Movie critics have done everything but pour boiling tar on the film and its makers. On the Rotten Tomatoes review site, Reagan earns a 22% “rotten” rating based on 51 reviews by critics. They call the film shallow “historical hooey” and a giant bore.

On the other side, the Rotten Tomatoes measure of audience appreciation (“Popcornmeter”) gives the film a 98% “fresh” score based on more than 2,500 verified film attendees. Reagan also scored big on two theatrical exit-polling sites, earning an “A” grade from CinemaScore and 4.5 stars from PostTrak.

Of the approximately 15,000 films released in the quarter century of Rotten Tomatoes’ existence, there has never been a gulf between critics and audiences as vast as that for Reagan.

Only five films since 1998 have seen a divide of 50% or more. The gap with Reagan is an unprecedented 76%.

We’ve said about Ronald Reagan that he was always underestimated by his adversaries – and here we have the latest example.