Dick

Frankly, they're not actually requirements. I saw both of the other movies long after I had seen Dick many times, and we sort of ran out of time in high school history class in the 50's so we did 1955-1997 in about three days. So it's not REQUIRED that you be a scholar of the Nixon era to enjoy this movie: but it is worth it to see at least "All the President's Men" first.

This is a brilliant, brilliant movie. Hugely underrated. The movie takes the events of Watergate and structures them around two dim-witted teenage girls ("I've known yams with more going on upstairs, sir") who accidentaly stuble onto the Watergate burglars as they sneak down to the parking garage (putting duct tape over the self-locking door latch so that they can get back in without waking up Arlene's mom) to mail a letter to "win a date with Bobby Sherman."

Through the course of the movie, all of the Watergate mysteries are explained. Whatever happened to Checkers, whatever happened to the 18 1/2 minutes, whatever happened to stop nuclear war with the Russians, why Nixon was so paranoid, and why the famous source called himself "Deep Throat." It's all here. Well written and acted, Dan Heydaya is maybe the best Nixon ever to hit the screen.

"You smell like cabbage!"

If you love the memory of President Nixon, you might not like this movie as he is portrayed in a negative comical light. If you don't know much about the Watergate coverup, much of the movie won't make sense. If this is the case, you should watch "All The President's Men" first.

In a very small nutshell, the girls surprise G. Gordon Liddy in a stairwell as he is talking the the Watergate "Plumbers". Later on a field trip to the White House, they see him again with a paper stuck to his shoe - the CREEP list with dollar amounts next to names - that they keep as a souvenir. Haldeman (Dave Foley) questions them, then the girls play with Checkers, Nixon's dog. Nixon (Dan Hedaya) offers to make them official dog walkers. Later, they decide to bake some "Hello Dolly" cookies for Nixon, and unknowingly use a special ingredient that Betsy's druggy brother had mixed in with the walnuts.

In the back story, we find out that Arlene misses her father who died in an accident before she was born.

The girls return to White House without an invitation and get hassled but finally get in with the help of Henry Kissinger (Saul Rubinek). They see Nixon, and give him cookies, and Nixon tapes their conversation. They take Checkers for a walk, and when the return, see document shredding and money.

In school, Betsy and Arlen give speeches about White House visit. Arlene gets dreamy about the president and replaces Bobby Sherman's posters with Nixon on her bedroom wall.

Back at the White House, Nixon meets with Brezhnev, and Nixon shares cookies with him. They end up singing "Hello Dolly".

Arlene faling in love with Nixon. In a fantasy sequense, Nixon rides a horse on the beach, then "twirls" with Arlene, and they look at a White House sand castle. Arlene starts Nixon scrap book.

The girls recognize Liddy on the TV news. Alene calls Nixon while he is watching "Love, American Style" when Arlene calls him to ask about "that Wategate thing".

The girls return to walk Checkers, and discover the taping system in secretary Rosemary Woods desk. They tape a message for Nixon. Arlene confesses her love for him. They hear some tape of Nixon cursing, and yelling at Checkers, and they are disappointed. They confront Nixon about Watergate. Arlene removes his pictures and burns them.

They talk to reporters Woodward and Bernstein on the phone then agree to meet them in person. Subsequently, they are harassed by a "Plumbers" van. They go to Haldeman's house to get tapes Haldeman took home. Arlene overhears an incriminating phone call between Haldeman and the White House. They steal a tape and give the transcript to Woodward and Bernstein.

Nixon is drinking and listening to his tapes, and hears Arlene's singing "I Honestly Love You" and love confession. Nixon erases 18-1/2 minutes of the tape.

Girls see Nixon on department store TVs as he resigns. They hold up a nasty banner and wave goodbye to him as he helicopters away. He gives them the finger.

The DVD has a commentary by director/co-writers, a short "Making of" documentary, one deleted scene (an Arlene- and-Nixon beach nightmare), a blooper reel that is really funny, trailers to this and 2 other movies, text talent files, and an isolated score/soundtrack of really groovy 70's songs. If the cultural references (Kung Fu and Alka-Seltzer commercials, etc) don't get you, maybe the day-glow clothes will.