The Celluloid Commander in Chief

They have been portrayed as egomaniacal philanderers, bumbling boobs, and hapless stand -ins as well as steadfast leaders and action heroes who save the day. Biopics have loosely chronicled everyone from Young Abe Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. They are the Commanders-in-Chief, celluloid style.

The presidency on the big screen is often more memorable than those who have actually graced the oval office. Over the years, Hollywood has shaped how filmgoers view the highest office in the land through imagery, interpretation, fact and fiction -- and often somewhere in between.

With President's Day upon us, here is a quick overview of some of the varied themes of politics and the presidency on film:

Historical

Perhaps Abraham Lincoln is the most celebrated president in film history, chronicled by Henry Fonda in Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), D. W. Griffith's Abraham Lincoln (1930) and his fateful day at the Ford Theater in Birth of a Nation (1915) to Walter Huston in Abraham Lincoln (1930) and Raymond Massey's sterling portrayal in How the West Was Won (1960). Even Steven Spielberg has acquired the rights to Doris Kearns Goodwin's bio Team of Rivals, Simon and Schuster, 2005) on the l6th President, slated to star actor Liam Neeson. (It has been noted the actor and his subject are the same height for what it's worth).

Fonda as Lincoln

Satirical

No other film has unveiled the political process quite like director Michael Ritchie's 1972 satire The Candidate (1972). Robert Redford stars as Bill McKay, a successful lawyer and son of the governor of California who reluctantly enters the political race only to win and ask the inevitable question "What do we do now?" Said to parallel the careers of John F. Kennedy and Jerry Brown, the film highlights the importance of money and image in the political process and there is no doubt a sequel would have yielded a President McKay. The roman a clef Clintonian tome, Primary Colors (1998), Warren Beatty's rapping pol in Bulworth (1998) and Dr. Strangelove's (1963) blundering President Merton Muffley are also must-sees.

Beatty as Bulworth

Comical

The Oval Office has been fodder for many a comedy. Imagine the President as a single father and dating a lobbyist? (Michael Douglas as The American President, 1995).  A look- a - like who substitutes for a President in a coma? (Kevin Kline as Dave, 1993). Or a former talk show host runs an unlikely campaign and wins? (Robin Williams as Man of the Year, 2005). Even Richard Nixon is lampooned by Dan Hedaya in Dick (1999) who appoints two high school girls lost on a White House tour as his advisors on the Watergate scandal.

Classical

The President plays the ultimate protagonist in the Academy Award winning account of investigative journalists Woodward and Bernstein and the saga known as Watergate in All the President's Men (1976). Wide-eyed and innocent James Stewart charmed audiences in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), the classic Capra-esque story of a naive senator who discovers all is not as it appears in politics -- perhaps he would have made it to the Oval Office in more innocent times.

Stewart as Mr. Smith

Hoffman and Redford as Woodward and Bernstein

Thriller

Who else but Harrison Ford to bring the President as action hero to the screen? As President James Marshall, he single handedly fights terrorism and plane hijacking, naturally saving the day in the 1997 suspense film, Air Force One. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Gene Hackman portrays a philandering president involved in a cover-up as his mistress is killed by the Secret Service in Absolute Power (1997). And Hollywood gives us yet another action turn with Bill Pullman as President Thomas J. Whitmore in Independence Day (1996). Leading a squadron of fighter pilots, he successfully defends the planet against alien attacks.

Air Force One

And in a category all his own, Oliver Stone's unique reinterpretation of history gave us three films required for viewing -- the controversial JFK (1991), Josh Brolin's dead on performance of the 43rd President in W. (2008) and Anthony Hopkin's manipulative yet tragic portrayal of the beleaguered Nixon (1995).

It is a little early to tell what crop of movies the new administration will influence but it's safe to say that somewhere a screenwriter is sharpening his pen. Stay tuned. (And Hollywood's pick for  Obama -- Denzel? Will Smith? Any guesses?).

Hopkins as Nixon

A special thanks to the blog Savoir-Faire for the Cinema Style mention. Savoir-Faire is the blog of Ally Lewis,  formerly with In Style and Harpers Bazaar. You can read her blog here.


Photo Credits: Warner Brothers, Touchstone, Columbia Pictures

And the Oscar may go to.....

The Oscar nominees for Best Achievement in Art Direction and Best Costume Design were announced in the wee hours this past week....congratulations to all and if you haven't seen these films, here is yet another reason.

Best Art Direction Nominees:

Avatar (Twentieth Century Fox)

Production designer Rick Carter (the genius behind the designs of the groundbreaking films Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Forrest Gump) and Robert Stromberg along with set decorator Kim Sinclair designed the sci-fi film's dream state visuals of Pandora (coined by director James Cameron as "phantasmagoric") which are a huge hit with 3-D goggle wearing audiences everywhere. Carter reportedly described the project as "The Wizard of Oz" meets "Apocalypse Now" and the film's innovative designs of Pandora's ecosystem rise to the challenge. Avatar is also up for Best Picture along with other nominations.

Nine (The Weinstein Company): Production designer John Mhyre and set decorator Gordon Sim created movie magic once again (they worked on the sets for 2002's Chicago) with their creation of a two worlds for Guido Contini -- fantasy and reality. They used the Broadway play as a blueprint for the more minimal design of the musical numbers.

Sherlock Holmes (Warner Brothers ): The Academy Award nominated designers for Pride and Prejudice were naturals to design director Michael Ritchie's Edwardian England. Production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer created dank prisons, cobweb filled laboratories and Victorian residences right down to the last detail.

The Young Victoria (Apparition) The Academy loves a good costume drama that is always filled with historically appropriate period interiors and this one does not disappoint. What sets production designer Patrice Vermette and set decorator Maggie Gray's work apart is they successfully blend the royal settings with a contemporary feel. Always great eye candy!

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Sony Pictures Classics): Designing a Terry Gilliam film is always a challenge as the sets are filled with fantasy on steroids while bizarre and whimsical at the same time. Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, production designer and set decorator respectively, rose to the occasion beautifully. The sets are surreal and dare I say, pure imagination and have to be seen to be believed.

Best Costume Design nominees:

Coco Before Chanel (Warner Brothers) A film of this calibur about a fashion icon is a natural but perhaps daunting job for costume designer Catherine Leterrier whose training as a couturier came in handy (she also worked on Robert Altman's Pret-a-Porter). While the designs of Chanel's later years are well-documented, creating clothing for a time when the young designer was poor yet stylish was quite a challenge. The striped Breton top and palazzo pants were just a few glimpses of the many classics to come.

Nine (The Weinstein Company): Academy Award winning costume designer Colleen Atwood designed a variety of stunning costumes that included everything from sixties retro to Follies Bergere. Atwood also did the wardrobes for Public Enemies , Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha. Each actress had her own look and film influence -- Marion Cotillard in a little black dress a la Breakfast at Tiffany's and polka dot dress pays homage to Roman Holiday while Kate Hudson's fringe go-go boot ensemble channels many of the sixties films (and Hullabaloo television show for those of us that remember!).

The Young Victoria (Apparition) Often production and costume design go hand in hand and such is the case of the film about Queen Victoria's early years. Costume designer Sandy Powell designed the costumes for Martin Scorsese's The Aviator and certainly no stranger to period design. Perhaps one of the most sumptuous of the research laden designs was Victoria's intricate Coronation Robe which had to be dyed just the right shade of gold.

Bright Star (Apparition): Costume designer Janet Patterson's designs for a character who wants to be a costume designer take center stage in Jane Campion's l9th century love story between poet James Keats and Fanny Brawne.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Sony Pictures Classics): Imaginarium was a dream job for costume designer Monique Prudhomme who created a wide array of outfits from a white nymph dancer's costume to Dr P's asian kimonos. Much of the film's inspiration comes from 16th and 17th century theater designs and is quite electic. Below is the late actor Heath Ledger who sadly passed during the filming.

The Academy Awards will be announced on day, March 7th at 8:00 est. And if you are interested in ordering the poster at the top of the blog, it is 25.00 plus shipping and can be purchased through the Academy's website here.

Good luck to all!

Many thanks to the cool California blog Riviera View and Become shopping blog for the Cinema Style mentions.

Photo Credits: Twentieth Century Fox, The Weinstein Company, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures Classics and Apparition.

The Utopian Style of Lost Horizon

One of my favorite fantasy escape films design wise is Frank Capra's Lost Horizon (1937), a tale which is the ultimate "Lost" -- a group of plane survivors crash land in the Himalayas and find themselves in a utopian Shangri-La. A place where there are no guns and no illness - sign me up. And who couldn't use a little Shangri La right about now?

The film's fantastical sets were designed by Stephen Goosson with the centerpiece Lamasery (Tibetan temple) that was constructed on the Columbia Studios ranch. The contemporary structure was ninety feet tall, took 150 men to complete and was considered the largest set (square footage wise) to be built during this era.

The stark white walls, reflecting pool and dog statues have an Oriental feel to them. Ironically the sets were met with scorn by many of the design establishment at the time.

The elaborate sets took up to a year to complete. The landscaped courtyard is framed by the sanctuary's curved white lines and brilliantly lit buildings. The film won Goosson a Best Interior Decoration at the Oscars (when there was such an award) in 1937.

The film stars Ronald Colman as a British diplomat and Jane Wyatt (yes Mrs. Father Knows Best) as the love interest. And for you trivia buffs, the blinding snow scene was actually bleached cornflakes.

Lost Horizon was remade in the seventies as a big-budget musical in 1973. The all star cast included Peter Finch, Charles Boyer as the head Lama, Liv Ullman and Olivia Hussey of Romeo & Juliet fame. (Actually I rather enjoyed the film!) The soundtrack by Burt Bacharach and Hal David is below and no doubt a collector's item.

Photo credits: Columbia Pictures

Sundance Style

"To us, Sundance is and always will be a dream. What you see, smell, taste and feel here is a dream being carefully nurtured. It is an area whose pledge is to people. What we offer in the form of art and culture, spirit and service, is homegrown and available to all."

- Robert Redford

While many of you know Robert Redford as an Academy Award winning director, iconic actor, environmentalist/activist, supporter of new filmmakers and the independent film, founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance television channel, Sundance Film Institute, Sundance resort and overall hearthrob, he also has a catalogue as well. (You guessed it, the Sundance Catalogue). And with the film festival in full swing this week, I thought it would be appropriate to visit what I call Sundance Style.

First a refresher course. Redford bought the Mount Timpanogos ski area northeast of Provo, Utah with his initial salaries from hit movies such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (obvious connection on the name) and Downhill Racer back in l969. The area at the base of the mountain became known as Sundance Village and soon became an artistic community and an eventual haven for independent filmmakers who arrive en masse every January to display their wares so to speak. The village housed a quaint store which offered unique one-of-a-kind items reflecting the charm, style and individual artistic persona of the area. An idea was born.

In 1989, Redford and his colleagues started the Sundance Catalogue and have been selling paintings, home furnishings, jewelry and clothing ever since. Many of the items are handcrafted especially for Sundance, making your purchase even more special as you support American craftsmen and women.

Of the twenty year odyssey Redford notes this is, "one of the more insane journeys any business could make. We built things we shouldn't have, tried things that were beyond us, and planned things that were merely impossible. But happily, it has turned out."

Here are a few of my favorite things. For more on Sundance Style, see the catalogue's website.

Sit and Stay Pillows

Russell Wright Pitchers

Nepoli throw

Artist Karen Bezuidenhout's paintings

Nambian Rider above and Pink Sunset below

Fremont leather chair and ottomon

Spice Market Kilim rug

Gypsy Chandalier

For more on the festival which runs through the 30th (some tickets may be available but good luck with lodging at this late date) go here. For information on the resort (summer is supposedly wonderful and filled with lots of activities), check out their website here.

Top Photo: Redford and Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)and with Katherine Ross in cast shot below.

Photo Credits: Sundance Catalogue, Twentieth Century Fox

A Decade of Cinematic Interiors

I was thrilled to learn that Fox News was a fan of Cinema Style and recently asked me to pick my favorite interior design films from the past decade. While it's a list filled with blockbusters and films not everyone had on their viewing list, I thought the sets were worthy of renting, freeze framing and taking note of the designs.

You can view the decade here at their Fox News Magazine website.

Photo Credit: Marie Antoinette, Columbia Pictures, 2006.

The Good Life of The Good Wife

The story line is timely and painfully similar to real life events as the wife of a politician is left to pick up the pieces after her husband's very public betrayal. Such is the tale of the CBS hit The Good Wife which airs every Tuesday at 9:00 CST. The show stars Julianna Marguiles as Alicia in the title role (you no doubt remember her from NBC's ER) and Chris Noth as her wandering husband and former State Attorney of Cook County turned jailed felon ("Mr. Big" from Sex and the City). Alicia is forced to pick up the pieces and go back to work as a junior litigator in a very political law firm.

Much of the drama's story line takes place in Alicia's Chicago apartment designed by production designer Stephen Hendrickson (Wall Street and Arthur) and set decorator Beth Kushnick (Reversal of Fortune and Fringe). Alicia's former world was a life in a North Shore suburb, now she returns to Chicago with her young teenage children in tow. As in real life, Alicia is forced to scale down and adapt her old life and furnishings (a.k.a. suburbia) to her new digs as she makes a new life for herself.

While much of the show takes place in the courtroom and on location and Kushnick explained that a great deal of the drama occurs with Alicia and her children at their apartment. "We strived to make it comfortable and layered with life," she says. "It has a feeling of family history with items collected over the years and handed down through the family."

Details are very important in set decoration as they can immediately shorthand a character and their life. Things that are never seen on the screen -- such as "a random earring, a chiropractor's business card, etc," can help the actress to stay in character. The design team went for a "renovated but traditional style of architecture" with a cooler color palette as opposed to blood red (as in blood sport which was a directive by the powers that be) for the law offices.

Daughter Grace's Bedroom

Alicia is one of the strongest female characters on television yet with a soft side and the set decoration certainly reflects that. Kushnick notes that the character went from a shared life with a king-size bed but has not devoted much attention to herself as an estranged parent. Very little of Noth's character in terms of photos or belongings are seen in the apartment.

Detail shot of Alicia's vanity and closet

Alicia's Bedroom

Deep eggplant was chosen for the traditional dining room

Sleek contemporary kitchen has a comfortable feel

with stainless steel, dark browns and turquoise accent colors

This is one show I do not miss (or at least Tivo!) Great writing, compelling stories, wonderful acting and terrific sets -- let's hope this show has a long run on CBS.

On another note, congratulations to fellow writer and blogger Emily Evans Eerdmans and Andrew McKeon on their recent nuptials. Emily wrote the book Regency Redux (Rizzoli) which is a must have for film fans, particularly those that love older films. She has a great chapter on the films of art directors Van Nest Polglase and Cedric Gibbons from the 30's and 40's and her namesake blog is must reading as well. Congrats Emily!!

Photo Credits: All photos by John Paul Filo/CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. Book photos courtesy of Rizzoli.

For Your Consideration: Best Art Direction

With the announcement of the Academy Award nominations just mere weeks away (Feburary 2nd for those waiting by the phone), the speculation process turns into a mini Olympics for the film industry, pundits and avid moviegoers alike. The Art Directors Guild recently announced their nominees for Excellence in Production Design (which includes period, contemporary and

fantasy categories) and often gives clues to who will be nominated for the coveted Best Picture....and who will not.

The following are a few of the Guild's nominated films. Let the games begin!

Avatar (Warner Brothers)

Production designer Rick Carter (the genius behind Forrest Gump, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and The Polar Express), designed the sci-fi film's Pandora's dream state visuals (coined by director James Cameron as "phantasmagoric") which are a huge hit with 3-D goggle wearing audiences everywhere. Carter reportedly described the project to Cameron as "The Wizard of Oz meets Apocalypse Now" and the film's innovative designs of Pandora's ecosystem rise to the challenge. Avatar will no doubt be nominated in the Best Visual Effects category as well.

Actress Susan Sarandon in The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones (Dreamworks/Paramount Pictures)

Based on Alice Sebold's best-selling novel, Bones is the story of a young woman who is murdered by a serial killer and watches her family deal with the aftermath from heaven. Production designer Naomi Shohan and set decorators George de Titta Jr. and Meg Everist created a small town seventies style suburbia to perfection.

Sherlock Holmes (Warner Brothers)

Production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer (the Oscar nominated duo of Atonement and Pride and Prejudice fame) created an Edwardian 1890's England for director Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. From Victoriana filled society soirees to dark and dank prisons, the detailed design team left no stone unturned...and neither did Sherlock.

Inglorious Basterds (The Weinstein Company)

Who but Tarantino to do World War II on steriods? Production designer and set decorator team David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco used Paris is Burning (1990), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Sergio Leone films as reference points in designing Nazi occupied France (which was largely filmed in Berlin). Shown below is the dictator's military complete with oversize map, overscaled table and signature Nazi red - all very Hitleresque.

Public Enemies (Universal)

Production designer Nathan Crowley took a break from his Batman duties (The Dark Knight and Batman Begins) to craft a thirties period environment for John Dillinger. Along with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg, the design team used actual historic locales such as "The Little Bohemia" lodge in Wisconsin where he evaded the Feds and reinterpreted a gentrified Biograph Theatre in Chicago.

Julie & Julia (Universal)

Historically recreating the iconic kitchens of celebrated chef Julia Childs fell to production designer Mark Ricker (Far From Heaven) and set decorator Susan Bode. The famed kitchen plays a starring role from the Childs homes in Paris and Cambridge, Massachusetts to blogger Julie Powell's humble galley.

For more on the Art Directors Guild nominations, see their website.

Photo credits: Warner Brothers, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony Pictures, photo by Francois Duhamel/Weinstein Company, photo by Barry Wetcher/Dreamworks 2009.