| Head of State | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Chris Rock |
| Written by | Chris Rock Ali LeRoi |
| Produced by | Michael Rotenberg Chris Rock Ali LeRoi |
| Starring | Chris Rock Bernie Mac Dylan Baker Nick Searcy Robin Givens Lynn Whitfield Tamala Jones James Rebhorn |
| Cinematography | Donald E. Thorin |
| Edited by | Stephen A. Rotter |
| Music by | Marcus Miller DJ Quik |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Box office | $38.6 million[1] |
Head of State is a 2003 American politicalcomedy film directed, written by, produced by and starringChris Rock and co-starringBernie Mac. It marked thedirectorial debut of Rock, who had previously worked as a writer, producer, and actor.
The plot follows a minor politician who unexpectedly becomesthe president of the United States. The title refers to one of the president's functions as the Americanhead of state.
Critical reviews were mixed to negative, and the film was a box office disappointment. This was the last film by cinematographerDonald E. Thorin.
Mays Gilliam is thealderman for the 9th Ward inWashington, D.C. After learning he is likely to lose his job and getting dumped by his girlfriend, Kim, Gilliam is unexpectedly chosen as theDemocratic Partycandidate for the 2004 presidential election after his party's original presidential and vice-presidential nominees die in a plane crash and he is lauded as a hero for saving a woman from an explosion. Assuming the election was already lost to incumbentRepublican vice-president Brian Lewis, the Democrats decided to pick a likable but unwinnable minority candidate to improve their chances in the 2008 presidential election.
At first, Gilliam feels he will not be able to succeed as president because he would be representing the entire African-American populace, and does not want to do anything to damage his reputation. However, Gilliam begins to rise in the polls after his brother Mitch persuades him to speak out for what he believes in. He ditches the bland, boring, and uncontroversial speeches prepared for him and begins to talk honestly about major issues such as welfare, healthcare, income inequality, and society overall. Mays even finds time to romance Lisa Clark, a gas station attendant he crosses paths with, and who has been a huge supporter of Mays.
After Lewis runs a series of attack ads including one saying Gilliam supports cancer, Gilliam begins to fight back using what he claimed was "kissing" his opponent (taken fromBugs Bunny–Elmer Fudd cartoons). A part of this strategy includes dubbing a videotape ofOsama bin Laden saying he hates America but loves Brian Lewis. This strategy gains Gilliam even more points in the polls.
As election day draws closer, Gilliam eventually learns the reason why he was chosen as the party candidate, fires some disloyal campaign operatives (despite them having reconciled with him afterwards), andchooses his brother as his running mate. He later has a debate with his opponent in which he manages to win the crowd over by speaking truth about American life. Finally, Gilliam ends up winning the presidency, and proposes to Lisa by saying he wants to make her hisFirst Lady.
Rock said inHBO First Look that he got the idea from the 1984 Democratic presidential nomineeWalter Mondale, who choseGeraldine Ferraro—a woman—as his running mate.[2] The Democrats knew they had little chance of defeatingRonald Reagan, but selected Ferraro in hopes of gaining female support.
Theceremonial first pitch scene was filmed prior to aBaltimore Orioles–Toronto Blue Jays game atCamden Yards on August 24, 2002.[3]
Boston comedian and actorJimmy Tingle has the role of a talk show host, in which he interviews Bernie Mac’s character Mitch.
Part of the presidential debate is a verbatim repeat of Monty Python'sArgument Clinic.
In one scene, Gilliam quotes "The Roof Is on Fire" byRock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three.
According to the DVD audio commentary, the scene where Gilliam sings "Deep in the Heart of Texas" is a reference toPee-wee's Big Adventure, wherePee-Wee Herman does the same thing.[4]
Head of State received generally negative reviews from critics. OnRotten Tomatoes, the film maintains a score of 30% approval rating from 120 critics, with the critical consensus reading, "Head of State squanders its potentially ripe premise with watered-down satire and formulaic gags."[5] OnMetacritic, the film maintains a score of 44/100, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[6] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[7]
Roger Ebert, writing forChicago Sun-Times, gave the film 3/4 stars, writing that it's "an imperfect movie, but not a boring one and not lacking in intelligence."[8]
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