Movie Review: "Hyde Park On Hudson"

"Hyde Park On Hudson": A-.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the President of the United States who led us out of the Great Depression and was still in charge when the country entered the Second World War. He is typically listed among the top four or five greatest presidents in our nation's history. It would be easy to gather enough data to produce a cinematic blockbuster extravaganza about FDR's presidency. I can't imagine a Steven Spielberg or James Cameron bi-epic coming in at less than three hours. Even the great philosopher, Mick Jagger, once said, "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing." Luckily, director Roger Michell does not subscribe to the Jagger School Of Excess. Instead, Hyde Park On Hudson is about what transpires over the course of a special two-day weekend at the upstate New York summer home of the President's mother. What makes it special is a visit by the King and Queen of England, George (the stuttering "Bertie") and Elizabeth.

Everyone knew the reason for the Royal Family's visit. Germany was hellbent on overrunning Europe, and England was standing in its way. With memories of horrible World War One less than two decades removed, many Americans did not want to intrude into what they saw as Europe's problems. Not only that, the betting money this time was on Germany prevailing, so did we really want to cast our lot with the losing side? The King, accompanied by the Queen, was coming to persuade the President not only to remain Britain's ally, but to enter the fray. Roosevelt knew the American public's sentiment to remain neutral; after all, he was a politician. So, he decided to have the Royals come to the Hyde Park estate, out of the limelight, instead of the media mecca which was Washington.

The story is mostly narrated from the point of view of FDR's distant cousin, Daisy (Laura Linney). She first meets the President (Bill Murray) on a visit that she expected would last less than one afternoon. Instead, she and he find a chemistry that results in an affair, hidden in plain sight from the rest of the friends, relatives and staff who populate Hyde Park. The President's wife, Eleanor (Olivia Williams), is portrayed as an odd duck. She lives in a separate house with a group of women whose main occupation is furniture making. When she is at Hyde Park, she assumes a role more akin to a senior advisor or a chief of staff than that of a First Lady. Eleanor never questions the closeness which her husband has with Daisy or with Missy (Elizabeth Marvel), Roosevelt's secretary.

FDR uses a specially equipped car which enables him to drive without the use of his legs, a physical condition brought on by polio. Roosevelt and Daisy manage to go for long drives through the countryside, beautifully captured on film by cinematographer Lol Crawley. During one of those drives, Roosevelt shows Daisy a newly constructed house, and tells her he hopes she will use it to think of him when he's gone. Neither of them brings up the subject of Eleanor, how she figures into their present or future plans. The President never complains about his wife. Indeed, he rarely mentions her at all. This is in keeping with the general tranquility of FDR's temperament, as interpreted by Murray. Although he is physically handicapped, give him a drink and light up his smoke and he is good to go. If that is truly how the real FDR was, kudos to the producers for selecting Murray for the role.

The best parts of the movie are the scenes involving King George and Queen Elizabeth. The Roosevelt family, particularly the President's mother, are nervous about entertaining such important guests. Only Roosevelt himself merely takes it in stride. The King and Queen are likewise jittery, concerned about how things will work out on their first trip to America. One of the more humorous scenes occurs when the Royals attempt to "meet some Americans" while their small motorcade drives through pastoral New York on the way to Hyde Park. All they get is a disinterested wave from a farmer working on his tractor. Later, after the King and Queen are shown to their Hyde Park quarters, they worry that the Roosevelts are subtly ridiculing them by assigning them to a bedroom with wallpaper depicting British soldiers from the War of 1812 as cartoon characters. And what about the menu for the next day's picnic? Hot dogs? Ye gods! Samuel West and Olivia Colman are spectacular portraying King George and Queen Elizabeth. Take away the pomp and circumstance and they are (almost) regular people.

There are a few surprises about two-thirds of the way through the story. The movie leaves open the questions of what Roosevelt really felt toward Daisy, and whether Daisy was merely smitten or actually in love. What did Daisy see in him? Was it his intelligence? His mellow manner? His stamp collection? I am pretty sure it was not his good looks. We also come away from the movie wondering if some of the most important decisions regarding the direction of the United States and its allies were made over cocktails.