The Assassination of Richard Nixon

Infobox Film | name =The Assassination of Richard Nixon


caption = Promotional poster for "The Assassination of Richard Nixon"
director = Niels Mueller
producer = Alfonso Cuarón
Jorge Vergara
writer = Mueller
Kevin Kennedy
starring = Sean Penn
Don Cheadle
Naomi Watts
music = Steven M. Stern
cinematography = Emmanuel Lubezki
editing = Jay Cassidy
distributor = ThinkFilm
released = December 29 2004
runtime = 95 min.
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0364961

"The Assassination of Richard Nixon" is a 2004 American film, directed by Niels Mueller. It stars Sean Penn, Don Cheadle and Naomi Watts, and is based on the story of would-be assassin Samuel Byck, who plotted to kill Richard Nixon in 1974.

Characters

The main characters are:
*Samuel J. Byck - (Penn) a salesman with a history of short-lived jobs.
*Marie Andersen Byck - (Watts) Byck's ex-wife.
*Bonny Simmons - (Cheadle) Byck's best friend and potential business partner.

Plot

When Byck begins working for a furniture company, his boss Jack Jones (Jack Thompson) encourages him to become a better salesman by reading books such as Norman Vincent Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" and listening to similar audio tapes. Jones also tells Byck that he thinks Richard Nixon is the greatest salesman since he sold two election promises to the American people and reneged on them both yet remained in power.

Byck has a business idea to start a mobile tire store, operating from a bus, with his friend Bonny. During an interview for a small business loan, he begins to rant about how his brother's tire business was dishonest and how he couldn't tolerate that. His unhappiness at his job grows, especially as Jones believes only in employing married men and Byck is unable to convince Marie, his estranged wife, to pretend to be together for a company husbands-wives dinner. Byck knows that his time at this company is running out and is relying on the small business loan being approved. He is unable to speed the process up when he arranges a meeting with the loan manager.

Watching the mailbox daily for a letter regarding the loan, he receives notification of the divorce from Marie and is upset that she didn't give them time to try to amend things. She has also moved in with another man. He receives a letter from the Small Business Administration (a United States government agency) notifying him that they have turned down his application. He believes this is because they are racist, knowing that Bonny would be a partner.

Without the loan, he resorts to trying to deceive one of his brother's tire suppliers into giving him tires so he can start his business. It is unsuccessful and his brother (Michael Wincott) is waiting in Byck's apartment to confront him and inform him that Bonny has been arrested for receiving stolen goods. He descends into depression and paranoia, blaming all his troubles on then-president Richard Nixon. Inspired by news reports of the February 17, 1974, actions of Robert K. Preston (who buzzed the White House with a stolen helicopter), Byck plans to hijack an aircraft and to crash it into the White House.

Stealing Bonny's pistol, he rushes upon an aircraft when he feels his plan to get past the metal detectors and security won't work. He shoots an airport security policeman and both of the pilots (one fatally) before demanding that a female passenger help fly the plane. After being shot by a police officer through the plane door window, Byck decides to commit suicide. The story of the hijacking eventually reaches the news, and the broadcast is seen on the televisions situated in the work places of Bonny and Marie, however as they pass the television set, they go about their business despite the fact that Byck's name is mentioned. The film ends with the image of Byck wandering and pacing his lonely apartment.

ee also

* List of films based on actual events

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0364961|title=The Assassination of Richard Nixon