Product Details

• Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson
• Directors: Barry Levinson
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: New Line Home Video
• VHS Release Date: November 3, 1998
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0780623959
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,685 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
Not only was Barry Levinson's comedy shot in a relatively fast period of 29 days, the satire of politics and show business feels as if it were made yesterday. There's a fresh spin quite evident here, a nervy satire of a presidential crisis and the people who whitewash the facts. The main players are a mysterious Mr. Fix-It (Robert De Niro), veteran Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman), and a White House aide (Anne Heche). Can the president's molesting of a young girl be buried in the two weeks before an election? A war in Albania just might do the trick. In the good old days, the president would just invade. With modern technology, it's even cleaner. The hungry press looks for any lead, convenient misinformation is created by the latest Hollywood fakery ("all developed by the new James Cameron film") creating images and merchandise all instantly packaged. And it must be real, because it's on TV. David Mamet's script never questions the morals or the absolute secrecy needed to pull this thing off. He and director Barry Levinson have enough truth in the story to make you wonder what is real news and what is just promotion the next time you see CNN. Many of the supporting players impact the story with mere presence: Denis Leary as a quote man, Willie Nelson as a songwriter. The three leads are magnificent. With the similarities between history and this film, Wag will forever linked to the Monica Lewinsky saga. This video version contains a new minidocumentary focusing on the parallels of the film with the Bill Clinton scandal, including comments from director Barry Levinson and hosted by newsman Tom Brokaw. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Mr. Fix It", July 16, 2003

By	L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (fountain valley, ca United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Wag the Dog (New Line Platinum Series) (DVD)

This review refers to the New Line Platinum Series DVD "Wag The Dog"....

The Preisdent of the United States has just been acussed by a "Firefly Girl" of improper advances to her, right in the Oval Office, no less. The story is about to break, and all hell will break loose. The President has 11 days until election day to gain the Public's favor in order to gain re-election. What to do?It's time to call in the big guns.Enter "Mr. Fix-it". He will put a spin on the situtation that will take care of everything.Sound familiar? Art imitating life? Or could it be the other way around, as Hollywood meets Washington for a poltical satire, that may not be so far off base.

Robert DeNiro heads an all star cast as Conrad Brean, the most sought after spin-doctor in D.C. He always"working on it", as he heads the public off the bad publicity and onto the President's campaign trail.He hires a big time Hollywood Producer(Dustin Hoffman) to "Produce" a war. Who will we go to war with? How bout Albania? Albania????,you ask. Why Albania? Well.. why
not? And this is not to be some little Independant production. This will be big time. Like the big Hollywood studios, they pull out all the stops. Complete with a theme song, logos, a hero and some great publicity. If things seem to be going wrong, i.e., the opposition and the C.I.A. are on to them, don't worry cause Connie "Is working on that".

The film is great fun and is loaded with talent.A great screenplay as expected from David Mamet and Hilary Henkin.At the helm is the wonderful Barry Levinson, and also lending their charms are Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson,William H Macy, Craig T. Nelson and Kirsten Dunst.

All this fun is presented on a terrific DVD. The picture(widescreen or fullscreen) and colors qualities are excellent. The sound in Dolby Dig 5.1(English or French) very good. Tons of extras. Commentary, featurettes, an essay, and filmographies.

Enjoy and don't sweat the politics..cause.."Connie's working on
it.."...Laurie

also recommended:
Primary Colors

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ahead of its time...literally, May 30, 2002

By	jon (NJ) - See all my reviews

A lot of people knocked this film for being a rip-off of current events. Nothing could be further from the truth! What makes this satire so amazing is that its all coming true. For example:

1) This movie was made BEFORE the lewinsky/clinton scandal but the details were frighteningly similar

2) It told us the war of the future would be against dissident terrorists plotting against the US from camps in some remote country...years before we had heard of al Qaeda, 9/11, or a war in afghanistan

3) Watching Willie Nelson leading the 9/11 Tribute to Heroes telethon in singing "God Bless America" seemed like it was a rip-off of this movie.

To many, the premise of this movie may have seemed absurd when it was released. But each passing year reveals how closer it is to the truth than we think. For a scary, thought-provoking satire of Hollywood and Washington, check this movie out.
If it was a 2002 film, people would say it was a clever satire. That it was made in 1997 qualifies it as an absolute classic.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This film grows on you ......, September 24, 2004

By	Stuart Gardner "www.sdgardner.com" (Fair Lawn, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wag the Dog (New Line Platinum Series) (DVD)

When I saw this film at the cinema I thought it was a half decent parody of the Clinton administration, and the devious behaviour of politicians in general. As an ex civil servant I thought it was an extreme piece of satirical commedy with a clear message on the dangers of "spin". Had I rated it at he time, I would have given it a strong 3 star rating.

Given the events since the film, it's message and relevancy have become more important. The writers and director weren't intending to be prophetic (unlike Chaplin's the great dictator), but real world events have given this film a second lease of life! Great example of reality imitating art ......