The Top 10 Best Movie Presidents
Give It Up for the Best Movie Presidents of All Time!
Updated: November 2020
For better or worse, the most powerful man (so far) in the world is the American President. While there have been a ton of films about real Presidents from Lincoln to JFK to “Tricky Dick” Nixon. For my money though the best movie Presidents of all time aren’t even real. That’s why in honor of the election and the political process, I’ve decided to take a look at some of the best movie Presidents of all time. For this list, I’m trying to choose cinematic commanders-in-chief that seem like they would actually be good leaders. The patriots who have the compassion, clarity, and gumption necessary to lead this country into a better tomorrow (Don’t worry, I have plans for the worst movie Presidents of all time). I pushed aside political parties and gathered Republicans, Democrats, and Undeclared. It’s an odd assortment, but then again that’s kinda Stars & Popcorn specialty. Now get ready, because this list of the best movie Presidents is ready to get sworn into office.
10. President Lindberg- The Fifth Element
If you think that being President of the United States is tough, try being President of the Federated Territories. Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister plays President Lindberg, a man faced with the end of life as we know it when evil manifests into a giant fireball and begins racing across the universe towards Earth. Luckily, the guy has a pretty open mind, so when a priest approaches him with a story about some stones and a fifth element that will save humankind, he’s willing to take a chance on this so-called supreme being. It’s a delicate situation and he’s forced to send in a covert operative to get the job done. While we might not get to hear his policies or see him navigate the bureaucracy of the cosmos, he’s the one in the chair when the universe is saved, which means he’s sure to get/take the credit. All things considered, I definitely believe that Lindberg is one of the best movie Presidents of all time.
9. President Charlotte Dobbs- Long Shot
Technically, Long Shot ends with Charlotte Dobbs being sworn into office, which makes her eligible for this list of the best movie Presidents. So, why did she earn a spot on this list despite us not getting a chance to see her in office? Because we get to see exactly the kind of person, and therefore, exactly the kind of leader she would be. Dobbs has spent her entire life preparing to enter the political arena. While her male colleagues were being wooed by lobbyists and pocketing bribes, she was burning the midnight oil to make sure she knew everything she needed to help make the world a better place. Not only was Dobbs willing to put in the work, but she refused to be bullied into turning politics into a game only the immoral can win. Considering the stink that old white guys make about a woman being commander-in-chief, Dobbs had more integrity and intelligence than a lot of the career politicians I’ve seen over the years.
8. President Benjamin Asher- Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen
Aaron Eckhart plays not only one of the best movie Presidents of all time but also the most kidnapped. I mean, the guy just has the worst luck when it comes to terrorists wanting to take him prisoner. Fortunately, he’s got one hell of a Secret Service Agent watching his back. Although most of his time on screen is spent tied up, Asher is a man who refuses to negotiate with terrorists. No matter how he’s beaten or brutalized, Asher never gives in to the radicals who want to use him to make a grand statement for their causes. Of course, the same could be said for his doppelganger President James W. Sawyer from White House Down, but Asher has more sequels, so I’m going to give the spot to him this time around. Besides, he’s got Morgan Freeman as his Vice-President and there’s no voting against Freeman.
7. President Thomas Beck- Deep Impact
Morgan Freeman has played the President a few times over the course of his career. For the sake of this list of the best movie Presidents of all time, I’m going to go with President Thomas Beck. He’s faced with the worst situation possible when he’s notified that an extinction-level event is hurling towards the planet in the form of a massive comet. I mean, what do you even do with that? I’d probably just throw up my hands and tell everyone to take a really, really, REALLY long weekend. Beck though keeps his wits about him and rather than start a mass panic, he sets in motion a secret plan to ensure the survival of the human race. The horrible truth is that he won’t be able to save everyone, and of the billions of people on the planet, he can only choose a million. Like any good leader though, President Beck refuses to put all his eggs in one basket and also pours resources into a global defense space station as well.
6. President Matt Douglas and President Russell P. Kramer- My Fellow Americans
I’m cheating a little with this entry, but it would be hard to choose between these two movie Presidents. Jack Lemmon plays a former Republican President who has an obsession with food and dreams. His counterpart, played by James Gardner, a Democrat who has a bit of trouble “keeping it in his pants.” They’re old rivals who clashed on the campaign trail and can’t stand each other. However, like any good leader, they’re able to put their differences aside in order to get the job done. While they might have been pretty hilarious caricatures of the political parties back in the 90s, they’re pretty tame compared to some of the shocking candidates we’ve seen on the ballot. Still, they made this list of the best movie Presidents because they cared more about doing right by the country than planting their feet on opposite sides of the aisle to tow the party line. It’s a goo lesson in bipartisanship that all politicians could stand to learn from.