Welcome to Washingtonian’s inaugural movie bracket, where we work to determine what’s the Most Washington Movie Ever. Herewith, your first 16 contenders. You can vote on this set until Monday, February 23, at 11:59 pm. A new round of voting begins Tuesday. For the full slate of competitors, click here.
Remember: You’re not voting for the best movie, you’re voting for the most Washington movie–the one you most recognize your city in.
1. Movie:All the President’s Men
Year: 1976
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford
Plot: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein get tipped off to, well, you know.
What’s Washington About It: You saw it in seventh-grade social studies class and now you’re blogging about cats, because that’s what journalism is all about.
16. Movie:First Kid
Year: 1996
Stars: Sinbad, Brock Pierce
Plot: The president’s teenage son gets kidnapped, Secret Service Agent Sinbad rescues him.
What’s Washington About It: Suburban malls are confusing.
8. Movie:Head of State
Year: 2003
Stars: Chris Rock, Bernie Mac
Plot: Democrats nominate Ninth Ward Alderman Chris Rock for President after standard-bearer dies.
What’s Washington About It: Ninth Ward? Did DC absorb Prince George’s County? Alderman? Have these people ever read the Home Rule Charter?
9. Movie:Dave
Year: 1993
Stars: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver
Plot: Lousy president is felled by a stroke, administration hires a do-gooding look-alike to fill in.
What’s Washington About It: It perpetuated a myth that beyond the White House, Washington was this polite, podunk town full of noble do-gooders instead of a city packed with nasty social climbers.
5. Movie:Wag The Dog
Year: 1997
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro
Plot: Spin doctors cook up a phony war to distract from a presidential sex scandal.
What’s Washington About It: This literally came out a month after Bill Clinton ordered those air strikes against the Sudanese pharmaceutical factory.
12. Movie:The Contender
Year: 2000
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen
Plot: Senator Joan Allen is nominated to fill a vacancy in the vice-presidency, but gets savaged by the Republican opposition in the process.
What’s Washington About It: Ready for Hillary?
4. Movie:The American President
Year: 1995
Stars: Michael Douglas, Annette Benning
Plot: Nattering screenwriter lays the groundwork for a critically successful but very pedantic network drama.
What’s Washington About It: The dialogue that didn’t make the final cut became the first season of The West Wing, and that’s why you volunteered for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign.
13. Movie:Thirteen Days
Year: 2000
Stars: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood
Plot: The Cuban Missile Crisis happens.
What’s Washington About It: In the words of Christopher Moltisanti: “That was real? I saw that movie. I thought it was bullshit.”
6. Movie:Dick
Year: 1999
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams
Plot: Teenagers stumble upon the Watergate break-in, leverage it for White House internships, and become Deep Throat.
What’s Washington About It: Interns idolize their boss, only to fall out of love, inevitably.
11. Movie:Nixon
Year: 1995
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen
Plot: Richard Nixon’s life happens.
What’s Washington About It: Our most cinematic president shows just how claustrophobic the White House really is.
3. Movie:Dr. Strangelove
Year: 1964
Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott
Plot: Paranoid Cold War administration launches nuclear war against Soviet Union.
What’s Washington About It: Committed political protesters keep drilling for when it becomes reality.
14. Movie:Absolute Power
Year: 1997
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman
Plot: Aging jewel thief Eastwood witnesses President Hackman’s bodyguards kill his lover, and decides he must expose the truth.
What’s Washington About It: The president is a philanderer, so let’s take that to the conspiratorial extremes.
7. Movie:Murder At 1600
Year: 1997
Stars: Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane
Plot: MPD Detective Wesley Snipes investigates a murder at the White House.
What’s Washington About It: There’s a 90s-appropriate subplot about Snipes’s apartment building being torn down for a surface-level parking lot.
10. Movie:The Butler
Year: 2013
Stars: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey
Plot: Retired White House butler recalls serving six presidents.
What’s Washington About It: Based on the life of former White House butler Eugene Allen, who lived on Georgia Avenue, Northwest.
2. Movie:Lincoln
Year: 2012
Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field
Plot: War-weary president struggles against anti-abolitionist Democrats in his fight to end slavery.
What’s Washington About It: Like many Lincoln biographies, this one was met with accusations of embellishment.
15. Movie:Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Year: 2012
Stars: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper
Plot: War-weary president struggles against vampires in his fight to end slavery and vampirism.
What’s Washington About It: Like many Lincoln biographies, this one was met with accusations of embellishment.
Vote: The Most Washington Movie Ever Tournament, Part 1
Welcome to Washingtonian’s inaugural movie bracket, where we work to determine what’s the Most Washington Movie Ever. Herewith, your first 16 contenders. You can vote on this set until Monday, February 23, at 11:59 pm. A new round of voting begins Tuesday. For the full slate of competitors, click here.
Remember: You’re not voting for the best movie, you’re voting for the most Washington movie–the one you most recognize your city in.
1. Movie: All the President’s Men
Year: 1976
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford
Plot: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein get tipped off to, well, you know.
What’s Washington About It: You saw it in seventh-grade social studies class and now you’re blogging about cats, because that’s what journalism is all about.
16. Movie: First Kid
Year: 1996
Stars: Sinbad, Brock Pierce
Plot: The president’s teenage son gets kidnapped, Secret Service Agent Sinbad rescues him.
What’s Washington About It: Suburban malls are confusing.
8. Movie: Head of State
Year: 2003
Stars: Chris Rock, Bernie Mac
Plot: Democrats nominate Ninth Ward Alderman Chris Rock for President after standard-bearer dies.
What’s Washington About It: Ninth Ward? Did DC absorb Prince George’s County? Alderman? Have these people ever read the Home Rule Charter?
9. Movie: Dave
Year: 1993
Stars: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver
Plot: Lousy president is felled by a stroke, administration hires a do-gooding look-alike to fill in.
What’s Washington About It: It perpetuated a myth that beyond the White House, Washington was this polite, podunk town full of noble do-gooders instead of a city packed with nasty social climbers.
5. Movie: Wag The Dog
Year: 1997
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro
Plot: Spin doctors cook up a phony war to distract from a presidential sex scandal.
What’s Washington About It: This literally came out a month after Bill Clinton ordered those air strikes against the Sudanese pharmaceutical factory.
12. Movie: The Contender
Year: 2000
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen
Plot: Senator Joan Allen is nominated to fill a vacancy in the vice-presidency, but gets savaged by the Republican opposition in the process.
What’s Washington About It: Ready for Hillary?
4. Movie: The American President
Year: 1995
Stars: Michael Douglas, Annette Benning
Plot: Nattering screenwriter lays the groundwork for a critically successful but very pedantic network drama.
What’s Washington About It: The dialogue that didn’t make the final cut became the first season of The West Wing, and that’s why you volunteered for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign.
13. Movie: Thirteen Days
Year: 2000
Stars: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood
Plot: The Cuban Missile Crisis happens.
What’s Washington About It: In the words of Christopher Moltisanti: “That was real? I saw that movie. I thought it was bullshit.”
6. Movie: Dick
Year: 1999
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams
Plot: Teenagers stumble upon the Watergate break-in, leverage it for White House internships, and become Deep Throat.
What’s Washington About It: Interns idolize their boss, only to fall out of love, inevitably.
11. Movie: Nixon
Year: 1995
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen
Plot: Richard Nixon’s life happens.
What’s Washington About It: Our most cinematic president shows just how claustrophobic the White House really is.
3. Movie: Dr. Strangelove
Year: 1964
Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott
Plot: Paranoid Cold War administration launches nuclear war against Soviet Union.
What’s Washington About It: Committed political protesters keep drilling for when it becomes reality.
14. Movie: Absolute Power
Year: 1997
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman
Plot: Aging jewel thief Eastwood witnesses President Hackman’s bodyguards kill his lover, and decides he must expose the truth.
What’s Washington About It: The president is a philanderer, so let’s take that to the conspiratorial extremes.
7. Movie: Murder At 1600
Year: 1997
Stars: Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane
Plot: MPD Detective Wesley Snipes investigates a murder at the White House.
What’s Washington About It: There’s a 90s-appropriate subplot about Snipes’s apartment building being torn down for a surface-level parking lot.
10. Movie: The Butler
Year: 2013
Stars: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey
Plot: Retired White House butler recalls serving six presidents.
What’s Washington About It: Based on the life of former White House butler Eugene Allen, who lived on Georgia Avenue, Northwest.
2. Movie: Lincoln
Year: 2012
Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field
Plot: War-weary president struggles against anti-abolitionist Democrats in his fight to end slavery.
What’s Washington About It: Like many Lincoln biographies, this one was met with accusations of embellishment.
15. Movie: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Year: 2012
Stars: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper
Plot: War-weary president struggles against vampires in his fight to end slavery and vampirism.
What’s Washington About It: Like many Lincoln biographies, this one was met with accusations of embellishment.
Illustration and bracket by Brooke Hatfield.
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Best of Washington 2023: Things to Eat, Drink, Do, and Know Right Now
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2024: Great Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
Are Friends More Important Than Romantic Partners?
The Local Girls Who Inspired the Hollywood Classic “Mean Girls”
These Volunteers Wake Up at Dawn to Collect DC’s Dead—and Injured—Birds
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This May
Democrats and Republicans Pass Balls, Not Bills, at Congressional Soccer Game
3 New Memoirs by Prominent Women
Everything You Wanted to Know About Urban Bear Sightings but Were Afraid to Ask, Because Who Wants to Get That Close to a Bear?
Rockville Police Are Searching for Culprits of a $4,500 Pickleball Paddle Heist