Lots of ink is spilled over that other holiday in February, and especially what to watch for it, but we have to admit the best February holiday is the one that actually involves a day off: Presidents Day. What finer way to honor our three-day weekend, and the birthdays of George Washington (Feb. 22) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), than with a good old fashioned movie marathon?
Celebrate President Lincoln with a whiplash-inducing double feature of films both released in 2012. For a more serious-minded approach, Stephen Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in the Oscar-winning “Lincoln,” available on Amazon Prime or for a $3.99 rental. For something sillier, try on Timur Bekmambetov’s gonzo action-horror flick “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” starring Benjamin Walker as the top-hatted president. Stream it on Amazon Prime or Hulu.
George Washington doesn’t have as many iconic film representations as Lincoln, so either queue up Roland Emmerich’s 2000 Revolutionary War film “The Patriot,” starring Mel Gibson, in which Terry Layman plays George Washington (streaming on Netflix), or check out Ken Burns’ 1989 documentary, “The Congress,” streaming on PBS with your local membership.
As for other movies about presidents (real ones), check out the 2016 film “Barry,” about a young Barack Obama in college, directed by Vikram Gandi and streaming on Netflix, starring Devon Terrell as the young Obama, or “Southside With You,” about the courtship between Barack and Michelle Obama, directed by Richard Tanne, streaming on Showtime, Kanopy or available for rent elsewhere. President John F. Kennedy has also been depicted on screen many times, in 1991, in Oliver Stone’s “JFK” (available to rent on all digital platforms) and in Roger Donaldson’s 2000 drama “Thirteen Days,” with Bruce Greenwood taking on the role of JFK. For a look at his even more famous wife, check out Pablo Larrain’s 2016 film “Jackie,” starring Natalie Portman, available for rent on all platforms.
Stone tackled another presidential career with 2008’s “W.” starring Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush (streaming on Peacock or available to rent elsewhere). Pair it with Adam McKay’s 2018 Dick Cheney biopic “Vice,” for the double whammy, streaming on Hulu or available to rent on other platforms. For an antidote, stream Bill Flanagan and Mary Wharton’s 2020 documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock n’ Roll President” on HBO Max and Kanopy.
Then there’s our former president who started out as a movie star. Check out Ronald Reagan’s career as a studio player in the golden age of Hollywood with some of his greatest hits. “Win one for the Gipper,” with the 1940 football drama “Knute Rockne All American,” available to rent on all digital platforms. He starred opposite Bette Davis in the 1939 melodrama “Dark Victory” (available to rent on all platforms), and faced off with Errol Flynn in the 1940 Western romance “Santa Fe Trail” (Paramount+ and elsewhere for rent). His final film role was in the 1964 neo-noir “The Killers,” directed by Don Siegel, co-starring Lee Marvin, John Cassavetes and Angie Dickinson, a remake of the 1946 Robert Siodmak film starring Burt Lancaster. It’s not currently available to stream, but the double feature set is available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.
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