Wag the Dog

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Wag the Dog

R

Released Dec 25, 1997

1h 37m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

78 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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Critics Consensus

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

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Jason Bailey

Vice

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.

Jan 2, 2018

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Hilary Henkin and David Mamet's script is gleefully hyperbolic without ever straying from its political target.

Mar 30, 2009

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Time Out

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.

Jan 26, 2006

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

The idea sags near the end, but for some time, it is right on.

Rated: B+

Jan 19, 2023

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

...I’ll simply let the movie explain itself and recommend it highly for anyone interested in satirical filmmaking.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 7, 2023

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...a vitriolic comedy/satire that venomously assesses the lack of morality in the modern media and politics...

Rated: 4/5

Jun 9, 2021

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Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 37 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $43,000,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Nick E

This political satire is universally timely and ultimately funny.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Isa B

An entertaining satire of American politics. It features good performances from a great cast. A good film. I recommend. 80/100

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/05/24

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David F

This political satire is a little dated in some of its details but its scathing attitude towards political scandals and cover ups is timeless.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/17/24

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Denis K

The really genius movie about how politics works :)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/27/24

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Bulgantamir B

I really liked the talented actors

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/08/24

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Barry Levinson

Director

Dustin Hoffman

Stanley Motss

Robert De Niro

Conrad Brean

Anne Heche

Winifred Ames

Woody Harrelson

Sgt. William Schumann

Denis Leary

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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, Barry Levinson, 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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