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In the first scene where President Andrew Shepherd encounters his daughter practising the trombone in her room, he talks to her about a parent-teacher conference and hands her a book. In the shot where he hands her the book, it is right side up for the girl to open easily. In the shot where she receives the book, she has to turn it around to open it. See more...

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The American President (1995) - 12 corrections

Directed by Rob Reiner, starring Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael Douglas, Michael J. Fox (add more)

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Comments made in brackets are corrections from other visitors. To submit your own corrections for mistakes, just click "edit" under an entry, then choose "correct entry". You can also submit corrections for corrections, if you think a mistake has been unfairly removed.

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When Sydney enters the White House for the GDC meeting, she tells the doorman that it's her first time in Washington. Then when the President pulls her out of the meeting and they go into the Oval office to talk, she tells him she's been on the regular tour of the White House. [She meant it's her first time going through security.i.e. it's her first time as anything other than a tourist.]
Edit
In the scene when President Shepherd walks into Lucy's room at the end of the movie, she informs him that Sydney Wade is in his bedroom. It is doubtful that the President's girlfriend would have been allowed to rummage through his private bedroom without his knowledge, and it is unlikely for safety reasons that 1)the president wouldn't be told about her presence by his staff members before his daughter and 2)she would be allowed to go on her hunt without the supervision of a secret service agent. No American President walks into his bedroom to find an unsupervised surprise guest looking through his drawers for a sweater. [Wouldn't it be possible for the President to give standing orders that she was to have access to the living quarters, without escort?]
Edit Corrected by scwilliam Time
Sydney calls Pres. Shepard "Chief Executive of Fantasy Land" in the meeting room. So he tells her he wants to see her in private in a less intimidating place so he tells Janey to take Sydney to the recreation room. However, she takes Sydney to the Oval Office. [That's not a mistake, deliberate or otherwise. It becomes apparent that President Shepard gives his own names to the rooms of the White House. He calls it the Rec Room on purpose and Janey takes her to the correct room. It's a joke and also helps to show the laid back personality of Shepard.]
Edit Corrected by wolfchild
A copy of the Washington Times newspaper shows a front-page black-and-white photo of President Shepherd with Sidney. This is incorrect because the Washington Times never uses black-and-white page one photos, only color. The Washington Post used black-and-white, but the Times never does. [Most papers didn't start printing any color except Sunday funnies til a few years after this film was made. In any case, it is certainly an overstatment to say that the Times NEVER does since the paper started before color photography.]
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At one point Michael J. Fox says he doesn't want to end up in Danbury Correctional, why not? The Federal prison in Danbury CT would be a dream come true since he would be the only male inmate. [Danbury did not become all female until 1994, which is around the time this film was made.]
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What kind of billiard game do the president and A.J. play at the beginning of the movie? Both seem to be good players announcing their shots. The President sinks the balls 11, 2, 9 and 3 in a row before he misses the cue ball. Then A.J. sink the balls 3 and 13. So it's neither 8-ball nor 9-ball. Does their game have no rules? [They could be playing 15-Ball, which is a point-based game and you can sink any ball.]
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When Michael Douglas & Annette Benning are entertaining the French President and his wife in the ballroom, they show Annette speaking French to their guests and her hands are in front of her.  The next scene shows Annette from behind while she is still talking and she is fiddling with her ring. The third scene is back showing her from the front and her hands are not fiddling with her ring. [I don't see Sydney doing anything with her hands in the rear shot. You can't even see her hands.]
Edit Corrected by ChiChi
In the scene where Douglas' daughter helps him tie his bow tie before the state dinner, he calls her something Suvy insted of Lucy. [He calls her 'Sweetie' not 'Suvy'.]
Edit Corrected by ChiChi
At the end of the movie as Michael Douglas and Annette Benning are walking together he gives her roses and she asks how he was finally able to get her flowers.  He says "it turns out that I have a rose garden." The only problem is that it is January... no roses in January in Washington, D.C. [This is an attempt at humor - and referencing the famous White House Rose Garden. Whether he actually got the flowers from the Rose Garden is moot.]
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Early in the movie A.J. tells Lewis that they can't include the ban on handguns in a bill because they might not get the bill passed. Later in the movie, after the president has said "you fight the fights you can win," A.J. tells the president that you have to "fight the fights that need fighting." Why did A.J. not want to fight for handgun control, since he felt that it was a fight that needed fighting? [The fight referred to in the later scene has nothing to do with the handgun issue, it's about the President not defending himself against Rumson's character attacks.]
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At the end of the movie, Annette Bening asks Michael Douglas how he managed to be president and give a woman flowers at the same time. He said that it turns out that he has a rose garden. Does this rose garden grow baby's breath also? [This is an attempt at humor - and referencing the famous White House Rose Garden. Whether he actually got the flowers from the Rose Garden is moot - as is the baby's breath.]
Edit Corrected by Bruce
The president announces he is going to rewrite a new bill. The president can only sign or veto laws. The legislature is the only branch with the power to write laws. [The president - or anyone - can write a bill. It's just that the legislative branch of the government is the only branch with the power to introduce bills into the process for which they can be turned into laws or amendments. The president probably has a loyal party congressman introduce the bill.]
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