“ The best perk of the White House is not Air Force One or Camp David or anything else , it ’s the wonderful motion picture dramatic art I get here , ” President Bill Clinton assure Roger Ebert in 1999 .
fit in to newly release documents obtained by Gizmodo through a Freedom of Information Act petition , President Clinton did indeed have it away watching motion-picture show at the White House . He blow through 171 picture show while he was in part , not including duplicates ( Clinton watched The Patriot , Braveheart , and Music of the Heart doubly ) .
But there are some curious gaps in the disc .
ground on the heavily - redacted document provided by the Clinton Presidential Library and the National Archives , I ’ve roll up a lean of all the movies Clinton watched from 1993 until 2001 . The most curious part may be that , according to the documents , the president watched just three motion-picture show in 1996 , and only seven in 1997 . This seems … unlikely .
One of the first questions multitude have about Clinton ’s movie - viewing habits is whether he ever watch over a picture with Monica Lewinsky . The shortsighted response is that we do n’t cognize . Most attendee names are redacted , but give that Lewinsky ’s nine intimate encounters with President Clinton span from November of 1995 to March of 1997 ( a period of time for which there are very few movies list ) there will no doubt be further speculation .
A few days after the Lewinsky outrage go bad in the mainstream press on January 21 , 1998 , the Clintons hosted a screening of the Robert Duvall picture The Apostle . Attendees were said to be maintain a tight eye on Bill and Hillary ’s interactions .
According to the list , Clinton watched new movies almost exclusively . As someone who has become obsessed with the take in habit of US presidents , I can say that this is a bounteous leaving from the Nixon , Carter , and Reagan disposal — presidents who watched new releases , but also plenty of classic .
And despite Clinton ’s claims to have seen the moving picture High Noon roughly20 to 30 times , the classic Western does n’t appear once in the leaning provided by the Clinton Library . Clinton has also repeatedly claim that another of his preferent movies is Casablanca . Again , that movie does n’t show up in the papers provided to Gizmodo .
What does show up ? Mostly mainstream picture of the 1990s , like Forrest Gump , Enemy of the State , Jerry Maguire , Saving Private Ryan , The Patriot , Apollo 13 , You ’ve Got Mail , Philadelphia , and Mrs. Doubtfire . There are a few interesting film that might be considered cult classic , such as The Big Lebowski and Fight Club . For what it ’s deserving , Clinton told Roger Ebert that Fight Club was good but a bit too nihilistic for his tastes . Clinton also watched Star Wars : Episode I , though I have yet to corroborate what he think of Jar - Jar .
There are a few possible explanations to account for the absence of classic films . Clinton may have exaggerated his taste for older movies in interviews . But it might also have to do with the develop role of the White House theater . Since 1915 , when President Woodrow Wilson screened the first film at the White House , movies have been a way to connect with strange leaders , movie maker , and member of the pressure . But schmoozing over a picture show seems to have intensified in the 1990s .
Journalist Maureen Dowd , for example , watch Field of Dreams at the White House with the first President Bush . And Jimmy Carter watched the first Star Wars moving-picture show in asecret meetingwith Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in the lede up to the Camp David Peace Accords . Reagan even hosted director Stephen Spielberg , who brought a print of E.T. for a especial screening at the White House that included Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Neil Armstrong . But Clinton ’s choice of Modern film probably speaks to his economic consumption of the theater for entertain outside visitors more than a observation of his personal taste .
( AP Photo / Wilfredo Lee )
Clinton often show up as himself in the picture show he watched . Films like The Siege and Crimson Tide , both on the inclination , utilize clips of the real Clinton . The president was reportedly tempestuous about one scene in the 1997 alien dramaContact , but that moving picture is n’t on the list — yet more evidence that the documents we were give may be incomplete . Another movie missing from 1997 that Clintontold Ebert he adored ? L.A. Confidential .
certain , part of the fun of examining Presidential picture show - watching habits is simple voyeurism . But if we take that culture medium influences the way we see the world , then there are also very real public and alien insurance policy implications to these lists .
The 1998 movieThe Siegeis fascinating to learn with the benefit of hindsight . The movie depicts cells of Middle Eastern terrorist setting off bombs in New York . The CIA is implicated in develop some of the terrorists and the FBI is frustrated with the lack of communicating between the agency . There ’s also furious disputation when martial police is declared and all New Yorkers of halfway Eastern declivity are rounded up in cantonment . The movie shows real clipping of Clinton talking about a real terrorist onset that raven 1998 , but he may as well have been talking about the attacks that would happen just three years later on September 11 , 2001 .
much all modern president watched dramatizations of war , governance conspiracy , and the political unconscious process more generally . President Nixon watchedThe Chairman , On the Beach , andExecutive Action , a 1973 movie about a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy . The first pic President Carter ascertain in office wasAll the President ’s Men , and he keep an eye on films likeThe President ’s Ladyabout Andrew Jackson . And when President Reagan was n’t observe his own motion picture ( yes , he watchedBedtime for Bonzowhile in office ) he found time for palpate - estimable Cold War comedies like Robin Williams’Moscow on the Hudson .
But Clinton seemed to watch over more movies featuring presidents ( both fictitious and real ) than your modal US leader — with the exclusion of Lyndon B. Johnson , whose pet motion-picture show was a propaganda pic of himself that he would catch on repeat . From Dave , a movie about an imposter chairman , to Independence Day , a movie about an foreign species vote down single - handedly by an inspiring presidential speech , Clinton watched them all . He even watch over Deep Impact , a movie about an Earth - cleansing asteroid that give President Morgan Freeman sad .
Clinton ’s movie counting pales in comparison to Jimmy Carter ’s total of well over 400 motion picture . And Carter only served for four years , as opposed to Clinton ’s eight . But I ca n’t stress enough that this list is probably incomplete , even if it ’s the most comprehensive report we have to date .
This inclination will be updated as novel info becomes available .
1993
Lorenzo ’s Oil – January 27 , 1993
Leap of Faith – February 5 , 1993
Falling Down – February 12 , 1993
The Bodyguard – February 14 , 1993
Howard ’s End – February 20 , 1993
Groundhog Day – February 27 , 1993
Benny and Joon – March 4 , 1993
Mad Dog and Glory – March 13 , 1993
splice To It – March 20 , 1993
Made in America – April 15 , 1993
Born Yesterday ( 1993 ) – April 16 , 1993
Dave – April 23 , 1993
item of No Return – May 1 , 1993
Lost in Yonkers – May 14 , 1993
Undercover Blues – May 21 , 1993
Sleepless in Seattle – June 11 , 1993
The Man Without a Face – September 3 , 1993
Age of Innocence – September 11 , 1993
look for For Bobby Fischer – September 17 , 1993
The Joy Luck Club – October 1 , 1993
A Bronx Tale – October 10 , 1993
Rudy – October 15 , 1993
Striking Distance – October 22 , 1993
destruction Man – October 29 , 1993
Philadelphia – November 13 , 1993
The Three Musketeers ( 1993 ) – November 24 , 1993
Cool Runnings – November 25 , 1993
The Piano – November 26 , 1993
The Pelican Brief – December 10 , 1993
A Perfect World – December 26 , 1993
1994
gravestone – January 18 , 1994
Shadowlands – January 20 , 1994
Mrs. Doubtfire – January 21 , 1994
The Air Up There – January 27 , 1994
Grumpy Old Men – January 28 , 1994
Six Degrees of Separation – February 11 , 1994
Romeo is Bleeding – February 21 , 1994
Guarding Tess – March 5 , 1994
Abraham – March 11 , 1994
Naked Gun 33 ⅓ – March 12 , 1994
The Hudsucker Proxy – March 18 , 1994
Four Weddings and a Funeral – April 15 , 1994
Clifford – April 29 , 1994
Little Women – December 25 , 1994
Forrest Gump – December 26 , 1994
1995
Nobody ’s tomfool – January 5 , 1995
Legends of the Fall – January 13 , 1995
high-pitched Learning – February 4 , 1995
boy on the Side – February 17 , 1995
Miami Rhapsody – February 18 , 1995
A Man of No Importance – February 19 , 1995
The Quick and the Dead – February 20 , 1995
Rob Roy – April 15 , 1995
The Madness of King George – April 21 , 1995
Jefferson in Paris – April 22 , 1995
Gallic Kiss – May 13 , 1995
Braveheart – May 26 , 1995
Kiss of last – May 27 , 1995
Braveheart – May 28 , 1995
The Bridges of Madison County – May 28 , 1995
Crimson Tide – June 2 , 1995
Apollo 13 – June 8 , 1995
1996
The Birdcage – April 3 , 1996
Chicano ! – May 2 , 1996
Independence Day – June 22 , 1996
1997
Jerry Maguire – January 10 , 1997
One Fine Day – January 15 , 1997
Her Majesty , Mrs. Brown – August 2 , 1997
Shall We Dance – August 3 , 1997
Cop Land – August 15 , 1997
G.I. Jane – September 12 , 1997
The Peacemaker – October 3 , 1997
1998
Kundun – January 10 , 1998
Good Will Hunting – January 11 , 1998
The Apostle – January 24 , 1998
Titanic – January 23 , 1998
Fallen – January 30 , 1998
Hard Rain – January 31 , 1998
Temptress Moon – February 7 , 1998 ( mislabeled as Tempest Moon ? )
Zero Effect – February 15 , 1998
HBO ’s From the Earth to the Moon(parts 1 - 2 of 12 ) – March 5 , 1998
The Boxer – March 14 , 1998
crepuscule ( 1998 ) – April 4 , 1998
The Big Lebowski – April 10 , 1998
Dangerous Beauty – April 24 , 1998
Bulworth – May 30 , 1998
Deep Impact – June 1 , 1998
The Truman Show – June 6 , 1998
About Sarah – June 20 , 1998
Out of Sight – July 4 , 1998
Smoke Screen – July 8 , 1998
Armageddon – July 10 , 1998
A Perfect Murder – July 13 , 1998
Saving Private Ryan – July 14 , 1998
The Mask of Zorro – July 22 , 1998
Snake Eyes – August 8 , 1998
The Avengers ( 1998 ) – September 6 , 1998
Wrongfully Accused – October 4 , 1998
Rush Hour – October 23 , 1998
Holy Man – October 30 , 1998
Beloved – November 3 , 1998
A Bug ’s Life – November 8 , 1998
Soldier – November 16 , 1998
The Siege – November 17 , 1998
Enemy of the State – December 12 , 1998
Waking Ned DevineandA Civil Action – December 25 , 1998
biography is BeautifulandThe Prince of Egypt – December 26 , 1998
1999
You ’ve Got Mail – January 2 , 1999
Affliction – January 23 , 1999
Forever Fever ( akaThat ’s the means I Like It ) – February 13 , 1999
Little Voice – February 16 , 1999
substance in a Bottle – February 20 , 1999a
HBO ’s make bold to contend : The Struggle of Women in Sports – March 4 , 1999
October Sky – March 5 , 1999
dissect This – March 6 , 1999
The Other Sister – March 14 , 1999
8MM – March 26 , 1999
True Crime – April 3 , 1999
The Winslow Boy – May 2 , 1999
Entrapment – May 12 , 1999
The Castle – May 17 , 1999
Cookie ’s Fortune – May 21 , 1999
The Harmonists – May 23 , 1999
Star Wars Episode 1 : The Phantom Menace – June 6 , 1999
Shadrach – June 10 , 1999
The Mummy – June 26 , 1999
The 13th Floor – June 27 , 1999
An Ideal Husband – July 2 , 1999
Limbo – July 3 , 1999
The General ’s Daughter – July 12 , 1999
Wild Wild West – July 17 , 1999
Lake Placid – August 5 , 1999
The Thomas Crown Affair ( 1999 ) – August 13 , 1999
Fifty Violins ( akaMusic of the pith ) – August 15 , 1999
Mystery Men – September 4 , 1999
Runaway Bride – September 5 , 1999
American Beauty – October 10 , 1999
My Life So Far – October 11 , 1999
Three Kings – October 14 , 1999
two-fold Jeopardy – October 16 , 1999
Music of the Heart – October 23 , 1999
Fight Club – November 6 , 1999
The Bachelor – November 7 , 1999
Crazy in Alabama – November 12 , 1999 ( mislisted as “ Crazy in Arizona ” ? )
Liberty Heights – November 24 , 1999
The World is Not Enough – November 25 , 1999
The Messenger : The Story of Joan of Arc – November 26 , 1999
End of day – November 27 , 1999
The Hurricane – December 3 , 1999
Galaxy Quest – December 25 , 1999
The gifted Mr. Ripley – December 30 , 1999
2000
Any give Sunday – January 14 , 2000
Eye of the Beholder – February 12 , 2000
The Height of the Sky – February 17 , 2000
Gun Shy – February 21 , 2000
Hanging Up – February 25 , 2000
PBS ’ The American President ( president unspecified)- April 7 , 2000
Erin Brockovich – April 21 , 2000
Frequency – May 13 , 2000
I Dreamed of Africa – May 27 , 2000
Small Time Crooks – June 9 , 2000
Shanghai Noon – June 17 , 2000
The Patriot – June 18 , 2000
The Patriot – July 7 , 2000
Shaft ( 2000 ) – July 8 , 2000
High Fidelity – August 21 , 2000
Space Cowboys – September 3 , 2000
Coyote Ugly – September 10 , 2000
Men of Honor – September 22 , 2000
Almost Famous – October 10 , 2000
make up it Forward – October 27 , 2000
2001
Chocolat – January 6 , 2001
Top image by Jim Cooke , pic via AP .
chastisement : This post originally escape the fact that Clinton watch Braveheart twice . Gizmodo regrets the erroneous belief and apologize profusely to the star of the 2011 classic , The Beaver .
adjoin the author at[email protect ] .
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