capra’s 1939 classic earned 11 Oscar nominations (and a win for Best Original Story) for its moving portrayal of a small-town idealist (James Stewart) who becomes a U.S. senator and bravely fights corruption in the nation’s capital. Sounds quaint, doesn’t it? (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Napoleon Dynamite
Before the proliferation of “VOTE FOR TRUMP” and “VOTE FOR HILLARY” knockoffs, there was the original “VOTE FOR PEDRO” T-shirt, a must-have for any true fan of this quirky 2004 comedy starring Jon Heder as the titular tater-tot-eating, mouth-breathing high-school outcast and Efren Ramirez as his pal, Pedro, whom he helps run for class president, despite the odds against them both. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Watch a scene from ‘Napoleon Dynamite:’

Selma
“One dream can change the world” is the tagline for director Ava DuVernay’s 2014 historical drama, which begins in Alabama amid rampant racism that is preventing blacks from registering to vote. David Oyelowo portrays Martin Luther King Jr. as he and his followers make their epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. Soon after, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Hulu, Vudu, and Google Play)