Tricky "I am not a crook" Dick or President Richard Millhouse Nixon. Whatever you call this rightly beleaguered former president, he was a complex, insecure and fascinating man - a true tragic figure. Anthony Hopkins leads an ensemble cast in this controversial Oliver Stone drama about one of the most embattled presidents in American history. Brilliantly conceived, this bi-opic charts Nixon's path from childhood to the peak of the Watergate scandal - which resulted in the disgraced president's resignation. This film received four Academy Award nominations including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay. It also stars Joan Allen (brilliantly playing former First Lady Pat Nixon), James Woods, David Hyde Pierce, Ed Harris and J.T. Walsh.

Director Oliver Stone's epic-length movie about former American President Richard M. Nixon spans the controversial leader's life from his childhood days in California to his resignation from office. Among the many moments of Nixon's life that the film covers are his college days, his political defeats in 1960 and 1962, his presidential victory, his historic visit to China and, of course, Watergate. The film argues that Nixon's strict Quaker upbringing and the deaths of his two brothers from tuberculosis played strong roles in forging his character traits and complex personality. "Nixon" portrays the former president as a self-destructive leader who suffered from survival guilt, distrust of nearly everyone around him, and an obsession with power -- all of which led to his downfall. Stone once again combines various film stocks and techniques, mixing together color, black and white, 35 mm, and Super 8 footage.

This dramatic, warts and all (though not warts alone) account of the rise and fall of Richard Nixon recounts his harsh childhood, his political ascendancy beginning in law school and eventually leading to his becoming the 37th President of the United States, and his ignominious resignation in the midst of the Watergate scandal. The videocassette release contains 20-minutes of footage not included in the initial theatrical release. Actual running time for the BVHV release is 212 minutes. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Actor--Anthony Hopkins, Best Supporting Actress--Joan Allen and Best Original Screenplay.

Produced in association with Illusion Entertainment. Shot in Panavision widescreen. Color by Technicolor. The movie utilizes color, black and white, 35mm and Super 8 film. Released theatrically in the USA December 20, 1995. The film grossed $13.7 million domestically. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Boston Society of Film Critics each voted Joan Allen best supporting actress of 1995. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association also voted Anthony Hopkins runner-up for its best actor award. The video includes five scenes (lasting about 20 minutes total) that were not included in the finished film. They have been added after the film's credits. One of the sequences features Sam Waterston as former CIA Director Richard Helms. Helms himself had threatened the filmmakers with a libel suit if it appeared in the movie. Additional credits: Christine Franson (production coordinator), Lenny Vullo (UPM), Scott Robertson (assistant director), Monika Mikkelsen (casting associate), Thomas J. Nordberg (associate editor), Cydney Cornell (hair designer), Alexander Butterfield, John Dean, John Newman, & John P. Sears (technical consultants), Robert Scheer & Christopher Wells Scheer (project consultants). Songs: "(Love Is) The Tender Trap" performed by "Rev" Dave Boruff "Life's the Darndest Thing"; "Last Round"; My Baby Said She'd Marry Me"; "I Like to Pet" by Bill Elliott, performed by Bill Elliott, Rick Riso, Frederick Hodges "A Mil" (traditional), performed by Fajardo, Aguilo, Nelson, Bol, Paquito y Echevarria y Manteca "Fever" by John Davenport, Eddie Cooley "Guadalcanal March", "Mare Nostrum" performed by RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra" "Mazurka in D Major", "Waltz in B Minor" performed by Elizabeth Yaron "Gloria (la parte)" performed by Ninos Cantores del Valle de Chalco A companion book, edited by Eric Hamburg, was also released. It includes the film's screenplay, transcripts from the Watergate tapes and commentary. The script contains footnotes revealing historical sources used by Oliver Stone. Former Nixon aides John Dean and Alexander Butterfield were technical advisers. Last film for costume designer Richard Hornung, who died of AIDS December 30, 1995, at the age of 45. His first feature film was "Raising Arizona," and he won an Oscar for his work in the movie "Barton Fink." The White House sets in this film were also used in Rob Reiner's "The American President" and Mel Brooks's "Dracula: Dead and Loving It". Director Oliver Stone's original choice for the role of Richard Nixon was Tom Hanks. The Hollywood Pictures Home Video VHS version (HPHV# 6701) includes never before seen footage and an interview with director Oliver Stone. The Hollywood Pictures CLV laserdisc version (Cat. #6701AS) includes nearly an hour's worth of deleted and newly expanded scenes in a special supplement following the film itself. Soundtrack on Illusion Records/Hollywood Records. Rated BBFC 15 by the British Board of Film Classification. Copyright 1995 Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Inc. and Cinergi Productions N.V. Inc.