ABSTRACT
The invisibility of the actual workings of governance in Washington, DC, both in Hollywood films and in the cultural imagination, turns the city into an abstract space. For the 1990s Hollywood films, the White House as a building embodies both physical and governmental infrastructure, and the stories that take place inside the White House make concrete the work of government. The literal infrastructure connected to the White House not only gives form to the films' conspiratorial conflicts but also offers the key to their resolution. Dave, Murder at 1600, and Shadow Conspiracy all acknowledge that the American people cannot possibly be present at or privy to the discussions that go into governmental decision making. While Dave focuses its attention on domestic policy, Murder at 1600 and Shadow Conspiracy use tunnels to connect the status of White House domestic space to foreign policy goals and outcomes.
