Ronald Reagan’s first biographer expressed exasperation that there “was no ‘there,’ there.” He found Reagan a kind of empty vessel, an actor playing a part.

Lionized by the Right and “Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” remembered by the rest of the country for crimes and indictments and reactionary incitements that set the country back decades — he symbolically took solar reflectors off the White House roof and brought outdated World War II battleships out of mothballs, with predictable results on both counts — becomes an indie film starring Dennis Quaid this Aug. 30.

The last weekend of August is traditionally a dumping ground for movies too limited in appeal for summer release, not smart enough for Oscar contention in the fall.

Seems about right. AIDS to Iran Contra, attacking unions, assaulting the middle class and transferring wealth from the middle and working classes to the rich, that senile poseur has a lot to answer for and as a TV mini series some years ago was bullied into not showing the dark side, blunders and historical calamity his administration was, why should a feature film pandering to his fanbase be any different?

But Dennis Quaid and Penelope Anne Miller (as Nancy) class this up considerably, and that could pull in the faithful and those who aged out of moviegoing about the time Miss Daisy acquired a chauffeur.

Mena Suvari as Jane Wyman? Jon Voight as a mysterious Russian influencer/”expert?”

Might be worth a look.