Widowed Andrew Shepherd is in his first term as president when he meets Sydney Ellen Wade, an environmental lobbyist who inadvertantly makes a Presidental insult her first impression. Admiring her pluck, President Shepherd invites her to be his date for a State Dinner at The White House. This opens the door to the re-election character debate he wasn't subjected to during his initial run due to his widower status.

In a wonderfully idealistic democratic administration, this film takes on issues including privacy, gun control, negative compaigning, flag burning, the ACLU and environmental policy. Wonderful performances by Martin Sheen as the Chief of Staff (who later took a promotion to President in The West Wing), Michael J. Fox and Annette Bening make this charming film an educational and inspirational guilty pleasure.

Most Pleasureable Guilty Pleasures:
Andy's speech in the pressroom.

Guilty Pleasure Factoid:
This film was written by Aaron Sorkin, whose 1999 TV hit
The West Wing makes use of the same intricate White House sets.