SEMINAR PROFILE

H01 -
The American Presidency and Presidents through History and Film

Beginning with the very first feature film made in the US (D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation, 1915), the American Presidency and Presidents have had starring roles on both the big and little screen. From Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) and Dr. Strangelove (1964) to All the President's Men (1976) and Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), the office of the President and its incumbents have been lionized, criticized, spoofed, and rebuked in major motion pictures and documentaries. TV series, notably West Wing and Veep, have brought the office, its occupants, and myriad challenges (domestic as well as foreign) into the living rooms of millions in the US and around the globe. The 2016 Presidential primary season has added yet more food for thought on the ongoing debates on the role, powers, and limits of the executive branch. How has our understanding of the American Presidency and the 44 Presidents who have served thus far been reflected in and shaped by films and television? What happens when politics and Hollywood collide? Aside from the entertainment value, what do films and shows about presidents offer us? Our seminar will assess presidential politics, powers, policies, and personalities by exploring key texts (notably the US Constitution, central legal decisions, presidential speeches, and newspaper reports) as well as by screening clips from a variety of films and television shows.

Scholar:

Maura A. Henry

Location:

Harvard Hillel

Dates:

11/15/2016, 11/29/2016

H01 -	The American Presidency and Presidents through History and Film

	Beginning with the very first feature film made in the US (D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation, 1915), the American Presidency and Presidents have had starring roles on both the big and little screen. From Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) and Dr. Strangelove (1964) to All the President's Men (1976) and Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), the office of the President and its incumbents have been lionized, criticized, spoofed, and rebuked in major motion pictures and documentaries. TV series, notably West Wing and Veep, have brought the office, its occupants, and myriad challenges (domestic as well as foreign) into the living rooms of millions in the US and around the globe. The 2016 Presidential primary season has added yet more food for thought on the ongoing debates on the role, powers, and limits of the executive branch. How has our understanding of the American Presidency and the 44 Presidents who have served thus far been reflected in and shaped by films and television? What happens when politics and Hollywood collide? Aside from the entertainment value, what do films and shows about presidents offer us? Our seminar will assess presidential politics, powers, policies, and personalities by exploring key texts (notably the US Constitution, central legal decisions, presidential speeches, and newspaper reports) as well as by screening clips from a variety of films and television shows.

		Scholar:	Maura A. Henry
		Location:	Harvard Hillel
		Dates:	11/15/2016, 11/29/2016