Reagan (2024)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
The story
The film begins in modern-day Moscow, where a Russian politician questions a former KGB agent about the fall of the Soviet Union. The agent recounts the life of Ronald Reagan, beginning with his childhood in 1920s Illinois, where he was raised with Christian values. The narrative follows Reagan's journey as he becomes a born-again Christian, works as a lifeguard and radio announcer, and eventually moves to Hollywood to become an actor. It depicts his rise through the ranks of political involvement, his marriage to Nancy Davis, and his eventual path toward the presidency.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Ronald Reagan's life from his 1920s Illinois roots to his presidency. After becoming an actor and a union leader, Reagan's marriage to Jane Wyman ends in divorce. He later marries Nancy Davis in 1952. The story covers his 1964 campaign for Barry Goldwater, his 1966 run for governor of California, and his 1980 landslide victory over Jimmy Carter. Key events include his 1981 assassination attempt, his 'evil empire' rhetoric against the Soviet Union, and his negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev for nuclear disarmament. The film also touches on the Iran-Contra scandal and the fall of the Berlin Wall. In his final years, Reagan is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease before his death in 2004.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 141
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sean McNamara
- Writers
- Howard Klausner · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Dennis Quaid · Ronald Reagan; Penelope Ann Miller · Nancy Reagan; Jon Voight · Viktor Petrovich; Kevin Dillon; David Henrie; Mena Suvari
- Genres
- biographical drama; independent; historical drama; political drama; Cold War
- Themes
- Christianity; Politics; Cold War; Romance; Communism
- Tone and mood
- Hagiographic; Plodding; Adoring
- Setting
- United States (including Illinois, California, and Washington, D.C.) and Moscow during the 1920s through 2004.
- Premise and plot tags
- Biopic; Historical Drama; Political Drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism by Paul Kengor
- Reception
- The film received negative reviews from critics, who described it as a plodding hagiography, but it received a very favorable audience score of 98%.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 4.5 · scale: 5 · review count: 77%
- Awards and nominations
- Razzie Award · Worst Picture · Nominated; Razzie Award · Worst Actor · Nominated; Razzie Award · Worst Supporting Actress · Nominated; Razzie Award · Worst Supporting Actor · Won
- Production trivia
- Director Sean McNamara worked as a sound engineer on Reagan's 1981 inauguration ceremony.; The film was originally due to be released in 2021.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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