The verdict is beginning to settle in on the new Ronald Reagan biopic, and, like RR himself, the jury is split.
For the pundits and the critics who find everything about the 40th president cloying and simplistic, the movie is irritatingly pat. Look as closely as one can, they say, there isn’t a single nuance or complication at hand on which to dwell. For the audience attending “Reagan,” these qualities of sweet simplicity are among the film’s virtues. The movie is a smash, currently the third-highest grossing film in America.
Anyone looking for an objective take on this version of Reagan’s life will have to continue looking elsewhere. I rest easily among those who, like Paul Kengor who wrote the book on which “Reagan” is based, regard the 1980s as an era of American renewal that came about not only because of Reagan’s creedal optimism but because of his…
