Movie Nights with the Reagans: A Memoir

This amiable political memoir recounts the movie nights hosted by President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan over weekends at Camp David. Former assistant press secretary Weinberg dedicates each chapter to a different screening, tying the films into aspects of Reagan’s presidency or personal life. Titles discussed include such hits of the era as E.T. (screened soon after the inauguration of the Space Shuttle Program), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (which lifted the president’s spirits after a stressful medical checkup), and Top Gun (which reflected growing esteem for the military after its post–Vietnam War fall from grace). Added to the mix are Reagan’s own Knute Rockne All American and Hellcats of the Navy, the only film in which he and his wife appeared together. As a longtime Reagan staffer, Weinberg has plenty of admiring stories to share about Reagan’s charm and leadership style, recalling how the president stood by him when the White House chief of staff tried to fire him. The author’s recollections tend to be less than revelatory, but in general he paints an intimate, pleasant picture of the Reagan White House. For those equally enthused about movies and the 40th president, this book will serve as a welcome change from today’s political climate. (Mar.)