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Over the course of eight years, Mark Weinberg travelled to Camp David with Ronald and Nancy Reagan as they screened movies on Friday and Saturday nights. They watched movies in times of triumph, such as the aftermath of Reagan's 1984 landslide, and after moments of tragedy, such as the explosion of the Challenger and the shooting of the President and Press Secretary Jim Brady.
Weinberg's unparalleled access offers a rare glimpse of the Reagans—unscripted, relaxed, unburdened by the world, with no cameras in sight. Each chapter discusses a legendary film, what the Reagans thought of it, and provides warm anecdotes and untold stories about his family and the administration. From Reagan's pranks on the Secret Service to his thoughts on the parallels between Hollywood and Washington, Weinberg paints a full picture of the president The New Yorker once famously dubbed "The Unknowable."
A "meander through a simpler time capturing a different time and a different president" (USA TODAY), Movie Nights with the Reagans is a nostalgic journey through the 1980s and its most iconic films, seen through the eyes of one of Hollywood's former stars: one who was simultaneously transforming the Republican Party, the American economy, and the course of the Cold War. "For those equally enthused about movies and the fortieth president, this book will serve as a welcome change from today's political climate" (Publishers Weekly).
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 2, 2018 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781508254324
- File size: 186801 KB
- Duration: 06:29:10
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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January 15, 2018
This amiable political memoir recounts the movie nights hosted by President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan over weekends at Camp David. Former assistant press secretary Weinberg dedicates each chapter to a different screening, tying the films into aspects of Reagan’s presidency or personal life. Titles discussed include such hits of the era as E.T. (screened soon after the inauguration of the Space Shuttle Program), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (which lifted the president’s spirits after a stressful medical checkup), and Top Gun (which reflected growing esteem for the military after its post–Vietnam War fall from grace). Added to the mix are Reagan’s own Knute Rockne All American and Hellcats of the Navy, the only film in which he and his wife appeared together. As a longtime Reagan staffer, Weinberg has plenty of admiring stories to share about Reagan’s charm and leadership style, recalling how the president stood by him when the White House chief of staff tried to fire him. The author’s recollections tend to be less than revelatory, but in general he paints an intimate, pleasant picture of the Reagan White House. For those equally enthused about movies and the 40th president, this book will serve as a welcome change from today’s political climate.
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