Kathy Bates was great in this

Not really. She played a stereotypical bad government person.

I suppose you could argue she did it well, but it was all so boilerplate it was nothing very memorable.

Earth is facing destruction yet the president decides to not exhibit any personal leadership?

what is this the Bush Administration?

I thought she was good and totally thought her actions were warranted. Her explanation about 2 cultures meeting and the weaker one gets handed a beat down was logical and historically correct. She even asked Reeves what he wanted and all she got back was arrogant 'let me go' stuff.

There was no way to know the aliens motives after the stupid and arrogant way he arrived and you sure as hell would not have the president there to shake his hand.

I don't agree. I felt like she phoned it in and was doing it for the money. I also didn't even understand the need for her character. Why wasn't the president involved AT ALL, other than a few phone calls with Kathy Bates?

I don't.
And for some reason, every time I see her performing, I immediately sit on my ankles and tremble.

She was but she is in everything she's done.

Her and John Cleese were the two best actors in the whole film; they made it semi-watchable.












"Speak of the Devil, and He shall appear."

It was a poorly written generic character but her acting made the character tolerable.