Wag The Dog (1997)
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A spin doctor and a Hollywood producer fabricate a war in Albania to distract the public from a presidential sex scandal.
The story
Less than two weeks before an election, the president of the United States is caught in a sex scandal. To divert public attention, a top spin doctor named Conrad Brean is brought in to create a distraction. He collaborates with Hollywood producer Stanley Motss to manufacture a fictional war in Albania, complete with a theme song and fake footage. The goal is to shift the media's focus from the president's personal scandal to a fabricated international conflict. The scheme initially succeeds, and the president begins to gain ground in the polls as the public becomes captivated by the fabricated conflict in Albania.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
When the CIA discovers the hoax, Conrad Brean convinces them that exposing the truth would be detrimental to both the government and the agency. However, when the CIA and a rival candidate report that the war has ended, the media returns its focus to the president's scandal. To counter this, Motss invents a hero, Sergeant William Schumann, who was allegedly left behind enemy lines. They launch an 'astroturfing' campaign involving a fake folk song and a collection of physical shoes to create a grassroots movement. During a mission to retrieve the 'hero,' the team finds Schumann is actually a mentally unstable convict. After their plane crashes, they find him dead and stage a massive military funeral to cement his status as a martyr. As the president nears victory, Motss demands public credit for his work. When Brean refuses to grant him the spotlight, Motss threatens to expose the truth. To silence him, Brean orders his security to kill Motss. The film ends with the president's victory and a report that an Albanian terrorist group has claimed responsibility for a bombing, suggesting the fake war is becoming a reality.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Barry Levinson
- Writers
- Hilary Henkin · screenplay; David Mamet · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Dustin Hoffman · Stanley Motss; Robert De Niro · Conrad Brean; Anne Heche; Denis Leary; Willie Nelson; Andrea Martin; Kirsten Dunst
- Genres
- political satire; black comedy
- Themes
- media manipulation; political scandal; propaganda
- Tone and mood
- satirical; darkly comedic
- Premise and plot tags
- political; conspiracy; satire
- Source material / true-story basis
- Larry Beinhart's 1993 novel American Hero
- Content notes
- language
- Reception
- The film was well received by critics, who praised the direction, performances, themes and humor. It was also noted for its perceived prescience regarding real-world political events.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · scale: percentage · review count: 78
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · nomination; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nomination
- Production trivia
- The character Stanley Motss was based on producer Robert Evans.; The film's title is derived from the idiom 'the tail wagging the dog'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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