Movies About U.S. Government

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn
Rated PG

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a 1964 black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and Sterling Hayden. The film follows a delusional U.S. Air Force general who orders a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. To prevent an imminent nuclear disaster, the President of the United States, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Soviet Ambassador, and the titular character Dr. Strangelove, a former Nazi scientist, work together to stop the attack. Through a series of comical misunderstandings and political machinations, the president ultimately manages to avert a global nuclear war. The film satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict as well as the political and military blunders that could lead to such an event.

From Elia Kazan, starring Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa, Walter Matthau
Rated Approved

A Face in the Crowd tells the story of Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, a guitar-playing drifter from Arkansas who is discovered by radio reporter Marcia Jeffries. Through his homespun wit, charm, and down-to-earth appeal, Rhodes quickly rises to national fame as a television star. However, as his fame grows, so does his ego, and a darker side of him begins to emerge. With the help of Marcia, a group of disenchanted television sponsors, and a suspiciously-timed scandal, Rhodes is exposed as a manipulative, power-hungry conman, and his career comes to a dramatic end. The film is a cautionary tale of the power of celebrity, and the dangers of putting too much trust in one person.

From John Ford, starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin
Rated Passed

The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 American drama film directed by John Ford. The film tells the story of the Joad family, a poor Oklahoma family who are forced to leave their home due to the Great Depression and environmental disaster. They embark on a journey to find a new life in California, only to find a new set of struggles there. Along the way, the family learns more about the hardships of the migrant workers, and are inspired to stand up for their rights. The film is based on the 1939 novel of the same name by John Steinbeck, and stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad. The film received two Academy Awards and was nominated for seven, including Best Picture.

From Sidney Lumet, starring Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Fritz Weaver, Dan O'Herlihy
Rated Approved

Fail Safe is a 1964 Cold War thriller film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau and Dan O'Herlihy. The story centers on an accidental nuclear attack on Moscow by the United States Air Force, and the efforts of the President of the United States to prevent all-out nuclear war between the two countries. As the American bombers fly towards Moscow, the President and his team must find a way to recall them, or the world will be changed forever. With the clock ticking, the President is forced to make a difficult decision that could mean the end of the world as they know it.

From John Sayles, starring Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham
Rated PG-13

Matewan is a 1987 American drama film written and directed by John Sayles and starring Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, and Will Oldham. Set in the small town of Matewan, West Virginia, in 1920, the film tells the story of coal miners and the mining industry’s struggle against corporate exploitation. The film follows the story of Joe Kenehan (Cooper), a union organizer from the Mine Workers of America, who arrives in Matewan to help the miners organize a union and fight for better working conditions and pay. He is met with hostility from the coal company and its hired goons, and violence soon erupts as the miners stand together to fight for their rights. In the end, the miners triumph against the coal company and are able to establish a union and improve their working conditions.

From John Frankenheimer, starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, Ava Gardner
Rated Approved

Seven Days in May is a 1964 political thriller directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, and Ava Gardner. The film tells the story of U.S. Air Force General James Mattoon Scott (Lancaster), who discovers a plot by a right-wing military cabal to overthrow the United States government and establish a fascist dictatorship. With the help of Scott's aide-de-camp, Colonel Martin "Jiggs" Casey (Douglas), and U.S. President Jordan Lyman (March), Scott must race against time to expose the plot and prevent a coup. Along the way, Scott and Casey must confront the President's political and military advisors, as well as the cabal's mysterious leader, a former high-ranking military officer named General James Mattoon Scott, Jr. (also played by Lancaster). The film was noted for its realistic portrayal of the machinations of a military plot and its strong anti-authoritarian themes.

From Ron Howard, starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell
Rated R

Frost/Nixon is a historical drama film based on the play of the same name. Directed by Ron Howard and written by Peter Morgan, it stars Frank Langella and Michael Sheen as Richard Nixon and David Frost, respectively. The film details the famous 1977 television interviews between Frost and Nixon, in which Nixon attempted to defend his presidency and legacy following his resignation over the Watergate scandal. Frost/Nixon follows both men as they prepare for their interviews and examines the underlying personal and political motives of both men. The film culminates in the climatic on-air confrontation between the two men and their respective legal teams. This powerful and gripping film earned numerous accolades and awards, including a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for Langella.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan
Rated PG-13

Bridge of Spies is a 2015 historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks. The film is set during the Cold War and tells the true story of lawyer James B. Donovan (Hanks), who is enlisted by the CIA to negotiate the release of U.S. pilot Gary Powers from the Soviet Union after he is shot down in a spy plane. Donovan is also tasked with negotiating a prisoner exchange that will include a Soviet agent, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), who was arrested while spying on the U.S. The two men form an unlikely bond and Donovan is forced to put his life and reputation on the line in order to secure their freedom. In the end, Donovan succeeds in his mission, but not without cost.

From Gus Van Sant, starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna
Rated R

Milk is a biographical film about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California. The film follows his life from his days in New York to his election as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. It portrays Harvey Milk's struggle to achieve equality for the gay community in San Francisco, his fight against the political establishment, and his assassination in 1978. Along the way, Milk works to build a coalition of supporters and allies, and fights against discrimination, intolerance and bigotry. The film also shows Milk's personal life and his relationships with his partner Scott Smith, his campaign group the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, and other important figures in San Francisco's gay community.

From John Madden, starring Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Stuhlbarg
Rated R

Miss Sloane is a 2016 political thriller directed by John Madden and starring Jessica Chastain as a powerful lobbyist in Washington D.C. Elizabeth Sloane is a fierce, ambitious lobbyist who works for one of the most prestigious firms in the city. When she is asked to help pass a bill that would tighten gun control laws, however, she turns down the job and instead takes on a less promising, but more morally justifiable, case to oppose the bill. Despite the risks to her career, reputation and even her life, Miss Sloane is determined to ensure her clients’ voices are heard. With the help of her team of lobbyists, she fights political powerhouses and exposes secrets while going head-to-head with a rival lobbyist. As the stakes rise and the consequences of her actions become clear, she is forced to make difficult decisions that could forever change the landscape of the nation’s gun laws.

From Ava DuVernay, starring David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Wilkinson
Rated PG-13

Selma is a historical drama directed by Ava DuVernay, which tells the story of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel, Hosea Williams, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The film focuses on King's efforts to secure equal voting rights for African Americans in the face of violent opposition from the local government and police force. The movie follows the dramatic events leading up to the marches, including the attempted march on March 7th, which ended in police brutality and the death of James Reeb. With the help of President Lyndon Johnson, the marchers were eventually able to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 21st and march to Montgomery to demand the passing of the Voting Rights Act. Selma is a powerful and inspiring film, which celebrates the courage and strength of those who fought for civil rights and freedom.

From Directors: Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker, starring James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Heather Beckel, Paul Begala
Rated PG

From Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Rated PG-13

From Haskell Wexler, starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz, Marianna Hill
Rated R

From Lee Daniels, starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda
Rated PG-13

From Barry Levinson, starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson
Rated R

From Oliver Stone, starring Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Powers Boothe, Ed Harris
Rated R

From Michael Ritchie, starring Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglas, Don Porter
Rated PG

From Emilio Estevez, starring Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Harry Belafonte
Rated R

From Mike Nichols, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Rated R

From Rod Lurie, starring Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges, Christian Slater
Rated R

From Rob Reiner, starring Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox
Rated PG-13

From Tim Robbins, starring Hank Azaria, Rubén Blades, Joan Cusack, John Cusack
Rated R

From Warren Beatty, starring Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Kimberly Deauna Adams, Vinny Argiro
Rated R

From Robert De Niro, starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin
Rated R