Dick ***
rated PG-13 Columbia Pictures starring Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Dan Hedaya, Will Ferrell, Bruce McCulloch, Teri Garr, Dave Foley, Jim Breuer, Harry Shearer, Saul Rubinek written by Andrew Fleming and Sheryl Longin directed by Andrew Fleming
Richard Nixon, America's most controversial president, has been given the Oliver Stone once-over, and has had Forrest Gump ruin his career, but he has never been the subject of a comedy...until now. Andrew Fleming's hilarious "Dick" is the contrived story of Betsy and Arlene(Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams, respectively), two dimwitted teenagers living in Washington, D.C. during the tenure of Richard Nixon(played to comic perfection by character actor Dan Hedaya). When the two stumble upon the Watergate scandal, the title character offers them the job of being official White House dog-walkers and secret youth advisors; but they're not allowed to tell about anything that they witness while on the job. However, when they learn that "Dick" is really a racist who hates his dog, they begin to comply with two Washington Post reporters(Will Ferrell and Bruce McCulloch) to help rat Nixon out of the presidency. The storyline requires a suspension of disbelief, but the good acting and good lines help "Dick" become quite a fun satire. The cast, peppered with SNL alumni, is excellent, never being too serious or at all unfunny. "Dick" is a movie about teens that adults will enjoy because of the 70's nostalgia, and because of the many Watergate jokes that may fly over the heads of the film's targeted younger audience. It's too bad that "Dick" didn't rush out of the gate at the box office, but hopefully it can find its niche through word-of-mouth. Enjoy it, but don't take it too seriously.
a capsule review by Akiva Gottlieb, The Teenage Movie Critic akiva@excite.com http://teenagemoviecritic.8m.com
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