The director Roger Donaldson and the veteran writing team of DickClement and Ian La Fresnais have mixed these real-world events together with speculation and what feels like the party gossip of many decades.
Vice-President Dick Cheney was among a number of gun rights supporters who criticised Mr Clement's position - and went so far as to sign a friend-of-the-court brief rejecting the administration's view on the DC ban, as expressed by Mr Clement.