A Legacy Unveiled – Faith, Freedom, and the Man Behind the Presidency

Not everyone loved Ronald Reagan as president, but even those who didn’t love him, will admit that he was a successful president. If you lived those years, you know that Reagan was The Great Communicator. Additionally, you will never forget the infamous speech, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” This iconic sentence continues to resonate with Americans decades later. However, this movie may not be suitable for all people, and in this Reagan Christian Movie Review & Parent Guide, I give you the information you need before viewing this movie with your children. 

Reagan Christian Movie Review 

Studio Synopsis: 

From dusty small-town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, REAGAN is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent whose life becomes inextricably linked with Ronald Reagan’s when Reagan first caught the Soviets’ attention as an actor in Hollywood, this film offers a perspective as unique as it is captivating. 

Dennis Quaid brings to life a story that transcends the boundaries of a traditional biopic, offering a profound exploration of the enduring impact of the power of one man who overcame the odds, sustained by the love of a woman who supported him in his journey. 

My Synopsis: 

“Everything in life happens for a reason.” Reagan was an actor, and through life events, he felt called to run for Governor of California and then President of the United States. This film looks at Reagan’s life from childhood, his time in the White House, the assassination attempt on his life, and some other very public events. However, it also shows the viewer some behind-the-scenes conversations of the 40th President of the United States.

Reagan Christian Review – What Parents Want to Know 

Language: 

Several uses of foul language including h-ll, d-mn,and a-ss.

Violence: 

There was an assassination attempt on President Reagan’s life and since this is Reagan’s life story, this event is highlighted.

Spiritual Content: 

The Bible verse 2 Chronicles 7:14 is quoted: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Someone says, “God has a purpose for your life,” “Remember whose you are and who you serve,” “It wasn’t God’s will,” and “Good triumphs over evil.”

A baptism is performed in a river.

A minister prophecies over Reagan’s life. 

Adult Content: 

There is smoking and drinking throughout the film. A person gets drunk.

At a protest, someone holds a sign that says, “Make Love, Not War.”

Teaching with the Reagan Movie

This is an inspiring and uplifting film that gives you a glimpse of Ronald Reagan’s life. The story of Ronald Reagan cannot be condensed into two hours and fifteen minutes. However, this is a good starting point to study our 40th President.

While my favorite president was George Washington, and I have visited Mount Vernon several times, I have never visited many Presidential houses or libraries. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California would be a great place to visit.

Reagan Christian Movie Review – My Viewing Recommendations 

I am fully convinced that if there is a very negative Rotten Tomatoes score for a Christian-based movie, audiences will love it! The current viewer Rotten Tomato score is 98%. It is an excellent movie that certainly moved me to tears. I saw this film with my family in the movie theater, and at that time, the 2024 Presidential election had not taken place. I left the theater skeptical if there would ever be another great President. Additionally, there were a few things I had forgotten about Reagan such as the 1976 Republican primary which he lost to Gerald Ford.

This film is educational and entertaining. It glosses over a few key points, but it is an excellent biographical sketch of Reagan’s story. However, it is rated PG-13, but it is a mild PG-13. Small children will be bored, and the length of the movie (at 2 hours, 15 minutes) is too much for most children and pre-teens. Dennis Quaid does a good job at capturing the mannerism of Ronald Reagan most of the time, but there were definitely moments that I saw Dennis Quaid and not Reagan. Overall, this is a worthwhile film honoring one of America’s favorite presidents. 

About the Movie Reagan

Rating: PG-13 for violent content and smoking

Release Date: August 30, 2024

Runtime: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Genre: History/Drama/ Biography

Studio: Rawhide Pictures, MJM Entertainment Group, Makeshift Productions

Directed by: Sean McNamara

Written by: Mark Joseph

Based on: The Crusader by Paul Kengor

Produced by: Mark Joseph

Edited by: Clayton Woodhull, Jeff W. Canavan

Music by: John Coda

Distributed by: ShowBiz Direct

The Cast of Reagan:

Ronald Reagan played by Dennis Quaid (Recently seen in The Long Game)

Dutch Reagan played by Tommy Ragen

Young Ronald Reagan played by David Henrie

Nancy Reagan played by Penelope Ann Miller

Victor Petrovich, KGB officer played by Jon Voight

Jane Wyman, first wife of Ronald Reagan played by Mena Suvari

Jack Warner of Warner Bros. Studio played by Kevin Dillon

William “Judge” Clark played by Mark Moses

John Barletta played by Trevor Donovan

Mikhail Gorbachev played by Olek Krupa

Andrei Novikov played by Alex Sparrow

Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union played by Robert Davi

Nelle Reagan played by Amanda Righetti

Older Nelle Reagan played by Jennifer O’Neill

Jack Reagan played by Justin Chatwin

Tip O’Neill, Democrat Speaker of the House played by Dan Lauria

Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom played by Lesley-Anne Down

Edwin Meese played by Will Wallace

George Shultz, Secretary of State played by Xander Berkeley

Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense played by C. Thomas Howell

Eduard Shevardnandze, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs “The Silver Fox” played by Marshall R. Teague

Dana Rohrabacher played by Derek Richardson

B.E. Kertchman played by Elya Baskin

Reverend Ben Cleaver played by Kevin Sorbo

James Baker, White House Chief of Staff played by Nick Searcy

George Otis played by Pat Boone

William Casey, Director of the CIA played by Darryl Cox

President Jimmy Carter played by Skip Schwink

Frank Sinatra played by Scott Stapp

Nancy Sinatra played by Heather Ashley Chase

Patti Davis played by Eoisa Huggins (daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan)