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"A comedy about life, liberty and the
pursuit of two ex-Presidents."
The basic story involves lifelong, arch-political
rivals, who each is an ex-president. These two presidents, Russell
P. Kramer (Lemmon), and Matt Douglas (Garner), are the innocent
victims of a government cover-up. Therefore, some rogue agents
are out to capture and kill them. While Lemmon and Garner, of
opposite parties, have no love for one another, as they harbor
old dislikes for each another, that are explained at the beginning
of the movie, they are forced to work together and depend on
each other, to allude the bad guys and get to the bottom of
who was responsible, why they were targeted and figure out a
way to expose the bad guys and prove their own innocence.
Jack Kaplan, Richard Chapman and Peter Tolan
get our praise for the enjoyable script, offering a humorous,
adventuresome tale, with some underlying meaningful messages
that don't overpower the comedic enjoyment of their entertaining
comedy, but add to it.
The chemistry between two great actors (Lemmon
and Garner), is wonderful. The skill and comic timing between
the two of them as they relayed their lines, really fulfilled
what the script writers had in mind.
Producer Jon Peters gets the credit for assembling
a great cast and production staff.
Dan Aykroyd plays a marvelous villain (President
William Haney), bringing his own special comedic talent to the
role of the newly elected president, who has a rather large
skeleton in his closet, about to pop out at him, unless he can
cover up his illegal misdoings with a frame up and murders,
to get himself off the hook.
Lauren Bacall is terrific in her small part
as Margaret Kramer.
The film has many wonderfully funny moments.
One favorite sequence begins when the two presidents, (Lemmon
and Garner), are in a small, small town and they go to rent
a car. Trying to get the car out of the lot is pretty funny,
because they are not used to having to drive their own car.
When they put their first rental car out of commission, they
are forced to rent another real budget economy car. Just then,
the bad guys show up, resulting in a humorous car chase through
town. They make their escape, by hurriedly ditching their car,
and join a parade in progress, a gay pride "coming out"
parade.
Rated PG-13 for salty language and sexual innuendo.
If you enjoyed MY FELLOW AMERICANS you might
like "Some Like It Hot,"
"Bird on a Wire," "Double Jepardy," "The
Fugitive," and/or "U.S. Marshalls."
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