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Wag the Dog

Play trailer Poster for Wag the Dog R 1997 1h 37m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Two weeks prior to reelection, the United States president lands in the middle of a sex scandal. In need of outside help to quell the situation, presidential adviser Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) enlists the expertise of spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro), who decides a distraction is the best course of action. Brean approaches Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to help him fabricate a war in Albania -- and once underway, the duo has the media entirely focused on the war.
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Wag the Dog

Wag the Dog

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Critics Consensus

Smart, well-acted, and uncomfortably prescient political satire from director Barry Levinson and and all-star cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Jason Bailey Vice 01/02/2018
If anything, in the years since its release, the worlds of politics, entertainment, and news media have grown even more intertwined in which narratives are carefully controlled and expectations are minimal. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 03/30/2009
Hilary Henkin and David Mamet's script is gleefully hyperbolic without ever straying from its political target. Go to Full Review
Time Out 01/26/2006
Lazily assembled by director Levinson, it slides into a series of soft, extended skits on engineering a media war, not helped by several badly handled leaps in the story. Go to Full Review
Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) 01/19/2023
B+
The idea sags near the end, but for some time, it is right on. Go to Full Review
Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight 01/07/2023
4/4
...I’ll simply let the movie explain itself and recommend it highly for anyone interested in satirical filmmaking. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 06/09/2021
4/5
...a vitriolic comedy/satire that venomously assesses the lack of morality in the modern media and politics... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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J B @Hooly Nov 4 A better explanation of amercan politics, one could not wish to see. Based on a true story, the real politic of life at the coalface of power. Great performances all round, blend reality until you realise there's no such thing. A masterpiece of the truth? How would you know? See more Blu B Oct 22 A Political Comedy Classic. Good soundtrack when used but I wish it was a bit more catchy on it's own. Everything else is really good. It's effectively a satire on politics, patriotism, and the media in more ways than one. Great direction by Levinson also. As good as this is, this isn't for everyone. This is not a Adam Sandler type comedy with slapsticks, references, and fart jokes. It's really intelligent satire driven by really sharp dialouge and a crackerjack script. It just keeps throwing one thing after another and the situation just gets more and more ridiculous. You laugh at the situation, sharp lines, and think about the underlying commentary while you do it. 95% of this film is about war, hostages, and action but there is hardly any action to speak of. It's very much just smart, quirky, and interesting characters talking and planning. It kind of reminds me of an Ocean's type film in a sense without the lavish locations. If there is one issue it's really that it can get very wordy sometimes and a bit hard to follow in the particulars at times. So it does break the comedic pacing a bit when you have to think more than laugh sometimes. Overall, if your a fan of any actors here, Levinson, political films, or more intelligent type comedies give this a shot. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 22 Funny in 1 hour and 37 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $43,000,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Nick E @nicksmovies93 Jul 12 This political satire is universally timely and ultimately funny. See more Isa B 11/05/2024 An entertaining satire of American politics. It features good performances from a great cast. A good film. I recommend. 80/100 See more David F 10/17/2024 This political satire is a little dated in some of its details but its scathing attitude towards political scandals and cover ups is timeless. See more Read all reviews
Wag the Dog

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two weeks prior to reelection, the United States president lands in the middle of a sex scandal. In need of outside help to quell the situation, presidential adviser Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) enlists the expertise of spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro), who decides a distraction is the best course of action. Brean approaches Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to help him fabricate a war in Albania -- and once underway, the duo has the media entirely focused on the war.
Director
Barry Levinson
Producer
Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal
Screenwriter
Larry Beinhart, Hilary Henkin, David Mamet
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Production Co
Tribeca Productions, New Line Cinema, Baltimore Pictures, Punch Productions
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$43.0M
Runtime
1h 37m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Stereo, SDDS, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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