Wag The Dog Certificate: 
- Duration:
- 93 mins
- Year produced:
- 1997
- Director:
- Barry Levinson
- Cast:
- Dustin Hoffman
- Robert De Niro
- Anne Heche
Many of us might feel we can look at the news on the TV and judge for ourselves how much faith we should put in what we see – but sometimes, we’re not even aware of the scale of the deception which is taking place. That at least is the premise of this darkly comic movie, in which a group of American politicians fake an entire war through the media in order to distract the public’s attention from a sex scandal. The result is a whip-smart satire that will have you laughing at the same time as it makes you think.
- Average rating:
- This film has not been rated yet
Fascinating facts
After this film started production and before its release, much in the spirit of its theme, US President Bill Clinton became involved in a sex scandal and threatened military action against Iraq.
The phone number that is given out on the TV chat show during Wag the Dog (800-555-0199) is one that’s been reserved for use in movies by a real American telephone company, and has therefore appeared in several films before and since.