Stars: Sean Penn, Don Cheadle, Jack Thompson, Naomi Watts

Director: Niels Mueller

Summary: A man separated from his family, working nine to five in a mundane job looks for someone to blame. Richard Nixon, President Of The United States looks like a good candidate...

Sean Penn gives yet another remarkable performance as troubled soul Sam Bicke in Niels Mueller's debut feature film, THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON. As the Watergate scandal is breaking and President Nixon can be seen all over the television and newspapers, Bicke struggles to earn money as an office furniture salesman as he tries to win back his estranged wife, Marie (a brunette Naomi Watts). He has grand plans of starting a mobile tire store with his friend Bonny (Don Cheadle), but he is so blinded by truth and honesty that he stands in the way of his own potential success. His rage continues to build as he sees another man spending time with Marie and the kids until he cannot control it any longer and resolves to kill Nixon, whom he blames for all of society's ills. Mueller, who co-wrote the script with Kevin Kennedy, tells the story in a series of flashbacks as Bicke dictates into a tape recorder the sad details of his life to composer Leonard Bernstein, the only person he thinks will understand him. Penn immerses himself in this difficult, challenging role, playing a simple man on the verge of exploding. From the way he covets his moustache to how he reacts when he's around Marie, Penn embodies Bicke, who sees himself as representative of the loss of the American dream. Based on true events, the film also deals with the racism and sexism that was rampant in the early-to-mid-1970s.

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In The Assasination of Richard Nixon, Sean Penn is Samuel Bicke, whose life, circa 1974, has become unbearable. His wife (Naomi Watts) has left him, his dead-end sales job is killing him--even his best friend (Don Cheadle) has had enough. Bicke's a loser, but at least he's an honest one. Nixon, the epitome of dishonesty, becomes the locus of his rage, so Bicke devises a plan to eliminate him. Paul Schrader claims he finished writing Taxi Driver before the real-life Byck attempted to assassinate the president. Maybe so, but the similarities are hard to ignore (and "Bickle" sounds a lot like "Byck"). Niels Mueller (Tadpole) doesn't disguise the fact that his debut was inspired by the guy. If The Assassination of Richard Nixondoesn't hit Taxi Driver's (admittedly lofty) heights, it's still a discomfiting look at a man determined to leave his mark on the world, only to become a footnote. --Kathleen C. Fennessy, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Director Commentary, Deleted Scenes With Commentary, Behind The Scenes Featurette, Sean Penn Press Conference, Trailer And TV Spots, The Real Sam Bicke Profile
Year:	2004
Release Date:	September 5, 2005
Runtime:	91 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	M T D 5208
Keywords:	Assassination, General, Richard, Nixon, Drama
Genre:	Drama