Dear Dictator

{{Infobox film

| name = Dear Dictator

| image = Dear Dictator Poster.jpg

| alt = Dear Dictator

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = {{Plainlist|

Lisa Addario
Joe Syracuse

}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Mary Aloe
Lucas Jarach
Jorge Garcia Castro
Robert Ogden Barnum
Daniel Grodnik
Jake Shapiro

}}

| writer = {{Plainlist|

Lisa Addario
Joe Syracuse

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Sebastián Kauderer

| cinematography = Wyatt Troll

| editing = Kent Beyda

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Fortitude Films
Hector Coup
Defiant Pictures
Coastal Film Studios

}}

| distributor = {{Plainlist|

}}

| released = {{Film date|2018|3|16|United States}}

| runtime = 90 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $6.7 million{{cite web|last1=Webster|first1=Gretchen|title=Westport native films 'Amateur Night' for big screen|url=http://www.westport-news.com/news/article/Westport-native-films-Amateur-Night-for-big-7816250.php|website=Westport News|date=21 May 2016|access-date=10 November 2016}}

| gross =

}}

Dear Dictator is a 2018 American satire comedy film written and directed by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse. The film stars Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Seth Green, and Jason Biggs.

The plot follows a sixteen-year-old American girl who becomes the pen pal of a notorious island nation dictator even when he is deposed.

Plot

Tatiana Mills (Odeya Rush), a sixteen-year-old American girl, lives a quasi-chaotic life with her single mother Darlene (Katie Holmes), who is in a complex romantic relationship with her married boss Dr. Charles (Seth Green) who is a dentist with a foot fetish. In a letter-writing exercise started by her Social studies teacher Mr. Spines (Jason Biggs), Tatiana becomes pen pals with Anton Vincent (Michael Caine), a notorious island nation dictator.

When Vincent is deposed by his own people, who rise up against his violent and oppressive rule, he disappears, causing Tatiana to worry about his safety. A few days later, he unexpectedly arrives in the United States and seeks refuge in Tatiana's suburban garage. There, he develops a grandfatherly relationship with the teen and her struggling mother, becoming a useful man around the house while organizing his restoration as a leader with loyalist forces back in his unnamed homeland.

Anton shifts his focus to Tatiana's high school life and her desire to deliver payback to the popular girls who bully her. He makes her a dictator-in-training and teaches her to rise to power in her school in a similar way to his ascent to power in the Caribbean. Ultimately his plans go too far, putting him at odds with Tatiana, who also comes under investigation from the security services who have picked up on Anton's communication with his loyalist forces and suspect she is involved with terrorism.

The police interview Tatiana and Darlene and search their house, blissfully unaware that the old man in the house is Anton Vincent – whose whereabouts are unknown. No evidence is found and they are released, but upon release, Tatiana informs the police that the old man is Vincent and he is arrested pending extradition.{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dear-dictator-2018|title=Dear Dictator Movie Review & Film Summary (2018) - Roger Ebert|first=Simon|last=Abrams|website=www.rogerebert.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/03/14/dear-dictator-is-a-teen-high-school-comedy-starring-michael-caine-as-achecks-notes-murderous-strongman/|title="Dear Dictator" Is a Teen High School Comedy Starring Michael Caine as a…*checks notes* Murderous Strongman?|website=www.villagevoice.com|date=14 March 2018}}

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Michael Caine as General Anton Vincent
Katie Holmes as Darlene Mills
Odeya Rush as Tatiana Mills
Seth Green as Dr. Charles Seaver
Jason Biggs as Mr. Spines
Jackson Beard as Denny
Jay Willick as Det. Diggs
Adrian Voo as Neighbor
Fish Myrr as Sarvia
Hannah Joy Brown as Chivas
Jordyn Cavros as Gigi
Tony Guerrero as Pastor Ramirez
Dana Joyce Schiller as Detective Spano
Jacob Grodnik as Teddy

}}

Production

The script was shown among the 2006 Black List of unproduced scripts.{{cite web|title=2016 Black List|url=http://files.blcklst.com/2006_black_list.pdf|website=The Black List|access-date=10 November 2016}} Also in 2006, the script was presented as a staged reading at the Nantucket Film Festival.{{cite web|last1=Scrizzi Driscoll|first1=Kathy|title=Nantucket festival announces featured films|url=http://blogs.capecodonline.com/cape-cod-culture-flash/2017/04/26/nantucket-festival-announces-featured-films/|website=CapeCodOnline.com|access-date=5 May 2017}} Alfred Molina, Robert De Niro and Anthony Hopkins were previously attached as the dictator role.{{cite web|last1=Morgan|first1=Allyson|title=Five Questions With... Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse, Writer/Directors of COUP D'ETAT|url=http://nantucketfilmfestival.org/blog/2017/6/20/five-questions-with-lisa-addario-and-joe-syracuse-writerdirectors-of-coup-detat|website=Nantucket Film Festival|access-date=29 June 2017|archive-date=17 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817003237/http://nantucketfilmfestival.org/blog/2017/6/20/five-questions-with-lisa-addario-and-joe-syracuse-writerdirectors-of-coup-detat|url-status=dead}} On June 8, 2016, Michael Caine and Maisie Williams were announced as the lead stars of the film.{{cite web|last1=BANG Showbiz|title=Michael Caine and Maisie Williams to star in Coup d'Etat|url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/michael-caine-and-maisie-williams-to-star-in-coup-detat/ar-AAgMV2P|website=MSN}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Principal photography on the film began on July 29, 2016, at 402 Arlington rd. in Savannah, Georgia.{{cite web|last1=Logana|first1=Don|title=New movies ready to roll in Savannah starring Katie Holmes, Michael Caine|url=http://www.walb.com/story/32571856/new-movies-ready-to-roll-in-savannah-starring-katie-holmes-michael-caine-and-others|website=WALB|access-date=29 July 2016}} First photographs of Katie Holmes and Odeya Rush filming scenes for the film were published on E! News on July 31, 2016.{{cite web|title=Katie Holmes & Odeya Rush from The Big Picture|url=http://www.eonline.com/uk/photos/6/the-big-picture-today-s-hot-photos/712036|website=E! News}} Production wrapped in October 2016.{{cite web|last1=Kay|first1=Jeremy|title=AFM: Fortitude International boards 'Coup D'Etat'|url=http://m.screendaily.com/5110711.article|website=Screen Daily|access-date=10 November 2016}}

Release

Dear Dictator held advance screenings, under its working title Coup d'Etat, at the Nantucket Film Festival,{{cite web|last1=Nyren|first1=Erin|title='The Big Sick' to Open 2017 Nantucket Film Festival|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/nantucket-film-festival-slate-lineup-opening-film-1202395092/|website=Variety|date=25 April 2017|access-date=5 May 2017}} New Jersey Indie Street Film Festival,{{cite web|title=A Look At Featured Movies At 2017 Indie Street Film Festival|url=http://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/getarticle.php?titlelink=a-look-at-featured-movies-at-2017-indie-street-film-festival|work=New Jersey Stage|date = 13 July 2017|access-date=18 July 2017}} Carmel International Film Festival{{cite web|last1=Peerless|first1=Beth|title=Where It's At: The increasing number of premieres points to the arrival of Carmel Film Festival|url=http://www.montereyherald.com/arts-and-entertainment/20171018/where-its-at-the-increasing-number-of-premieres-points-to-the-arrival-of-carmel-film-festival|website=Monterey Herald|date=18 October 2017}} and the Napa Valley Film Festival.{{cite web|title=Simple & Sassy at the Movies: 'Monumental' experiences|url=http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/columnists/samie_hartley/simple-sassy-at-the-movies-monumental-experiences/article_de02cc66-c5c4-11e7-bb7a-531dc3316cb9.html/|website=Napa Valley Register|date=9 November 2017 |access-date=11 November 2017}}

Cinedigm released the film in North America simultaneously in theaters and on video on demand on March 16, 2018, followed by a DVD release on April 24, 2018.{{cite web|last1=Ramos|first1=Dino-Ray|title=Cinedigm Acquires Rights To High School Comedy 'Dear Dictator'|url=https://deadline.com/2017/12/cinedigm-dear-dictator-michael-caine-katie-holmes-odeya-rush-lisa-addario-joe-syracuse-1202224987/|website=Deadline|date=12 December 2017|access-date=14 December 2017}} The first trailer was released on January 17, 2018.{{cite magazine|last1=Lawrence|first1=Derek|title=Michael Caine is a dictator with a teenage pen pal in Dear Dictator trailer|url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/01/17/dear-dictator-exclusive-trailer/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=17 January 2018|archive-date=17 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117165420/http://ew.com/movies/2018/01/17/dear-dictator-exclusive-trailer/|url-status=dead}}

=Critical response=

The film received negative reviews, but the performances of Caine and Rush were praised.{{By whom|date=November 2021}} On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, and an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The site's critical consensus reads, "Dear Dictator never comes close to taking advantage of its wildly silly premise -- or the assortment of talented veterans who round out the cast."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dear_dictator_2018|title=Dear Dictator (2017)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 44 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/dear-dictator |title=Dear Dictator Reviews |work=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=March 16, 2018}} The Hollywood Reporter reviewer Justin Lowe commended the film, suggesting "If only every international political crisis were this amusing."{{cite web|last1=Lowe|first1=Justin|title='Coup d'Etat': Film Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/coup-d-etat-1059825|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=21 November 2017|access-date=23 November 2017}}