DAVE
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1993 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: This is an old plot dusted off and
given some new life and a little bit of political bite.
Kevin Kline plays a double for the President who is asked to
be President. The film is pleasant with a few emotional
moments. Rating: high +1 (-4 to +4).
The basic concept of the plot is an old and familiar one. A commoner looks just like a famous person and suddenly finds he must replace that person. Coming up with examples is almost a trivia game itself: THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, THE PRISONER OF ZENDA, Robert Heinlein's DOUBLE STAR, KAGEMUSHA, MOON OVER PARADOR. If you want to press the point, there's also RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE and SOMMERSBY. The underrated science fiction film QUEST FOR LOVE treats some of the problems of standing in as realistically as many films more grounded in reality. Many of the recent body-switch films also treat the subject. Of course, to make one of these stories believable the writer has to come up with some contrivance as to why the shape of the ear does not give the imposter away. As Sherlock Holmes correctly points out, the shape of an ear is as unique as a fingerprint. Certainly somebody photographed as often as the President of the United States is could not long be replaced by an imposter. However, that is the premise of DAVE.
Dave Kovic (played by Kevin Kline) is an exact look-alike for President Bill Mitchell (played by guess who?). Dave runs a small temporary employment office and occasionally picks up dollars impersonating the President doing things like riding a pig at places like local car dealerships. Then one day the Secret Service shows up in Dave's living room asking Dave to impersonate the President at a social function. (Even this seems very implausible in a world where one wrong comment can ruin a politician's career.) The President is needed elsewhere. The elsewhere is an illicit tryst with one of his aides, and unfortunately the President suffers a massive stroke. At the urging of two aides (played by Frank Langella and Kevin Dunn), Dave agrees to continue his role as the President.
Dave quickly finds out that President Mitchell was nobody to admire. A small group of people are running the Presidency for power and greed. Finding that the First Lady (played by Sigourney Weaver) detests the President, Kovic decides to change policies.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of DAVE is the performance of Frank Langella. Getting past the age when he can play dashing roles such as Zorro and Dracula, he is turning to acting. In a bleached crewcut he quietly steals scenes from Kline and Weaver. He has learned the difference between acting hammy and having an expressive face. Like Frederic March before him, he has made the transition from depending on his good looks to having an expressive face that is a study in itself. It seems even director Ivan Reitman underrates the power of Langella's acting. In one notable scene Reitman has the camera focused on Kline in the foreground. He then sets the focus deeper to pick up a reaction from Langella in the background, then again focuses on Kline to give him the viewer's attention. But once the viewer's eye is on Langella it stays on Langella through the scene, even though he is now out of focus. Reitman has underrated the interest and magnetism of Langella's expression. Kline plays his usual amiable self. Weaver does what she can with a role that gives her very little to do until late in the film.
DAVE is a light, pleasant film in the style of Frank Capra that may be a bit politically simplistic. The view that there is corruption in high places is undoubtedly true, but the view that a simple non-politician using intuition could do better than an elected President is questionable. There is some hypocrisy in this populist pseudo-President who wants programs that will increase Federal spending but who at the same time cheats on his own taxes--a rather wry touch in Gary Ross's script.
Still, it is fun to see over two dozen celebrities and commentators on government affairs commenting on this new President. The most enjoyable cameo features Oliver Stone. And one more nice touch: Kline's rendition of the song "Tomorrow" from "Annie" is the first time I could ever make out all the words.
While not startingly original, DAVE is fun and well-made. I give it a high +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
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