Presidents on TV

Every possible kind of United States president has been depicted on screen: corrupt ones and honorable ones, real ones and fictional ones. Because today is Presidents Day, let’s take a look at five favorite movie presidents.

•Henry Fonda in “Fail-Safe” (1964): Not that it’s surprising, but Fonda is everything you’d want in a president. He’s decisive but even-tempered, commanding but kind, and he even shows a sense of humor.

•Peter Sellers in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964): As President Merkin Muffley, Sellers serves as the understandably horrified voice of reason. He’s even a little sheepish as he calls to explain to the Russian premier: “Dimitri, we have a little problem ....” It’s a performance that defies expectations.

•Kevin Kline in “Dave” (1993): Kline stars as Dave Kovic, a mild-mannered guy who happens to look exactly like President Bill Mitchell, and is secretly called on to impersonate Mitchell when the president suffers a stroke — while sleeping with one of his aides.

•John Travolta in “Primary Colors” (1998): Clearly patterned on Bill Clinton, Travolta’s performance is dead-on.

•Josh Brolin in “W.” (2008): A rather conventional biopic, but Brolin’s so good, he almost makes us feel sorry for George W. Bush.