Drama
Independence Day 1996
Bill Pullman's President Thomas J. Whitmore, the fighter-pilot president who nukes Houston and gives the speech.
The Big Picture · Draft
The Presidential Movie Draft, With Griffin Newman and David Sims of 'Blank Check'
November 5, 2024/ 114 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins · Chris Ryan · Griffin Newman · David Sims
Recorded before the September 2024 debate and aired on Election Day: Sean, Amanda, and Chris draft Blank Check's Griffin Newman and David Sims into a six-round draft of movie presidents (VPs and cabinet members are eligible too), across Drama, Comedy, Biopic, Oscar Nominee, VP & Cabinet, and Wildcard.
30 films across 1 segment.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
The teams drafting movie presidents
Sean Fennessey
Comedy
Mars Attacks! 1996
Jack Nicholson's President Dale, whose diplomacy-first read on the Martians gets him and most of Congress killed.
Biopic
Thirteen Days 2000
Bruce Greenwood as JFK, which Sean rates one of the rare good screen Kennedys.
Oscar Nominee
Lincoln 2012
Daniel Day-Lewis's third Oscar; the chalk No. 1, and it clears out the cabinet in the movie too.
VP & Cabinet
The Best Man 1964
Gore Vidal's convention drama, with Henry Fonda as an Adlai Stevenson-ish former Secretary of State.
Wildcard
Captain America: Civil War 2016
William Hurt as Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross, who later becomes president, and later still the Red Hulk.
Griffin Newman
Drama
Fail Safe 1964
Henry Fonda confined to a bunker with Larry Hagman; Griffin's pick for the best presidential performance he's seen.
Comedy
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure 1989
Robert V. Barron's time-traveled super-Lincoln, who gains a wider view of history and still goes home to get shot.
Biopic
Secret Honor 1984
Robert Altman's one-man Nixon monologue, Philip Baker Hall collapsing from the inside; a loose, imagined biopic.
Oscar Nominee
Being There 1979
Jack Warden's President Bobby, swayed by a gardener's platitudes; Griffin is 'mostly drafting Jack Warden's face.'
VP & Cabinet
Transformers 2007
Jon Voight as SecDef John Keller, who picks up a shotgun and storms Hoover Dam alongside the Autobots.
Wildcard
National Treasure: Book of Secrets 2007
Bruce Greenwood's president, kidnapped at flashlight-point by Nicolas Cage and won over to the cause.
Amanda Dobbins
Drama
The Contender 2000
Jeff Bridges as President Jackson Evans (Obama's stated favorite screen president), ordering shark sandwiches and unraveling over missing Muenster.
Comedy
The American President 1995
Michael Douglas as Andrew Shepherd, Sorkin's rare nice-guy Douglas who wins the room with one speech.
Biopic
Oppenheimer 2023
Gary Oldman's one-scene Harry Truman, shot in a day between Slow Horses commitments.
Oscar Nominee
Dave 1993
Kevin Kline as look-alike acting president Dave Kovic, fixing the budget and saving the shelter; nominated for screenplay.
VP & Cabinet
Wedding Crashers 2005
Christopher Walken as Secretary of the Treasury William Cleary; Amanda drafts the Chesapeake lifestyle as much as the office.
Wildcard
Don't Look Up 2021
Meryl Streep as President Janie Orlean, the one who leads everyone to destruction; a pointedly post-2016 pick.
Chris Ryan
Drama
Armageddon 1998
The unnamed president who empowers NASA to send oil drillers to the asteroid, and whose speech moves Chris every time.
Comedy
Idiocracy 2006
Terry Crews as President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, 'less satirical by the year.'
Biopic
Vice 2018
A Cheney biopic, but Sam Rockwell's George W. Bush is the president in it: Chris's third Bush vote of the draft.
Oscar Nominee
Dr. Strangelove 1964
Peter Sellers as the bookish, ineffectual President Merkin Muffley; Sellers lost Best Actor to Rex Harrison.
VP & Cabinet
Long Shot 2019
Charlize Theron as Secretary of State Charlotte Field, handling a military crisis on Molly and ending the film as president.
Wildcard
G.I. Joe: Retaliation 2013
Jonathan Pryce's president, replaced by the disguised Zartan across Rise of Cobra and Retaliation.
David Sims
Drama
Air Force One 1997
Harrison Ford as President James Marshall ('Get off my plane'), the saber-rattler David always wanted first.
Biopic
Nixon 1995
Anthony Hopkins playing Nixon as a reptile in Oliver Stone's bloated epic, David's favorite Stone film.
Oscar Nominee
Primary Colors 1998
John Travolta as Governor Jack Stanton, Mike Nichols's Clinton in all but name.
VP & Cabinet
Head of State 2003
Bernie Mac as running mate Mitch Gilliam, on fire in 15 minutes of screen time.
Wildcard
Escape from New York 1981
Donald Pleasence as the nameless, none-too-nice President of the United States.
On the board, undrafted honorable mentions
Deep ImpactThe CoreApollo 13Olympus Has FallenWhite House DownThe CandidateWelcome to MooseportNo Way OutAbsolute PowerThe Pelican BriefFirst DaughterChasing LibertySpy Kids 3-D: Game OverClear and Present DangerContactCrimson TidePixelsJefferson in ParisHamiltonThe Purge: Election YearAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAbraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterAnnieHyde Park on HudsonThe BeekeeperLove ActuallyCivil WarThe Iron LadyRed, White & Royal BlueMeteorYoung Mr. LincolnElectionLee Daniels' The Butler
Also mentioned raised along the way
In passing Jerry MaguireA Few Good MenShort Term 12EternalsShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsDoctor StrangeDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessThe Fall GuyAnother RoundHigh and LowSpiral: From the Book of SawTop FiveI Think I Love My WifeCaptain MarvelThe Incredible HulkAvengers: Infinity WarAvengers: EndgameSnake Eyes: G.I. Joe OriginsFlightGerald's GameCaptain America: Brave New WorldBad Education
Best Actor trivia PhiladelphiaIn the Name of the FatherWhat's Love Got to Do with ItThe Remains of the DaySchindler's ListMy Fair Lady
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV 24The West WingVeepScandalFriendsMadam SecretaryCommander in ChiefHouse of CardsArthurThe OfficePeaky BlindersSlow HorsesHouseEverybody Hates ChrisBrooklyn Nine-Nine
Stage Little Shop of Horrors
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