Friday Film Noir
Dave (1993) is a charming political comedy-drama directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Gary Ross. The film follows Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline), a mild-mannered temp agency owner whose uncanny resemblance to the President of the United States leads to an unusual job offer. When the real President suffers a stroke during an affair, White House aides secretly enlist Dave to assume his duties, hoping to maintain control while concealing the truth from the country. As Dave begins navigating the rituals of power—and the moral bargains that underlie them—he chooses to lead with the decency his counterpart never showed, forcing Washington to reckon with what honest leadership might look like.
Shot in Washington, D.C., the crew had unusual access to the White House grounds, and the production built an Oval Office set so detailed and convincing that it went on to appear in more than twenty-five other films and television shows, including The Pelican Brief, In the Line of Fire, and Absolute Power. Early casting conversations reportedly included Warren Beatty and Kevin Costner before the role went to Kevin Kline. Sigourney Weaver met with former First Ladies to refine her character—her short hair the result of shaving her head for Alien. The finished film became a favorite of two real presidents: Bill Clinton often referenced Dave when talking about the lighter side of political life, and Barack Obama told Kevin Kline he watched the movie whenever he felt worn down because it made the presidency look “so fun and so easy.”
