First Family (film)
First Family | |
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![]() Film poster | |
Directed by | Buck Henry |
Written by | Buck Henry |
Produced by | Daniel Melnick |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Fred J. Koenekamp |
Edited by |
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Music by | Ralph Burns |
Production company | F.F. Associates |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $15,198,912[1] |
First Family is a 1980 American comedy film starring Bob Newhart, Madeline Kahn, Gilda Radner, Harvey Korman, Rip Torn, Austin Pendleton, Fred Willard, and Richard Benjamin. It was the second and final film written and directed by director, comedian and actor Buck Henry.
Plot[]
Manfred Link is the President of the United States. He and the usually tipsy First Lady have a 28-year-old, sex-starved daughter named Gloria. The President is surrounded by a number of eccentric staffers and allies, including vice president Shockley, ambassador Spender, press secretary Bunthorne and a presidential aide named Feebleman. He also is advised by General Dumpston, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The administration needs the support of the (fictional) African nation of Upper Gorm for an upcoming vote and must deal with Longo, that country's United Nations ambassador. Unfortunately, it can find only one American who knows how to speak the Upper Gormese language, a man named Alexander Grade. As best they can understand it, the ruler of Upper Gorm wants, in exchange, a number of Americans sent to his land so that his country, like the United States, can know what it's like to have an oppressed minority. Gloria is kidnapped and Americans are transported to Africa like slaves.
Cast[]
- Bob Newhart as President Manfred Link
- Madeline Kahn as Constance Link
- Gilda Radner as Gloria Link
- Richard Benjamin as Press Secretary Bunthorne
- Bob Dishy as Vice President Shockley
- Harvey Korman as Ambassador Spender
- Fred Willard as Chief of Staff Feebleman
- Rip Torn as Gen. Dumpston
- Austin Pendleton as Dr. Alexander Grade
- John Hancock as Pres. Mazai Kalundra
- Julius Harris as Ambassador Longo
Reception[]
Critical reception to First Family was hostile, generally considering it unfunny. Some writers were especially unimpressed given the strong cast, all of whom had appeared in successful comedies before, as not having much to work with. Buck Henry had written other successful TV shows and films such as Saturday Night Live and The Graduate, but critics uniformly felt he failed to give the actors much to work with in First Family where he also directed the film. Richard Corliss of TIME magazine wrote that "Henry began with a funny situation but no plot" and that "Any episode of M*A*S*H, Taxi or The Muppet Show has more laughs and pathos per minute than this impeachable farce."[2] People magazine wrote that the screenplay "disintegrates about halfway through the film."[3] Vincent Canby of The New York Times offered a more positive review than other critics, praising the cast and saying that some of the sequences were hilarious. Canby did agree that the film's second half somewhat ran out of ideas, though.[4]
The film grossed 15 million USD at the box office.[1]
References[]
External links[]
- 1980 films
- English-language films
- 1980 comedy films
- 1980s English-language films
- 1980s political comedy films
- 1980s satirical films
- American films
- American political comedy films
- American political satire films
- Films about fictional presidents of the United States
- Films about the United States Secret Service
- Films directed by Buck Henry
- Films set in Washington, D.C.
- Films with screenplays by Buck Henry
- Warner Bros. films