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From Amazon.co.uk
So who exactly was Deep Throat, that all-important source who helped Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein bust open the Watergate scandal? Well, according to this thoroughly funny, keenly smart comedy from director Andrew Fleming (The Craft), it was two sweetly daft teenage girls named Betsy and Arlene. Taking the history and figures from Watergate and running gleefully and sacrilegiously amok, Dick offers up a hilarious what-if scenario that takes the Nixon administration's downfall from grave tragedy to hilarious farce. When Betsy (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene (Michelle Williams) run into a shady figure in the stairwell of Arlene's Watergate apartment building, little do they know they've stumbled upon G. Gordon Liddy (Harry Shearer) on the night of the Democratic National Headquarters break-in. Later, on a White House field trip, they wind up meeting with Nixon himself (Dan Hedaya) who, to ensure their silence, decides to make them official White House dog walkers and "secret youth advisors".
Of course, Betsy and Arlene soon find out their idol has feet of clay, and ultimately decide to aid "radical muckraking journalists" (and queasy rivals) Woodward (Will Ferrell) and Bernstein (Bruce McCullough) in their investigation. Fleming and co-writer Sheryl Longin's enfolding of the Watergate scandal is extremely clever and inspired, from Arlene's 18-and-a-half-minute declaration of love on Nixon's tape recorder to the Hello Dolly cookies (laced with a certain herbal stimulant) that help bring about the U.S.-Soviet accord. And after all the angsty-serious portraits of Watergate, it's bliss to see the prime players sent up mercilessly; in addition to Shearer, the cast boasts Dave Foley (Erlichman), Jim Breuer (John Dean), Saul Rubinek (Kissinger), and Ana Gasteyer (Rosemary Woods), all in fine form. Hedaya's Nixon, dead-on but never parodic, is an Oscar-worthy comic turn and Dunst and Williams invest their characters with affection and humour; the success of the film lies in the way these talented actresses make us laugh with Betsy and Arlene, never at them. Don't be put off by the teen sheen on this comedy--it's also for all of us who still remember Watergate even after 25 years, and still love dancing on the scandal's grave. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Synopsis
High school students Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams) wander off during a class trip to the White House and meet President Nixon (Dan Hedaya). They end up becoming the official walkers of his dog, Checkers, and the secret advisors to Tricky Dick during the Watergatescandals.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Ecosse lady
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Gently funny, clever, safe for the whole family, but intelligent enough to be interesting to adults especially those who were around during the Watergate years. This is a light-hearted, 'alternate' version of how the Watergate secrets became public. I am re-buying it on DVD, after our video player finally gave out.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you remember classic 80's movies like "gotcha" and you have a nice feelings about those movies.. this will rekindle those feelings a little.
Essentially, the film is very much a teen movie- perhaps not much different to an olsen movie, except it quite cleverly is a little history lesson on the watergate scandal at the same time- albiet not quite accurate haha.
I think anyone interested in the watergate scandal, or teenage kids just wanting to enjoy a "clueless" style movie will equally enjoy this.
a weird mesh, that works quite well.
Essentially, the film is very much a teen movie- perhaps not much different to an olsen movie, except it quite cleverly is a little history lesson on the watergate scandal at the same time- albiet not quite accurate haha.
I think anyone interested in the watergate scandal, or teenage kids just wanting to enjoy a "clueless" style movie will equally enjoy this.
a weird mesh, that works quite well.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This underrated, and very enjoyable political satire from 1999, stars young Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams as two not very bright teenagers who unwittingly get themselves involved in the Watergate affair. A fairly funny movie, my favorite scene must be the one where one of the girls reveal to the other the meaning behind the expression Deep Throat, but there are many other great scenes, like when the girls first stumble upon the White House tapes, and reveal to them a Nixon they didn't know. The ending, set alongside a Carly Simon's song, is also superb. What's great about this movie is the overall humor that was sorely missing in "All the President's Men" and "Nixon": in this film, Woodward and Bernstein are as much objects of ridicule as Nixon and Kissinger.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A hoot!
I've watched this movie tens and tens of times. It's a hoot, a funny parody, constantly inventive and bouyed along by great performances, especially an uncannily accurate Nixon of... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Phil
4.0 out of 5 stars
actually really good :)
I really like this, it's a feel good movie and also hilarious. I love Kirsten Dunst so I'm bound to like the film, but anyway its good.
Published on 9 April 2011 by bubbagump
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed
Judging by the reviews included on this website I was expecting this film to be really good but sadly me and my friends were very disappointed by this film. Read more
Published on 25 April 2008 by V. Wood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amusing romp .
A very enjoyable film . Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams are well cast in this amusing romp . This a film that stands repeat viewings , and ranks along side Kirstens other... Read more
Published on 29 Feb 2008 by Egbert Souse
4.0 out of 5 stars
An educational movie.
I really did not understand what Watergate was all about until I saw this movie. It explain everything from how peace conferences work to hobbies like paper papier-mâché to... Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2005 by bernie
5.0 out of 5 stars
The greatest film of the 1990's.
Dick was just too damn subversive for audiences to take to (see the later Josie & The Pussycats also)- ironically rewriting history and subverting the notion of truth around... Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2002 by Jason Parkes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliantly Funny
Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams do a brilliant job of not taking themselves too seriously in this ridicolously funny take on the Watergate Scandal. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
utterly brilliant!
This film has to be the film that is most related to clueless! Set in about the 70's this film has amazing fashion! If u r into american teenage comedies this is one 4 u!
Published on 10 April 2001
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