Director
Barry Levinson
Leading Actors/Actresses
Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and Anne Heche
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Woody Harrelson and Denis Leary
Genre
Comedy
Language
English
Awards
Wag the Dog was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman and Best Adapted Screenplay
Date of Release
December 25th, 1997
Producer
Barry Levinson and Robert De Niro
Setting and Context
The film is primarily set in the United States.
Narrator and Point of View
Wag the Dog is told through the point of view of Conrad Brean.
Tone and Mood
Solemn, Strange, Energetic, Fun, Scandalous, Mysterious, Daft, Conspiratorial, Revelatory, and Sad
Protagonist and Antagonist
Conrad Brean/Motss
Major Conflict
Breans attempts to fake the war in the face of adversity -- particularly from Motss.
Climax
The climax of the film occurs when Motss is killed.
Foreshadowing
Motss' death is foreshadowed early on in the film.
Understatement
The value Motss brings to the president's publicity efforts is understated (especially towards the end of the film).
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Wag the Dog is undeniably well-made and well-shot, but it isn't innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
To other films, geography (the places the film is set), religion (Islam/Christianity,etc.), history (of the United States, particularly) , politics, music, popular culture, the Bible, mythology, important people, books (especially American Hero), science, technology (see: weapons of war/other technology used in the film), cultural movements (hippie movement/nationalist movement), and philosophy.
Paradox
Motss essentially saves the presidency, yet is still killed.
Parallelism
There are no big instances of parallelism in Wag the Dog.
