The biopic “Reagan” exceeded box office expectations after its release over Labor Day weekend.
The full-length feature film, starring Dennis Quaid, is the story of former President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy Reagan, who is portrayed by Penelope Ann Miller.
According to Box Office Mojo, “Reagan” took in over $10.3 million during the Aug. 30–Sept. 2 showing period, ranking third behind “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Alien: Romulus.”
The biographical film “almost doubled projections that it would make about $5 million in its opening weekend,” per The Oklahoman, earning $7.4 million from Friday through Sunday.
Directed by Sean McNamara, “Reagan” is based on the 2006 book “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism” by author and professor Paul Kengor.
Moviegoers responded positively, giving the film a 98 percent “Popcornmeter” score on Rotten Tomatoes compared with a 22 percent critical rating as of Wednesday.
“What I can say is when the movie was over, people were wiping tears from their eyes, and the theater broke into applause. I haven’t been to a movie in years where an audience reacted this way,” one reviewer wrote. “It’s inspirational. It’s feel good and positive. It’s historical. It’s real and well done. It recounted a time when people who disagreed found ways to stay friends and work together for the good of the country.”
“A remarkable piece of filmmaking that not only brings a popular president to vivid new life but puts his unlikely story into the broadest possible cosmic context,” another reviewer said. “Dennis Quaid delivers a career-topping performance of stunning breadth—and depth.”
In August, ahead of the film’s release, Quaid brushed aside criticism of his choice to depict the Republican president, telling Fox News that “Reagan” is not a “political movie.”
“It’s a biopic. It’s a love story. It’s about all of us as America, where we used to be,” he said. “A lot of that gets twisted because people have agendas. And so, yeah, they tried to cancel me a couple of times, but so what?”
The 70-year-old actor said the 40th president was “like everybody’s dad at the time that he was president,” noting that people either admired or rebelled against their fathers. “With what we were going through with politics or whatever in this country today, a lot of people wanting to kind of relate that to Reagan and make this a political movie, which it’s not,” Quaid said.
“Reagan” stars Dennis Quaid, Penelope Ann Miller, Jon Voight as retired KGB agent Viktor Petrovich, and Scott Stapp as Frank Sinatra. It’s currently showing in movie theaters nationwide.
Presidential Roles
“Reagan” was not Quaid’s first on-screen portrayal of an American president. After returning to television following a series of movie appearances, including “In Good Company” (2004), “American Dreamz” (2006), “Vantage Point” (2008), and “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009), Quaid portrayed former President Bill Clinton in the 2009 HBO Film “The Special Relationship.”For his performance as the 42nd president, Quaid earned a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He starred alongside Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Hope Davis, who portrayed Hillary Clinton.
In “American Dreamz,” Quaid played a fictional American president named Joseph Staton, a character loosely resembling George W. Bush, alongside Hugh Grant, Marcia Gay Harden as First Lady, and Willem Dafoe as Chief of Staff.
But out of all the U.S. presidents, Quaid said Reagan was at the top of his list.
“Reagan was my favorite president,” he told Daily Wire editor Ben Shapiro on the “Sunday Special” show. “I voted for Jimmy Carter in ’76; that was my first time I could vote, but then I voted for Reagan in ’80.”
