Customer Reviews

Dick

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I feel for those who had the unenviable job of marketing this movie. Who do you aim it at? Teens, most of whom know nothing about Nixon and Watergate, or adults, who will dismiss it as being another obnoxious, dumb teen comedy? Hence the box office failure. But what true hidden gem this film is! The writers have managed to put elements into this film that will be able to please the entire spectrum of viewers and knowledge of the Watergate scandal is not at all required to enjoy this hilarious film, but if you happen to have a grasp on it's history, your enjoyment will increase tenfold. The performances of everyone involved are top-notch with special notice going to Dan Hedaya (Nixon dead-on)and Michelle Williams (watch her shy expressions and mannerisms as she develops her crush on Nixon. Priceless!). Many, many scenes left me laughing hysterically (the beach dream scene, Haldeman's interrogation of the girls, Hello Dolly meets Breshnev, Bernstein hovering over Woodward at the Post). Add great music, costumes, sets and a fitting ending, and you've got a great movie experience. Don't miss it! (And for a treat watch this as a double bill with ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN!). If you get the DVD you're in for more of a treat with a hilarious blooper outtake reel (Nixon & Kissinger praying on the Oval Office floor ("Do you want a hug?"), a music-only track, a director & producer commentary track, making-of-featurette and a deleted scene. This is a must-have!

Dick is a tremendously funny movie that spoofs the gravity of the Watergate situation. It combines fictional characters with the real people who were involved. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams play two dim-witted 15 year olds, Betsy & Arlene, who unwittingly stumble across G. Gordon Liddy and the Watergate break-in (Arlene lives at the Watergate) after sneaking out to mail a letter to Bobby Sherman. On a class trip to the White House, they again see Liddy and pick up the infamous CREEP list. Through a series of hysterical coincidences, they meet Richard Nixon, become official dog walkers and secret youth advisors, give Nixon cookies laced with marijuana, find the secret tapes, contact Woodward & Bernstein, are revealed to be the actual Deep Throat and provide the key information that takes down Nixon. The movie has a great soundtrack of 70's songs and is filled with authentic clothing and props. The cast is first-rate with Ms. Dunst & Ms. Williams perfectly playing the ditsy girls. They have fun with the roles, acting silly and impetuous as real teenagers would. Dan Heyda plays Nixon with the perfect amount of heaviness and Will Ferrell & Bruce McCullough are an absolute scream as the bickering Woodward & Bernstein. The cast is full of funny people including Dave Foley, Teri Garr, Jim Bruer & Harry Shearer. Dick is a well written, clever, funny and completely entertaining film.

Dick is a great comedy for adults. Coming off as a kid's movie in previews, I was refreshed and surprised at the caliber of the comedy. Every character is comical genius, all the way down to the stoner, draft-dodging brother. I could not stop laughing at the mad camp adventures of these two clueless DC socialites. I almost broke a rib!

I can't urge you enough to buy this movie. It is defiantly going to be a party house favorite.

A good movie that deals with a significant event in history can be educational as well as entertaining; film is a powerful medium that can put a fresh perspective on why the world today is as it is, and a movie that does all of that can be a satisfying and memorable experience. And "Dick," directed by Andrew Fleming, is a satisfying and memorable film that unequivocally does NOT do any of those things. Because it's too busy doing exactly what it was intended to do: Make you laugh. It's a hilarious comedy about the Nixon White House and the Watergate affair that finally answers the questions everyone has been asking since Nixon declared he wasn't a crook. Like what really happened at the Watergate that night and who alerted the authorities about the break-in? Who was "Deep throat," and why did he use that name? Where did Nixon come up with the idea to flash his famous "Victory" sign? And what was really on that eighteen-and-a-half minutes of tape that got erased?

Kirsten Dunst is Betsy Jobs, a normal, everyday teenager whose best friend, Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams), just happens to live at the Watergate. One night at Arlene's place, the girls are frantically working to finish an essay for Arlene to enter in a "Win a date with Bobby Sherman" contest; this is important stuff-- Arlene just HAS to win, but her entry has to be in the mailbox by midnight. They manage to finish in time and rush out to the mailbox, but as they're hurrying down the stairs and into the parking garage, they inadvertently do and then see something that ultimately-- and history buffs take note!-- has a significant impact on the Nixon administration, and consequently on the course of history. But for Betsy and Arlene, it's only the beginning of their personal involvement with the leader of the free world. And all this time later, who knew?

What makes this movie so good is that it's clever without having to force itself on you; the humor is subtle without being too deep, which makes it accessible to just about everyone, as well as enjoyable. You don't have to think too hard to get it, and it doesn't assault you with slapstick, silliness or the grossness that defines so many comedies involving teens today. There's even a parody of Woodward and Bernstein (Will Ferrell and Bruce McCulloch) that works well, and though it's not among the film's most memorable moments, it is funny.

What is memorable about this movie is Dunst and Williams, and especially Dan Hedaya, whose take on Richard Nixon is a dead-on riot. He's got the body language and the mannerisms down pat, and it's a hoot. And the girls are endearingly frivolous; they've got the looks, the attitude and the spirit of everything Teen, to which they bring a carefree depth to their perception of the world and their place in it, kind of like a younger version of Romy and Michele with the freshness of youth and their whole lives ahead of them.

This is a comedy that will appeal to a wide audience and transcend demographics because it's a multi-generational, nonpartisan, funny film. Teens will identify with Betsy and Arlene regardless of the context, and everyone else will be able to relate to the politics and the era on any number of levels. What's important is that it's presented in a light-hearted way, without malice and with the sole purpose of giving you a good time and a lot of laughs (which it certainly does). And it's good clean fun; parents can watch this one with the kids without any fear of embarrassment, and on the other hand, you can take your grandmother to see it, as well.

The supporting cast includes Teri Garr (Helen Lorenzo), Dave Foley (Bob Haldeman), Jim Breuer (John Dean), Ana Gasteyer (Rose Mary Woods), Harry Shearer (G. Gordon Liddy), Saul Rubinek (doing a right-on Henry Kissinger), G.D. Spradlin (Ben Bradlee) and Devon Gummersall (Larry). An uplifting movie with some bona fide laugh-out-loud moments, "Dick" gives a skewing to a serious event and time, but it does it with reverence, respect and good taste, and it emerges as something of a paean to eternal youth and the indomitability of the human spirit in the face of an ever-changing world. In the end, this is a film that will make your heart light and put a smile on your face. And that, without a doubt, is the magic of the movies.

This is definitley the most overlooked movie of the year. Not only is it funny but it's also extremely smart. The razor sharp oscar worthy script by Andrew Fleming and Sheryl Longin is matched by the excellent comic timing of Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams.

If that's not enough the supporting cast is priceless. Will Ferrell and Bruce McCullough as Woodward and Bernstein is nothing short of inspired. Dan Hedya's performance as Dick is everything a supporting actor oscar is meant for.

Dave Foley and Jim Brewer have small but funny characters worthy of their talent. Don't remember the name of the actor who played Dunst's stoned brother but he's also very funny.

The soundtrack accompanies the film perfectly.

Don't be fooled by the advertising. This isn't just another formula "teeny booper" movie, but rather a smart and brillant satire. I think this DVD will give this overlooked gem the second life it deserves.

This film is brilliant. Probably the best sleeper comedy of 1999 and the past several years.

My partner and I saw it based on good word-mouth and our fascination with dumb teenage girls, but this film completely exceeded our expectations. Mix equal part 'Kids in the Hall' with 'Clueless', and you get the gist. Williams ('Arlene') and Dunst ('Betsy') were such greatly gifted comedians with their timing that we based our Halloween costumes on them.

One of the funniest movies of 1999. In fact, one of the funniest movies period. I waited to see this on video, thinking it was just another teen girlie movie--boy was I wrong! Events in this movie run parallel to "All The President's Men". In fact it would probably help if you saw APM before watching this. The cast is superb--I can't recall who plays Henry Kissinger in this but he made me shoot milk through my nose--It's that funny. I'm buying the DVD of This and "All The President's Men" and inviting my friends over.

In a surprise, Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams convincingly take us through a comedic journey of Nixon's Watergate White House. With exceptional performances by Dan Hedaya (Nixon) and Bruce McCullough and Will Farrell (as a bumbling Bernstein and Woodward, respectively), "Dick" does a wonderful job of making light of our greatest presidential scandal. Fans of Michelle Williams from "Dawson's Creek" may be disappointed, althoug there is a love story here. Michelle Williams plays an extremely convincing teenager of the 70s while Dunst continues to impress in smaller movies (see also "Drop Dead Gorgeous"). The best way to enjoy this movie is to brush up on your Nixon-ology. Watch "All the President's Men" or stop by the library, THEN enjoy the buffonary of a Nixon White House trying to recover from a botched robbery and a failed cover-up. You will never think of "Deep Throat" again without bringing a smile to your face.

Although almost completely ignored when it was released in 1999, DICK is one of the funniest films of the last decade. In many ways, the film is a cross between the classic 60s comedy THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT and (of all things) ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, but the result is completely original. Two self-absorbed teenagers in 1972 become involved (though all manner of coincidences) with the doings of the Nixon White House, and become key invisible players in the unravelling of the watergate scandal: indeed, they become collectively known to Woodward and Bernstein as the "Deep Throat" source.

Sometimes the best kind of comedy is the kind you can't describe. Why it should be funny that one of the girls should fall madly in love with President Nixon--removing all her Bobby Sherman posters on the wall in favor of pictures of him, and fantasizing he sweeps her away on horseback on a deserted beach ("What about Pat?" "She understands...")--is almost impossible to explain, but hilarious it is nonetheless. Almost all of the humor in the film is to be found in the characters and the situations rather than in one-liners--signs of true comic minds at work.

The pleasures of this film are best realized if you've lived through Watergate and the early Seventies (which may be why the film was originally a failure--it tried to hit the teen market), but it's just too funny a treat to pass up.

Dick is one of the best movies that I've ever seen. It's so funny. It's helpful to know a little bit about the Watergate scandel, otherwise you might miss some of the humor. Like when Arlene is on the tape for 18 and 1/2 minutes,Dean quiting, "Because I realize now, that if I stayed, that I would be just as bad as he is". And Woodward and Berenstein are hilarious, with their cat-fight at the beginning. If you didn't live through the seventies , ask one your parents or teachers to fill you in , so you won't miss anything. Then go watch Dick! P.S. The ending is the best!