Dick (1999)

70% of critics liked it
(71 reviews)
45% of users liked it
(32,929 ratings)

The mystery of the 18-minute-gap in Richard Nixon's White House tapes -- and how it connects to the previously undocumented involvement of two teenage girls in the Watergate scandal -- is the subject of this political comedy. Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams) are high… More The mystery of the 18-minute-gap in Richard Nixon's White House tapes -- and how it connects to the previously undocumented involvement of two teenage girls in the Watergate scandal -- is the subject of this political comedy. Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams) are high school students and best friends living in Washington D.C. in 1972. Betsy is pretty and popular, while Arlene is cute but a bit awkward. Arlene is obsessed with singing star Bobby Sherman, but that comes to a halt when she and Betsy get lost during a school field trip to the White House. A chance encounter with Checkers the dog leads to the girls meeting President Richard M. Nixon himself (Dan Hedaya). In Nixon, Arlene sees a strong, caring man who loves his dog, and she soon develops a furious crush on the president; Betsy is puzzled but remains supportive. Arlene's devotion to the president is rewarded when she and Betsy are named official White House dog walkers; however, when Arlene and Betsy discover that Nixon has a foul mouth and a short temper and, worst of all, kicks his dog, they realize that the President is not all he appears to be. And when they overhear Nixon ranting about Bob Woodward (Will Ferrell) and Carl Bernstein (Bruce McCulloch), a pair of reporters from The Washington Post looking for dirt on the President, Arlene and Betsy decide that they're happy to help. Dick also features Dave Foley as Bob Haldeman, Harry Shearer as G. Gordon Liddy, and Ana Gasteyer as Rosemary Woods. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Andrew Fleming
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 4, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Dec 14, 1999
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Dick leaves you hoping it finds the audience it clearly deserves.
David Edelstein, Slate
This modest movie offers a convincing vision of Nixon White House operations as a sordid buffoon show undone by a couple of painfully earnest innocents.
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
A gaily funny, shrewdly inventive satire!
Barbara Shulgasser, Chicago Tribune
The movie has the comic sophistication of a creaky high-school skit.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
Audaciously imaginative, devilishly clever!
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Makes other teen flicks seem like failures of imagination!
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Funny, scatalogical movie about President Nixon.
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly
Now the truth is out there: Deep Throat was actually two giggly teenage girls who stepped into Nixon's dirty tricks during their jobs as Official White House Dog Walkers.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Blends the drama of All the President's Men with the wisdom of The Brady Bunch.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Although it eventually suffers a typically 1970s energy crisis, this satire of the early Seventies has its moments, thanks to the considerable charms of Michelle Williams and Kirsten Dunst...
Thom Bennett, Film Journal International
Manages to land itself somewhere between All the President's Men and Clueless, with brilliant comic performances throughout.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Those with a sense of humor who have wondered about the true identity of Deep Throat in the downfall of the 37th President will appreciate this low-cal satire.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

Saturday Night Live and Kids In The Hall alumni star in this purposely schlocky comedy of errors about the Watergate break-in and the eventual demise of the Nixon White House. More cute than actually funny, but nicely cute.
Jennifer D

I remember seeing this movie in theaters and my mom didn't want to take me until I understood the Watergate scandal. Haven't seen it since then, but it's funny and Dave Foley is fantastic. Still, I enjoyed it!
Thomas B

A little underwhelming but nonetheless entertaining. Full review later.
Jani H

"Dick frightens me!" Saw it on cable only because of Will Ferrell's name mentioned in the credits. Well some good news... for some of you... Will Ferrell does not star in this movie. He has a short role as a reporter and doesn't do his typical kind of role. The… More
"Dick frightens me!" Saw it on cable only because of Will Ferrell's name mentioned in the credits. Well some good news... for some of you... Will Ferrell does not star in this movie. He has a short role as a reporter and doesn't do his typical kind of role. The stars of this film are two cute girls, blondes of course, whom happen to be so stereotypically annoying and stupid that I really had troubles finish the movie. 'Dick' is a political satire about the Watergate scandal that ruined Richard "Dick" Nixon's career and presidency. I'll admit that the film has some good, funny scenes but in the end this movie just gets so annoying with its stupid story about a girl who gets a crush on the president. How is it possible that a teen girl would happen to fall in love with an ugly old man in the time of free love and crappy music? Doesn't work for me, not even in a comedy. Although I started this review with lots of negative aspects, 'Dick' has some good scenes and funny moments (like mentioned earlier). But the acting is not that good. I like my comedies in a different way so I just got some more proof of not seeing movies staring cute teenaged girls. Pretty lame in the end but hey!... Will Ferrell's in it so... hence the better rating then originally intended. "You suck, Dick!"
Dean M

A delight start, with the girls exuding a charming combination of innocence and joy as Nixon's Secret Youth Advisors and dog walkers, takes rather a nasty turn in the latter half. The dramatic change in the due hits a low in the final cheesy scene that is unforgettably bad.
Drew S

"It's called incest, Arlene, and it's against the law."
Rico Z

It's so clever and funny. A comedy with a brain. The more you know about Watergate, the more you'll enjoy this movie. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams are perfect as the brainless teenages behind the greatest political scandal of modern times.
Nate Z

[font=Arial][color=darkred]What should have been a biting satire on the whole Watergate mess and Nixon's resignation comes off as hackneyed and completely clumsily written. The jokes are beyond stale and moronic, the script is beyond meddling and sophomoric, and the satire is not… More
[font=Arial][color=darkred]What should have been a biting satire on the whole Watergate mess and Nixon's resignation comes off as hackneyed and completely clumsily written. The jokes are beyond stale and moronic, the script is beyond meddling and sophomoric, and the satire is not even close to biting. It all appears like it was written by a freshman that got the Cliff Notes on Watergate then decided to watch an episode of Charlie's Angels.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Kirsten Dunst once again manages to make me hate her in another performance (I just do not like her). The ditzy girls idea grows thin by the opening sequence let alone stretched to the rest of the movie. There are some bright spots like Dan Hedaya playing Nixon uncannily, and some former SNL and Kids in the Hall allums having fun with the material and parodying their characters. So why didn't they feature more of them?! Please tell me! The movie is lame and dredfully unfunny, and even more so when you account all the double entrandes using the name "Dick." I could very easily use the title of the movie in some sexually inuendous reference to how bad this movie sucks, but I'm above that. For now.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: D[/color][/font]
Naughtia N

I saw this movie a long time ago and remember enjoying it very much. It's about two teenage girls who are big fans of the US president Nixon. They go to meet the President and get to do many chores for him. Cute to see Kirsten Dunst in such a young age aspiring to be a great… More
I saw this movie a long time ago and remember enjoying it very much. It's about two teenage girls who are big fans of the US president Nixon. They go to meet the President and get to do many chores for him. Cute to see Kirsten Dunst in such a young age aspiring to be a great actress. This movie i well suited for family entertainment.
Brian R

I enjoyed this very much and i'm sorta surprised the rest of the audience didn't like "Dick". This picture has got some great laughs and the cast is great. The filmmakers even got the 1970's tacky period down just right. I liked the idea of Nixon (Dan Hedaya)… More
I enjoyed this very much and i'm sorta surprised the rest of the audience didn't like "Dick". This picture has got some great laughs and the cast is great. The filmmakers even got the 1970's tacky period down just right. I liked the idea of Nixon (Dan Hedaya) make the ditzy teen girls (Kristen Dunst, Michelle Williams)become official dog-walkers in a way to silence them from knowing Nixon's taping system inside the White House. Funny.
Sunil J

Wonderfully rediculous. I've seen this too many times.
Anthony V

Much more funny if you know something about Watergate.
Donna D

This was a crazy comedy set in the 70's. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams are two whacky teenage girls that get to meet President Nixon, and stumble upon information that involves Woodrow and Burnstein involving the Watergate, and brings on the "Deep Throat" mystery.… More
This was a crazy comedy set in the 70's. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams are two whacky teenage girls that get to meet President Nixon, and stumble upon information that involves Woodrow and Burnstein involving the Watergate, and brings on the "Deep Throat" mystery. Hilariously done, with the classic 70's era and music, makes this movie a classic comedy. Enjoyable to see. :D
Sean S

Funny political satire of one of the most charged eras of American history.
Marcus W

For years, the identity of Deepthroat was kept secret. Now in this revealing documentary, the secrets of the Watergate scandal are laid bare. The fact that most of the characters are played by well known actors/actresses is at first hard to aclimatise to, but once it gets going… More
For years, the identity of Deepthroat was kept secret. Now in this revealing documentary, the secrets of the Watergate scandal are laid bare. The fact that most of the characters are played by well known actors/actresses is at first hard to aclimatise to, but once it gets going it's a fascinating piece, up there with Fahrenheit 9/11. As the documentary progresses, it's also interesting to see just how amusing the situation was for those involved. Well worth a watch for anyone interested in just what goes on within the White House.
Rose G

kirsten dunst and michelle williams played the typical innocent, nosy teens out to know what really happened behind the Watergate scandal. the movie was able to make a very serious topic into a hilariously smart film.
Haley A

Funny and enjoyable.