| Wag the Dog | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Barry Levinson |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | American Hero 1993 novel by Larry Beinhart |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Robert Richardson |
| Edited by | Stu Linder |
| Music by | Mark Knopfler |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
Release dates |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million[1] |
| Box office | $64.3 million[2] |
Wag the Dog is a 1997 American black comedy political satire film starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro.[1] Produced and directed by Barry Levinson, the film centers on a spin doctor and a Hollywood producer who fabricate a war in Albania to distract voters from a presidential sex scandal. The screenplay by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet was loosely adapted from Larry Beinhart's 1993 novel, American Hero.
The title of the film comes from the English-language idiom "the tail wagging the dog",[3] used to indicate attention that is purposely being diverted from something of greater importance to something of lesser.
Wag the Dog was released one month before the news broke of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and the bombing of the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan by the Clinton administration in August 1998, which prompted the media to draw comparisons between the film and reality.[4] The comparison was also made in December 1998, when the administration initiated a bombing campaign of Iraq during Clinton's impeachment trial for the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal.[5] It was made again in spring 1999, when the administration intervened in the Kosovo War and initiated a bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, which, coincidentally, bordered Albania and contained ethnic Albanians.[6]
The film grossed $64.3 million on a $15 million budget, and was well received by critics, who praised the direction, performances, themes and humor. Hoffman received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, and screenwriters David Mamet and Hilary Henkin were both nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
- ^ a b Turan, Kenneth (December 24, 1997). "'Wag the Dog' Is a Comedy With Some Real Bite to It". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
A gloriously cynical black comedy that functions as a wicked smart satire on the interlocking world of politics and show business ...
- ^ "Wag the Dog (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ "Idiom: wag the dog". UsingEnglish.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
- ^ "Wag the Dog Back In Spotlight". CNN. August 20, 1998. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "Cohen criticizes 'wag the dog' characterization". CNN. March 23, 2004. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ Reed, Julia (April 11, 1999). "Welcome to Wag the Dog Three". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.