Shared with you
The film was made and first released during the U.S. American Presidency of President Ronald Reagan. Both Reagan and Richard Nixon were Republicans. Reagan was approximately half way through his two terms as U.S. American President when the film premiered. Like Nixon with Watergate, Reagan became involved in his own major political scandal, the Iran-Contra Affair. It is also known as Irangate, Contragate, and The Iran-Contra Scandal [See: Cover Up: Behind the Iran Contra Affair (1988)].
Filmed while Robert Altman was a professor at the University of Michigan. The crew consisted of mostly students of the University who were studying film. Time Out stated the the film was "made with a student crew at the University of Michigan".
The production shoot for this film went for just seven days.
Robert Altman made no secret of his hatred of Richard Nixon as president. Some critics were therefore quite surprised at the fairly even-handed and rather pitying tone of the film.
Actor Philip Baker Hall reprised his role as Richard Nixon which he had originated on stage at the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre in 1983.