Front Row Center "Dick" Delivers Goofy Surprises

By Connie Benesch

I have to admit: This was one particular instance where I was inclined to expect all ditz, no humor and frustration galore.

Given that I attend a plethora of screenings, I often take a jaded, prove-me-wrong approach to movies. Well, "Dick: The Unmaking of the President" was just another film that I half-heartedly scheduled on my calendar. But my friend Ellen, who's in show business, had heard some advance buzz ["good word-of-mouth" in show biz lingo] about the film. So off we went to see "Dick."

What an unexpected delight.

"Dick" is a wonderfully quirky spoof and caper that caused me (and many of my jaded film-reviewing counterparts) to laugh incessantly, if not chuckle frequently at the incessant deluge of absurdly funny moments.

Granted, the whole premise is nonsensical. Essentially, this new film from director Andrew Fleming ("The Craft") rewrites history taking an outlandish approach to the 1972 Watergate affair, the biggest political scandal until the recent Monica Lewinsky debacle.

Enter Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams), two giddy, clueless teens and best friends who take a wrong turn on a White House tour and accidentally stumble across a room packed full of presidential secrets. Intent on finding out what they know, the Commander-in-Chief himself, "Tricky Dick" Nixon (played with a suitable awkwardness by Dan Hedaya), appoints the starry-eyed teeny-boppers "official White House dog walkers." Unwittingly, the pair played with gleeful abandon by both Dunst ("Interview With the Vampire") and Williams (TV’s "Dawson's Creek") -- learn about the Watergate break-in.

They even accidentally meet a panoply of famous people in American history, all played wonderfully by a great ensemble cast. You'll "meet" Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman (Dave Foley, "NewsRadio"), G. Gordon Liddy (Harry Shearer, "This is Spinal Tap"), National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger (Saul Rubinek, "Against All Odds") and turncoat Presidential counsel John Dean (Jim Breuer, NBCs "Saturday Night Live").

Adding absurdity on top of absurdity, the ditzy teens Betsy and Arlene ultimately become the infamous "Deep Throat" what a fantastical notion giving invaluable information to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (Will Ferrell, "Saturday Night Live") and Carl Bernstein (Bruce McCulloch, also "SNL"). Their subsequent articles, of course, ultimately led President Nixon to resign over the Watergate scandal.

Before you get worried that you need to know your history, fret not. These new fantasy versions of current events are so outrageous that no matter what your age, you'll understand at least a good portion of the jokes, thanks to the originality of writer Sheryl Longin, whose "Dick" is her first produced screenplay.

Buoyed by a wonderful soundtrack that includes Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" and Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," the silly film "Dick" actually might lead some youngsters to yearn for the truth vis a vis the Watergate scandal.

But in the meantime, let them laugh at scenarios such as these: The mysterious 18 missing minutes on the tape recorded in the White House -- which many believe would have proved that Nixon had knowledge of the break-in at Democratic headquarters -- are due to the rantings of a lovesick schoolgirl.

What? In "Dick," prompted by her pal Betsy, Arlene tapes a lengthy declaration of her love for Nixon on his Oval Office tape recorder, innocently erasing the last conversation. Nixon, fearing a media feeding frenzy about his alleged affair with a minor, erases her ramblings. What a great reworking of history.

As for Jewish references, one of the teens (Williams) is portrayed as being a Member of the Tribe. "I'm Jewish," she tells Nixon. He, in turn, states simply: "I know. I had you checked out."

And, now I urge you to check out this movie, "Dick," which offers an ideal amusement for teens, families and people who appreciate fanciful flights of imagination.

Who knows? You might be inclined to engage in a historical conversation afterwards.

Connie Benesch is Entertainment Content Editor for GenerationJ.com, JewishFamily.com, Jvibe.com and JewishCulture.com. She has an extensive background covering entertainment for numerous outlets, including E!Online, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Entertainment Weekly and The Los Angeles Times. In addition to her work for the Jewish websites, Benesch does content consulting, editing and writing for new and about-to-be revamped corporate websites.