There are many experts in counter-programs in Hollywood, but insiders behind the new film Reaganwhich had its world premiere on Tuesday in the city’s most famous theater, insist that it was mere coincidence that the event took place at the same time as the Democratic National Convention.

“It wasn’t intentional, but whatever, it’s great,” said filmmaker Sean McNamara with a smile, adding that although he missed the evening’s program with former White House residents Barack and Michelle Obama, he will watch clips of it at home. “When I’m not working, I watch it all day to understand what everyone is saying, Republicans and Democrats.”

McNamara, who pointed out that he is a registered Democrat, said that sometimes people are too quick to connect politics with movies, even though sometimes those connections don’t tell the whole story. “Watch the movie Lincoln”, he continued. “(Abraham Lincoln) was a Republican and that didn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what (political party) you belong to as long as you agree with their agenda and policies. With Reaganour film has everything. It’s not just about his presidency. It’s also about him as a young boy, how he grew up, how he fell in love with Nancy and their love story. It goes on to detail how he became governor and then president, up until his retirement and when he got Alzheimer’s. It’s his entire life story.”

The film – written by Howard Klausner, produced by MJM Entertainment and distributed by Showbiz Direct – stars Dennis Quaid in the role of the late Ronald Reagan. The 40th President of the United States, who served as a Republican from 1981 to 1989, appeared in 53 films as an actor before entering politics. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and later switched from liberal to conservative when he became governor of California in 1966. He was re-elected in 1970.

When Quaid walked the red carpet in front of The Hollywood Reporter Last night, he surveyed the scene, looking up at the giant banner with his face as Reagan hanging on the side of the TCL Chinese Theater. “This feels like one of those old Hollywood premieres,” the veteran actor exclaimed. “It really is.”

And it certainly looked like it. There was the obligatory crush of press and photographers, well-heeled guests (including more men in tuxedos than you normally see outside of awards shows), and movie costumes, memorabilia, and even a blue-curtained White House lectern on display in the lobby of the TCL Chinese Theater.

There were other accessories not often seen at Hollywood premieres. There were lots of red, white and blue ensembles. Reagan Actor Jon Voight, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, wore a silk tie with text from the Pledge of Allegiance. Conservative actor Nick Searcy, who took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection and was one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, strolled the red carpet to talk about his role in Reagan. One of the reporters on the press booth was from a Christian media outlet.

For Penelope Ann Miller, who stars alongside Quaid as Nancy Reagan, the mix made sense. “There are a lot of Democrats in the film, and a lot of Democrats are here to support our film because they want to learn more about Reagan. We all need to be able to talk to each other,” she says. “Our country is so divided, and if you suppress one side over the other, it’s damaging. We’re all part of the same country, and it’s important that we’re all seen and heard. One of the great things about Reagan was that he was such an effective communicator. He could transcend party lines.”

Quaid said he voted for Reagan in 1980. “I went home and my roommate asked, ‘Who did you vote for?’ I said, ‘Reagan.’ He said, ‘You got kicked out of the Hippies,’ so I turned in my card. I think I still have it somewhere. I can always rejoin,” joked Quaid, who now has the honor of voting for Reagan, former President Bill Clinton (in The special relationship) and a George W. Bush type figure (in American Dreams).

“A rush of fear ran down my spine, and that’s usually a sign that I should play (a role) because it takes me out of my comfort zone,” Quaid said when asked why he eventually signed on to the film. “Fear is really, really valuable. But I didn’t say yes right away because I wanted to make sure I could feel him as a person rather than imitating him. I went to the Reagan Ranch and could feel him up there. That was really special.”

Back to the DNC. Klausner said he was “very happy” to miss the broadcast in favor of the premiere of his film. “I’m exhausted and I think I speak for many Americans. We’re just exhausted. Can we all just get along? Let’s find a way to reach each other. Whoever the leader is, that’s the leader. But can we stop all the fighting? Can we just stop it?” asked Klausner, who has appeared in, among other things, God is not dead: A light in the darkness“That was Reagan’s message too. This guy got along with people who didn’t like him at all.”

Klausner is one of those insiders who insisted the timing of the premiere was pure coincidence. “I signed on for this film in 2010, and there were probably four or five times when we thought everything was ready to shoot,” he explained. A pandemic and an actors’ strike caused further disruptions to completion, not to mention finding a distributor who could release the finished product. “It seems like something divine happened, because now I believe we need healing in this country more than anything. I hope it resonates (with audiences), because I’m more interested in the cultural impact than an election right now.”

Clint Black, a longtime friend of Quaid, also took to the carpet to talk about his work on the film’s soundtrack and sang a John Denver song. “I don’t know (politics),” the legendary country star said, adding that he was honored to be part of the film for his “buddy” Quaid and to sing a song he sang in bars as a kid. “I don’t feel like I have any influence. I just think I know what I know and I’m not going to get involved in everything. It’s like owning a shoe store and telling half your customers what to do.”

As for Voight, he said THR that while he had considered doing “a little bit” of the DNC, he might not do it. “I have other things to do,” continued the actor, who revealed that he has often come under fire for his support of Trump and his conservative views. “We have freedom of speech, but we should also have freedom of intolerance. That’s stupid. I want to know what people really think. I don’t want to know what they find attractive to me. I want to know what people really think. You can’t have a friendship if you can’t have some level of honesty in it.”