Imagine, if you will, the scenario of a President of the United States of America committing an indescribable sexual indiscretion in the Oval Office of the White House, only to find that the whole of America knows about it....
The movie was never actually conceived to be a movie; it was actually a group project initiated by producer Jane Rosenthal, director Barry Levinson, Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro after reading American Hero by Larry Beinhart. His novel was loosely adapted by the group who wanted to create a hypothetical witty, razor-sharp look at American politics, side-swiping political pundits, Hollywood and the media as they try to divert the public's attention from an unimaginable sex scandal that has taken place in the Oval Office of the White House. The main cover-up is executed by a political spin doctor decides to fabricate a story about a war erupting in Albania just to take the attention away from a President who cannot seem to abstain from sex even when he is at work, but who wants to run for a second term in office, and needs something that will make him appear heroic, instead of sleazy. From the cocoon of an idea of a short film emerged the full length feature film butterfly that was Wag the Dog; the original book and developed idea became a screenplay by David Mamet and Hilary Henkin.
The cast of the film was nothing short of stellar; two of the conceptual team behind the movie, Hoffman and De Niro, were join by Woody Harrelson, Denis Leary and Anne Heche; a special cameo performance was given by country music legend Willie Nelson. It also featured Kirsten Dunst, making the transition from child actress to Hollywood star. Many recognizable faces were brought in to "play" themselves, including Willie Nelson contemporary Merle Haggard, and Jim Belushi. Robert De Niro's daughter, Drena, was seen briefly as an airport gate stewardess.
When we look at the film in retrospect we immediately think that it is an example of art mirroring life; in fact, life mirrored art, because a mere one month after the release of the movie the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal became public; the Clinton administration bombed the Al-shifa Pharmaceutical Company in Sudan less than a month afterwards, drawing rather obvious comparisons to the film; many wondered if the President had picked up the idea from watching it. As impeachment neared, Clinton then decided to bomb Iraq leading people to make further comparisons between the fictional spin-doctoring done in the movie, and the real life story that was unfolding before their eyes.
There are further similarities in the movie (although none quite so glaring as the comparison between the fictional and the real-life President). Stanley Motss is rumored to have been based on Robert Evans, a renowned producer whose body of work includes Love Story, Rosemary's Baby & The Godfather. Dustin Hoffman, who brings Stanley Motss to life, has always denied the basis for his character in the film and has always claimed to have based Motss on his father, Harry, who was a prop manager for Columbia Pictures.
The movie was well received by both audiences and critics, and garnered several major award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Dustin Hoffman (Best Actor in a Leading Role) and a Best Screenplay nomination for David Mamet and Hilary Henkin. The movie won the Silver Berlin Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
