Dave

James Newton Howard's score starts off "Dave" with that certain "West Wing" sense of optimism. The music would be fitting for a president, except the president in this film doesn't seem to like Washington, his wife, or even his dogs as he throws the leash to the ground as soon as he's away from the cameras. Dave (Kevin Kline), however, is perfectly happy in his working-class job as the manager of a temporary employment agency and also a presidential impersonator, as he looks remarkably similar to the incumbent president. While Dave is sort of an everyday hard-working man like many of Jimmy Stewart's characters, Kline's portrayal of President Mitchell is reminiscent of Phil Hartman's impersonation of Ronald Reagan on "Saturday Night Live," at one moment smiling for the cameras and then ordering missiles to be dropped on the communists.

One day, a Secret Service agent (Ving Rhames) instructs Dave that the government needs his help. Dave is asked if he will assume the role as President Mitchell for the entire country while the President is busy; Dave can surmise that of course, the President must be doing some very top-secret duty if an ordinary man like Dave will temporarily assume the role of the presidency. And just like that, the President is gone, and Dave is acting. And Dave really, really likes being president.

But the President's top-secret duty is to carry on an affair with his secretary (Laura Linney). While doing so he suffers from a massive stroke, and now the President's Chief of Staff (Frank Langella) and speech writer (Kevin Dunn) have a bit of a problem. Dave is asked if he can stay on for a bit longer, to which he accepts, though hesitantly. But there are some ambitious reasons for such a move on the Chief of Staff's part; he desperately wants to be president himself, and he's "not going to let some Boy Scout" (the vice president, played by Ben Kingsley) take it away from him. (Langella played an infamous president on Broadway and film years later.) Langella is more terrifying than he was as Dracula when he gives Dave that icy stare to prod him how to behave in the White House.

Dave seems to be enjoying the job but is puzzled as to why the First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) hates him--the President--so much. Still, he will do what he can to make things right, and he starts by bringing some charisma and compassion to the job. With the help of an accountant friend (Charles Grodin) he manages to balance the budget so that funding for a homeless shelter can remain, setting up a conflict with his very mean-spirited Chief of Staff.

There are several humorous cameos in Dave, including Jay Leno, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the pundits of the McLaughlin Group, Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Paul Simon (the senator, not the singer), Helen Thomas (seventeen years before her comments on Israel resulted in the end of her career), Ben Stein, and Tip O'Neill. Also appearing is Oliver Stone, poking fun at his image as he explains to Larry King his conspiracy idea regarding the impostor president based on the shape of his chin.

This is a very enjoyable movie, well-thought despite its simplicity and some might say naiveté. Simplicity aside, this movie works because it celebrates the idea that not all politicians--dare it be said perhaps the majority of them--are decent, hard-working humans like the rest of us. Aside from that, it's also funny, as Kline knows how to hit the right notes, not being over the top but silly enough that he helps make this film very enjoyable to watch.