How Jeff Daniels and Kevin Spacey made Politics Cool Again
In 1976, politics were interesting, entertaining and frightening. Presidents were getting impeached, political parties were playing spy games, Communists were out to get us and massive protests were stopping wars. During this period in film political thrillers and documentaries ruled. All the President’s Men, Marathon Man, Three Days of the Condor and Hearts and Minds all had significance and dramatic punch.
Recently, cultural meaning in film (or even politics) has been few and far between. Presidents have become punch lines, espionage is reserved for James Bond or Jason Bourne and documentaries have been reclassified as reality television, but shows like Newsroom and House of Cards are making politics cool again.
These smart, witty political satires are driving a new wave of character-based programming. Characters like Jeff Daniels’s Will McAvoy in Newsroom and Kevin Spacey’s Congressman Francis Underwood in House of Cards are two of the best new characters on television and even if on the surface the characters are the complete antithesis of each other, they share some pretty startling similarities.
Newsroom follows McAvoy as the anchor of News Night, the second most watched news program on cable television. The program focuses on the purity of journalism and its duty to shine a light on the corruptness of politics and politicians. McAvoy is an elitist representation of the media’s role in educating the public.
On the other hand, House of Cards glorifies the back room deals and shady maneuvers that happen on Capital Hill everyday. Underwood is power hungry and dangerous, willing to get ahead by any means necessary. His desperate grasps for the top are meant to pull the wool over constituents eyes to create a version of reality they will vote for.
While McAvoy is a card carrying Republican and Underwood is the Majority Whip for the Democratic party, both men are basically the same character. They have little patience for those they see as inferior and even less for those who act superior. Their relationships and lives go up and down and their impressive mood swings are only equalled by their intellect.
Each man is seconded by a just as screen-grabbing woman. In Newsroom Emily Motimer plays MacKenzie McHale, McAvoy’s ex-girlfriend and current executive producer. In House of Cards, Robin Wright plays the just as provocative Mrs. Underwood. Both women are even stronger than their counterparts and are able to sway their opinions with a flick of their fingers.
McAvoy and Underwood represent the untouchable and overwhelmingly powerful nature of politics as a whole. To the common man, the big-wigs in DC are completely untouchable. McAvoy is our blunt and honest connection. Underwood is the smiling con-man we vote for.
Both men tell it like it is, there are no secrets between them and their audiences. Underwood directs his comments right to the viewer by breaking the fourth wall and as a news anchor McAvoy also talks directly to the camera. Even with these men’s complete candor and bluntness its hard to tell if the America they represent actually exists.
Regardless of how government and 24-hour news stations are actually run, there is no doubt how entertaining these programs are. With House of Cards being nominated for 10 Primetime Emmys and Newsroom receiving a criminally low 3, there is no doubt we will be seeing more of these entertaining, fast-paced political dramas.
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