52 years ago today we lost one of our most beloved elected officials. How about a Top 5 Countdown of the best presidential movies?

Universal Healthcare? Two words. Peace Corps. How about the Space Program? Our 35th President took us as a country to the moon! To. The. Moon. There's no way any other President can top that action.

I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good movie about the Executive Branch. The Commander-In-Chief being decisive. Kickin' butt and takin' names.

Here are my Top 5 Presidential Movies

President Thomas J. Whitmore from Independence Day

Okay, this is a Will Smith movie, but Bill Pullman gets a few good moments in, especially this rousing Independence Day speech. Although critics only give it a 60% score at Rotten Tomatoes, audiences agree with a 75% score. A Will Smith-less sequel is due next June. More than likely, Pullman's President Whitmore will shine again.

Former Presidents Russell P. Kramer and Matt Douglas

This is basically The Odd Couple as ex-Presidents. Really. It was originally supposed to be Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon, who had starred as Oscar Madison and Felix Unger. They had also made the Grumpy Old Men films. Bad health kept Matthau from being in the film, so James Garner was cast. The film was actually called Grumpy Old Presidents on the set. It's a comedy of Presidential proportion. Critics only gave the film a 47% score. It scored higher with audiences at 65%. Dan Aykroyd and John Heard are hilarious as the bumbling current administration.

President James Marshall

Basically Die Hard or Under Siege, but on Air Force One. Harrison Ford took over from Alec Baldwin as Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan in 1992's Patriot Games and 1994's Clear And Present Danger. The next step? The President as a real action hero! Ford's President Marshall doesn't just talk tough, he takes action. The best part is when he fights with Gary Oldman's terrorist character, He gets the upper hand in hand-to-hand combat and then tells him, "Get off my plane!" This is a President that should have gotten a "second term" sequel! Air Force One, Part Deux! anyone? Critics loved it with a 79% score, but audiences only gave it a 66% score, go figure.

President Andrew Shepherd

This is more of a light-hearted romantic-dramedy set in the Oval Office. Michael Douglas is the very witty and charming President Shepherd. A widower. A single dad. He has to juggle the responsibilities of the Union and his own personal life. What comes across is that President Shepherd is a patriot. He loves America. The film was the inspiration for The West Wing. Critics loved it. It scored 97%. Audiences were like, It's okay, with a 77% score. I like it for the speeches. The monologues.

President Bill Mitchell

It's not so much about the sitting President, but, Dave Kovic, his look-alike. Kevin Kline plays both President Mitchell and "body-double" Dave. The President has an...um, unfortunate medical incident and "Average Joe"...er, Dave is elected to serve his country as the stand-in President. Hijinx ensue. Watching an average guy try to figure out and balance the budget and manage politics is pretty funny. There 's a punchline in there about tax dollars being spent to make Americans feel good about their car. The case of mistaken identity gets a few laughs, too. Critics liked Dave, giving it a 94% score. Audiences only gave it a 71% score. The movie had me right from the title.

These are my Top 5 Presidential Movies. What are yours?

 

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