The newly released trailer for Reagan sees Dennis Quaid’s transformation into the 40th president of the United States.
The biopic tells the story of Ronald Reagan’s life from his childhood to his journey to the White House. The film is directed by Sean McNamara.
The movie’s synopsis, according to The Hollywood Reporter, read: “From dusty small-town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, Reagan is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent who followed Reagan’s ascent, Reagan captures the indomitable spirit of the American dream.”
Reagan and the Cold War
The trailer starts against the backdrop of the Cold War, with Quaid playing the former president as an older man, saying, “There’s nothing a retired governor can do but a president, now he can do a thing or two.”
The film features major events in Reagan’s life, which included confronting childhood bullies, leading the Screen Actors Guild and his entrance to politics with his years as California’s governor to his rise as US president.
Penelope Ann Miller plays First Lady Nancy Reagan, says later in the video, “Remember when we met, you told me that you wanted to make a difference in this world. You know what you have to do.”
Quaid and Miller are joined by Jon Voight (Viktor Petrovich), Mena Suvari (Jane Wyman, Reagan’s first wife), Lesley-Anne Down (UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher), David Henri (teenage Reagan), Kevin Dillon (Jack Warner), and Amanda Righetti and Justin Chatwin (Reagan’s parents Nelle and Jack).
Reagan will be released in cinemas Aug. 30.
Quaid was recently seen in The Substance, which premiered in Cannes. He was also in the Paramount+ series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. He’ll next be seen in the action crime drama Sovereign with Nick Offerman. His other upcoming film, sci-fi mystery Little Mouth, is currently in post-production.
The path from Hollywood to the White House
Reagan began his acting career with his debut in the 1937 film Love Is on the Air. He made 30 movies before he started his military service in 1942.
From 1947 to 1952, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. He had the position again from 1959 to 1960.
Reagan’s political career began when he gave the speech “A Time for Choosing” in 1964. In 1966, he was elected governor of California. He challenged incumbent president Gerald Ford in 1976 Republican presidential primaries and lost. However, he won the nomination later on. He then had a landslide victory over the incumbent Democratic president, Jimmy Carter, in the 1980 presidential election.
Reagan’s first term implemented “Reaganomics,” which included ecnomic deregulation as well as tax cuts and government spending curtailment. He also escalated the arms race and shifted the Cold War policy away from détente (open communication between governments to ease strained relations) with the Soviet Union.
In 1981, he survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley Jr. Hinckley thought the act would impress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed.
Reagan was know for having fought against public-sector labor unions, expanding the war on drugs and his slow response to the AIDS epidemic in the US, which began during the early days of his presidency. His second wife, Nancy, was instrumental in the Just Say No anti-drug campaign.
He won his second presidential term in 1984, defeating former vice president Walter Mondale. Reagan’s second term was dominated by foreign affairs including the bombing of Libya in 1986, the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988 and the controversial, secret and illegal arms sale to Iran to fund the Contras.
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
His famous line, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” was during his speech at the Berlin Wall in 1987. While his demand was ignored at the time, the wall did fall two years later in November and this was retroactively attributed as his achievement.
A month later, displaying his more conciliatory approach with the Soviets, he met with Gorbachev in Washington, D.C. to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. This committed both countries to abolishing their respective short-range and medium-range stockpile of missiles.
Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1994. He died in 2004 of pneumonia, with complications of his disease, in his Los Angeles home. He was interred at the Reagan Library.
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