USA: HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS DUSTIN HOFFMAN AND ROBERT DENIRO TEAM UP FOR THEIR LATEST MOVIE, A SATIRICAL NEW COMEDY "WAG THE DOG"

Record ID: 387397

  • Title: USA: HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS DUSTIN HOFFMAN AND ROBERT DENIRO TEAM UP FOR THEIR LATEST MOVIE, A SATIRICAL NEW COMEDY "WAG THE DOG"
  • Date: 22nd November 1997
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 22, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ROBERT DENIRO SAYING OF THE POLITICIAN'S JOB, "IT'S ALL TIED INTO PERCEPTION AND HOW YOU'RE UM, AND WHAT COLOUR TIE AND THIS AND THAT, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE DOING THAT IN THE 50'S AND 60'S AND 70'S BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS AND I DO BELIEVE YOU CAN WIN AN ELECTION OR SOMETHING ON THOSE KIND OF THINGS, CERTAIN PEOPLE, LIKE NIXON JUST WAS NOT, HE WAS NOT A LIKEABLE PERSON, HE HAD NO CHARM AND HE LOOKED LIKE A SORE LOSER AND IF HE DID ANYTHING THAT SHOWED THAT KIND OF THING, WHICH HE DID, MADE IT EVEN WORSE." (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) DUSTIN HOFFMAN SAYING, "I SEE THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF HOLLYWOOD BEING SIMILAR TO THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF WASHINGTON AND BOTH OF THEM HAVING A LOT IN COMMON WITH BUSINESS JUST GENERICALLY. BUSINESS IS RUN BY SHREWD PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO MANIPULATE AND DISTORT AND WIN. IT'S NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM FOOTBALL, YOU KNOW? YOU OUTGUESS THE OPPONENT AND, IN MANY CASES, UNFORTUNATELY, THE OPPONENT IS THE PUBLIC."
  • Embargoed: 7th December 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK/ LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAC7T6ULQRHO02UYZH40Q7GRILU
  • Story Text: - Hollywood legends Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro have teamed up with Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson for their latest movie, a satirical new comedy, "Wag the Dog".

    The film which co-stars Anne Heche, Denis Leary and country singer Willie Nelson, had its world premiere in Los Angeles on December 17th.

    Hoffman and Levinson attended the premiere along with Leary, Nelson and last year's Oscar nominee William H. Macy, who has a cameo part in the film.

    The story focuses on the machinations of power as a presidential spin doctor (DeNiro) teams up with a Hollywood producer (Hoffman) to manufacture a 'pretend' war.

    The pair have collaborated in order to deflect media attention from a sex scandal involving the President of the United States and a girl scout, less than two weeks before election day.

    Talking about "Wag the Dog", Hoffman said he could see similarities between Hollywood and Washington.

    "I see the business aspect of Hollywood being similar to the business aspect of Washington and both having a lot in common with business...business is run by shrewd people who know how to manipulate and distort and win," he said.

    Anne Heche best known for her part in the film "Volcano", plays a top presidential aide, a role originally written by screenwriter David Mamet for a man.

    After director Levinson met with Heche about the role, he convinced Mamet, an artist who very rarely writes strong, central female roles, to change the character.

    As a result, Heche was thrilled to be one of the only female actors to be able to deliver Mamet's trademark sharp-tongued dialogue on the big screen.

    Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro have wanted to work together for years, and came close last year, when Levinson cast them both in his film "Sleepers." They only had one scene together and both were keen to work on a comedy together.

    Hoffman and Levinson had worked together on "Rain Man," a film for which they both won Oscars.

    Leary and Nelson play members of Hoffman's team hired to create a fictional war with Albania and to rally the American public behind the non-existant cause.

    Nelson said at the premiere he thought it was possible to manipulate the media as portrayed in the film.

    "I think whoever controls the media can have us thinking whatever they want... this movie in one respect can make you start thinking about well... wait a minute, things like this might happen sometime, or maybe it has happened in the past," he said.

    Leary is a trained actor who built up a big following for his working-class, in-your-face comedy.

    He devised his 1992 show in London after being stranded in the city for five months following the premature birth of his first child. It gave him his big break and Hollywood beckoned, starring in "The Ref" and "Demolition Man".

    Macy plays a federal agent who catches wind of DeNiro's tactics. He landed his Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the nervous husband whose best-laid plan goes awry in "Fargo".

    Woody Harrelson has a cameo role as a deranged army soldier brought in to play the role of a war hero.

    The production of "Wag the Dog" was marked by a modest 15 million dollar budget and an unheard of 29-day shooting schedule.
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