My Fellow Americans

I have to say that I totally disagree with the last comment I read on this movie. I think it's a very funny, well acted comedy. I think I watched it about six times in the last four years and it never fails to crack me up, I've enjoyed it as much the last time as the first time. Jack Lemmon is a great comedy actor and so is James Garner. It splashes of the screen that they had fun playing their parts. They play very well of each other. The script may not be the best written script ever, but it certainly contains a whole bunch of very funny one-liners, as well as a good deal of visual comedy. The casting is good also the supporting roles from Jon Heard, Dan Aykroyd, Wilford Brimley and Lauren Baccal.

All in all it is a very entertaining film, witch I recommend to anyone who is seeking for an evening of letting all tensions gliding of you and having many good laughs.

On a scale 1-10, I give it an 8.

"My Fellow Americans" boasts a well-crafted and quite funny script about two former presidents and longtime political rivals who must team up to expose a criminal scheme in which the sitting chief executive is implicated. Along the way, their efforts result in numerous farcically-staged attempts on their lives. That the screenplay works quite well in political thriller terms, with dramatically satisfying plot twists throughout, is rewarding enough; it's so much icing on the cake that the accompanying gags are equally strong, making this one of the most facile blends of suspense and comedy since the films of Colin Higgins. The screenplay's considerable entertainment value -- particularly for a political junkie -- is enhanced and brought to its full potential by solid direction and cutting, as well as the unassailable professionalism of a first-rate cast. The on screen chemistry and formidable comic timing of Jack Lemmon and James Garner as the former presidents, in their first and only screen pairing, is delightful, and thankfully so: one or both dominate almost every scene in the film. They receive equally expert support from Lauren Bacall, demonstrating her rarely-exploited talent for comedy; Dan Aykroyd in an uncharacteristically restrained performance; and the always-solidly professional John Heard, as well as an extraordinarily sharp supporting cast studded with many familiar faces -- such as Wilford Brimley ("China Syndrome"), Sela Ward, and Esther Rolle of "Good Times" fame -- though not all are necessarily household names. Any lover of political satire or action-oriented farce will find this film's running time to be time well spent, and C-SPAN addicts -- provided that they have a sense of humor about their passion – will be richly rewarded.

Those two old pros, Jack Lemmon and James Garner, in their only film together provide quite a few laughs in what would normally be a very serious subject, a constitutional crisis.

Two former presidents, Lemmon a Republican and Garner a Democrat, have a real nasty rivalry going. But when current president Dan Ackroyd tries to pin a kickback in a defense contract scandal on his fellow Republican Lemmon things get good and nasty. Garner gets into it when he starts checking on which Republican really is the crooked one and stumbles on the murdered defense contractor.

After that when the two presidents are nearly killed when a government helicopter blows up, they are on the run. They are forced into an alliance of convenience.

Despite this description, it is in fact a comedy with these two men who even as ex-Presidents are used to having everything done for them. Quite amusing indeed when they're forced out on their own.

It's funny, but there are some trenchant comments about the state of politics and life in general in America at the turn of the new millennium. Lauren Bacall is in this oh too briefly as Lemmon's wife and Dan Ackroyd is the current president with John Heard as his Dan Quayle like Vice President.

Republican or Democrat most viewers will vote thumbs up for My Fellow Americans.

So many professional actors, so much sophomoric humor. You gotta love it.

"My Fellow Americans" features Jack Lemmon and James Garner as ex-presidents on the run when they discover a cover-up with the present Chief of Staff (Dan Aykroyd) in the middle.

This isn't a movie anyone's going to take seriously, and well they shouldn't. There are lots of moments here that will elicit a laugh or two, maybe three. And what plot there is whizzes by at such a fast pace that there's more time to concentrate on the guffaws.

Lemmon and Garner play their parts as you'd expect. That they go the dumb route is no surprise; in fact, it makes their presence here all the more entertaining. Aykroyd basically plays the heavy here, so there's no real chance for him to generate any laughs. A shame, since he's usually so good at that.

Then there's the fact that real gems like Bacall and Brimley and Ward are just given throw-away parts; it's good to see them, of course, but you'd figure they'd have more to do (especially Bacall!!).

Kudos, though, to John Heard as the dim-witted Vice President. Some of the biggest laughs in this movie (for me) came from him. His eulogy at the funeral scene early in the movie always makes me laugh out, as does his pithy observations such as "Hey, a hat!". Beats me why he isn't in more movies.

As I said, the laughs are there, and if you demand nothing more from a comedy than to laugh, you'll want to do your political duty and rent "My Fellow Americans" - the one movie that insults both parties equally.

Seven stars, plus one extra for putting up an excellent "fakade".

I was very impressed with MY FELLOW AMERICANS the first time I watched it. I was expecting the film to be horrid as it starred Jack Lemmon (which is great) but had James Garner in place of Walter Matthau. I thought this might create a problem, but no.

The story is very fresh and original and the dialogue is witty and the film is filled with a biting sense of sarcasm. It is a touching film at that as well, because it teaches good life lessons about how you should not waste your time and just get right to living. The film has violence and action sequences (explosions, gun shots) that almost make it seem like an action comedy. But, no this is no action comedy. Just a good clean, fun comedy.

The role played by James Garner is very well written and it seems that his role was written with Matthau in mind. But, Garner takes his place well and the film would not have been the same without him. Truly hilarious. MY FELLOW AMERICANS: 4/5.