Wag the Dog

Wag the Dog
Wag the Dog
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Barry Levinson
Screenplay by	Hilary Henkin; David Mamet;
Based on	American Hero; by Larry Beinhart
Produced by	Barry Levinson; Robert De Niro; Jane Rosenthal;
Starring	Dustin Hoffman; Robert De Niro; Anne Heche; Denis Leary; Willie Nelson; Andrea Martin; Kirsten Dunst;
Cinematography	Robert Richardson
Edited by	Stu Linder
Music by	Mark Knopfler
Production; companies	Baltimore Pictures; TriBeCa Productions;
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release dates	December 17, 1997 (Century City); December 25, 1997 (United States);
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$15 million
Box office	$64.3 million

Wag the Dog is a 1997 American political satire black comedy film produced and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro.^[1] The film centers on a spin doctor and a Hollywood producer who fabricates 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.

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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.
^ "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.

[Turan-1] 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 ...

[BOM-2] "Wag the Dog (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2017.

[3] "Wag the Dog Back In Spotlight". CNN. August 20, 1998. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2013.

[4] "Cohen criticizes 'wag the dog' characterization". CNN. March 23, 2004. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2018.

[5] 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.

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