"Wag the Dog" - The Spin Doctor Is In by Homer Yen (c) 1998
It's just days before the Presidential election, and the incumbent is enjoying a slim lead over his opponent. However, a scandal hits the White House while the President is away. A Firefly girl (similar to a Girl Scout) accuses the President of sexual misconduct. Tabloids will feast on this development. His opponent makes every opportunity of it to drag him through the mud in his own bid for the presidency. The country is aghast. Trouble looms large. Who ya gonna call?
Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro) is the man that you want. With a knack for misdirection and strategizing, he must come up with some kind of plan to divert America and the media's attention just long enough for the President to win another term. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so with the help of a White House aide (Anne Heche); crafty movie producer, Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman); and an overzealous marketing pro, Fad King (Dennis Leary), they begin to concoct, develop, and refine a lie that must not only be extraordinary, but also believable. Indeed, these spin doctors have the unenviable task of trying to spin gold from straw.
"Wag the Dog" is not what I would characterize to be a comedy or a drama. It plays out more like a melodrama that focuses on quick-on-your-feet cunning displayed by those spin doctors, who are in essence idea hamsters (their brains are constantly running). We sit in our chairs and observe how the characters on screen react to the various crises that arise. They are like pinballs, bouncing and ricocheting from one idea to another as they try to pull off the greatest of illusions, yet make it seem soberingly realistic.
What I found particularly interesting (or scary) is how these two work to bring about plausibility. Brean, skulking and ever-molding his political machinations, is adept at manipulation. Meanwhile, Motss knows that there's a way around every problem. Whenever there is a kink in their plans, he boasts with deluded optimism: "It's nothing!" And, voila, another plan is in place. In doing so, they simultaneously attempt to bolster the President's ratings, increasing America's moral, and evoke a satisfying sense of jingoism.
"Wag the Dog" is blithely acted but will not leave any kind of impact. Still, this film has its merits. It is an odd lesson in politics. Particularly, it offers a look at the people who are behind the scenes. They may be the most powerful people in the world who not only have carte blanche status but can also shape the opinions of the mass public. Are we as truly as informed as we would like to think? Perhaps after seeing this movie, you'll understand what 'wagging the dog' really means.
Grade: B
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