W. (film)

Last updated

W.
W ver4.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Oliver Stone
Written by Stanley Weiser
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Phedon Papamichael Jr.
Edited by
Music by Paul Cantelon
Production
companies
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release dates
  • October 16, 2008 (2008-10-16)(Austin Film Festival)
  • October 17, 2008 (2008-10-17)(United States)
Running time
129 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25.1 million [1]
Box office$29.5 million [1]

W. is a 2008 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of George W. Bush. Directed by Oliver Stone and written by Stanley Weiser, it stars Josh Brolin as Bush. The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Ellen Burstyn, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Scott Glenn, and Richard Dreyfuss. Filming began on May 12, 2008, in Louisiana, and the film was released on October 17, 2008. [2]

Contents

Plot

In 1966, George W. Bush endures an initiation by his fellow Yale University students as a Delta Kappa Epsilon pledge. During the hazing, Bush successfully recalls the names and nicknames of many of the fraternity members, and states that his family's political legacy is one in which he has no interest. After Bush is jailed in New Jersey for rowdiness following a football game, his father, George H. W. Bush states that he will help him, but for the last time. Following his graduation from Yale, Bush takes a job at an oil patch back in Texas, but he quits after a few weeks.

In 1971, "Junior" reveals his real aspirations in a father-son talk: working in professional baseball. Bush is accepted into Harvard Business School with the help of his father. After a night of heavy drinking, Bush crashes his car into his family estate and challenges his father to a fistfight. His younger brother, Jeb, stops the fight.

In 1977, Bush announces he will run for Congress to represent Texas's 19th district. At a barbecue, Bush meets his future wife, Laura Lane Welch. During a debate, Bush is criticized by his Democratic opponent, Kent Hance, who says that Bush is not a real Texan and has spent campaign contributions to throw an alcohol-fueled party for underage Texas Tech University students. Bush fares poorly in the debate and loses the election, but nevertheless receives the highest number of votes for a Republican candidate in the state's history.

In 1986, Bush becomes a born-again Christian, gives up alcohol, and mends his relationship with his father. The elder Bush invites him to assist with what becomes his 1988 presidential campaign, although Bush himself suspects that he only was asked because Jeb was busy. Bush's political advisor, Karl Rove, tells him that he has the potential to make a name for himself, but that he has not yet done anything with his life. Bush becomes a front office executive of the Texas Rangers baseball team, while his father oversees the victory of the Gulf War. Although Allied forces liberate Kuwait within 100 hours of their ground invasion, the elder Bush decides not to invade Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein. After his father loses the 1992 presidential election to Bill Clinton, Bush blames the loss on his decision not to depose Saddam.

In 1994, Bush runs for governor of Texas. Despite his parents' objection to him entering the race, he secures a victory in the election, becoming the 46th governor of Texas on January 17, 1995. In 2000, he makes a successful bid to become president. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Bush labels Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as the "axis of evil". In 2002, Bush searches for evidence that Saddam was creating nuclear weapons, and has the army prepared. All of Bush's White House staff supports him except Secretary of State Colin Powell, who states that invading Iraq would destabilize the country. Powell is generally overruled by Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who insist that the war would secure the United States' status as sole global superpower while spreading democracy throughout the Middle East.

In March 2003, the U.S. invades Iraq. The war appears to be a success, and Bush soon gives his "Mission Accomplished" speech on an aircraft carrier. When it becomes clear that there are no weapons of mass destruction within Iraq, Bush learns that the responsibility for finding them had been relegated far down the chain of command. Bush discovers that Saddam gambled his regime and his life on the assumption that Bush was bluffing. Bush is asked in a White House press conference what mistakes he made as President, a question that leaves him flustered and speechless. That night, Bush has a nightmare in which his father accuses him of ruining his family's legacy, which the elder Bush claims was intended for Jeb. Bush dreams of himself playing center field at a baseball game. Bush attempts to catch a pop fly, but it disappears.

Cast

Production

I want a fair, true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he is coming from. It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be President of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, preemptive attack on Iraq. It will contain surprises for Bush supporters and his detractors.

– Oliver Stone [8]

W. was Oliver Stone's third film in a trilogy he made about the presidency, set in the time from the 1960s to today: the set began with JFK and continued with Nixon. Originally, he was attached to direct Pinkville, a film about the Army's investigation of the My Lai Massacre, but development was canceled due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike and actor Bruce Willis pulling out of the film three weeks before shooting was set to start. [4] As a result, United Artists shut the production down. Stone moved on to direct a film about the life of George W. Bush, shopping a script that had been written before the strike by Stanley Weiser, who had co-written Wall Street with Stone. Weiser and Stone read 17 books as part of their research for the script, [9] and worked on the project for a year before venturing to film Pinkville. [8] Stone has admitted that he and Weiser had to speculate on some dialogue: "You take all the facts and take the spirit of the scene and make it accurate to what you think happened". [4] W. was financed independently for Stone, with Hong Kong, German, and Australian funds: he tried to approach American studios for money, but got turned down. [10] Lions Gate Entertainment distributed the film. [4] Though Stone has criticized Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the director said that he was not looking to make an "anti-Bush polemic." Stone compared his goal of the film to that of The Queen, wanting to trace "seminal events in Bush's life." According to the director, "It's a behind-the-scenes approach, similar to Nixon, to give a sense of what it's like to be in his skin. But if Nixon was a symphony, this is more like a chamber piece, and not as dark in tone." [8] He described the structure of W. as a three-act film starting with Bush as a young man "with a missed life", followed by his transformation and "an assertion of will which was amazingly powerful" as he came out from his father's shadow, and finally his invasion of Iraq. [11]

The film, originally titled Bush, [8] was re-titled W. to draw distinction between him and his father. [12] Filming began on May 12, 2008, in Shreveport, Louisiana, [13] and completed filming on July 11, 2008. [14] On May 13, 2008, the New York Post published excerpts from an early draft of the script. The column, written by Cindy Adams, stated "Pro-Bushies will hate it, antis will love it." [15]

The film was released on October 17, 2008, timed just before that year's presidential election. [2] W.'s producers reportedly ran television spots for the film opposite Republican Party presidential nominee John McCain's ads in the fall of 2008. [4]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 58% based on 222 reviews, with an average rating of 6.01/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of the 43rd American president, W. is fascinating in spots, but merely rudimentary as a whole." [16] At Metacritic, the film has an average weighted score of 56 out of 100, based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [17]

In his review, Roger Ebert wrote that it was "fascinating" and praised all the actors, noting that Richard Dreyfuss was "not so much a double as an embodiment" of Dick Cheney. [18] In contrast, Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post called the film "a rushed, wildly uneven, tonally jumbled caricature." [19] Film critic James Berardinelli negatively compared the film with Saturday Night Live skits, saying of the actors that "None of them are as dead-on as Tina Fey as Sarah Palin." [20]

The Bush administration never officially commented on the film. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who is portrayed in the film, called the sibling rivalry portrayed in the film "high-grade, unadulterated hooey" and said that Stone's exploration of the family dynamic could have benefited from actual conversations with the Bush family. [21] Slate magazine's Timothy Noah, however, noted that "most [of] the film's more ludicrous details" are actually directly taken from non-fiction sources, and argued that the film was too kind to Bush in omitting certain reported events, including an allegation that Bush mocked murderer Karla Faye Tucker, a woman executed during his tenure as governor of Texas. [22] In a March 2010 "Screen Test" interview with The New York Times ' Lynne Hirschberg, Josh Brolin claims Bush did in fact watch the film. Brolin said Oliver Stone met with Bill Clinton in China and Clinton told Stone he'd lent his copy of W. to Bush. Reportedly, Bush himself "liked it very much" and "thought there were sad moments." [23]

The film appeared on some critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News named it the eighth best film of 2008, [24] and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times named it on his top 20 list (he did not assign rankings). [24]

Box office

The film opened No. 4 behind The Secret Life of Bees, Beverly Hills Chihuahua , and Max Payne, respectively, with $10,505,668 from 2,030 theaters, with a $5,175 average. [25] The film had a budget of $25.1 million and grossed $25.5 million in North America, and $3.4 million internationally. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Rumsfeld</span> American politician and diplomat (1932–2021)

Donald Henry Rumsfeld was an American politician, government official and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under president Gerald Ford, and again from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He was both the youngest and the oldest secretary of defense. Additionally, Rumsfeld was a four-term U.S. Congressman from Illinois (1963–1969), director of the Office of Economic Opportunity (1969–1970), counselor to the president (1969–1973), the U.S. Representative to NATO (1973–1974), and the White House Chief of Staff (1974–1975). Between his terms as secretary of defense, he served as the CEO and chairman of several companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George H. W. Bush</span> President of the United States from 1989 to 1993

George Herbert Walker Bush was an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the 43rd vice president from 1981 to 1989 under Ronald Reagan, and in various other federal positions prior to that.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Dreyfuss</span> American actor

Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor. He is known for starring in popular films during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including American Graffiti (1973), Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), The Goodbye Girl (1977), The Competition (1980), Stand by Me (1986), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Stakeout (1987), Nuts (1987), Always (1989), What About Bob? (1991), The American President (1995), and Mr. Holland's Opus (1995).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidency of George W. Bush</span> U.S. presidential administration from 2001 to 2009

George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following his narrow Electoral College victory over Democratic incumbent vice president Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, in which he lost the popular vote to Gore by 543,895 votes. Four years later, in the 2004 presidential election, he narrowly defeated Democrat nominee John Kerry, to win re-election. Bush was limited to two terms and was succeeded by Democrat Barack Obama, who won the 2008 presidential election. Bush is the eldest son of the 41st president, George H. W. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Fleischer</span> American media consultant (born 1960)

Lawrence Ari Fleischer is an American media consultant and political aide who served as the 23rd White House Press Secretary, for President George W. Bush, from January 2001 to July 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsey Clark</span> 66th United States Attorney General

William Ramsey Clark was an American lawyer, activist, and federal government official. A progressive, New Frontier liberal, he occupied senior positions in the United States Department of Justice under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, serving as United States Attorney General from 1967 to 1969; previously, he was Deputy Attorney General from 1965 to 1967 and Assistant Attorney General from 1961 to 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Baker</span> American lawyer and statesman (born 1930)

James Addison Baker III is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Ronald Reagan and the 61st U.S. Secretary of State before returning as the 16th White House Chief of Staff under President George H. W. Bush.

<i>Plan of Attack</i> 2004 nonfiction book by Bob Woodward

Plan of Attack is a 2004 book by the American author and investigative reporter Bob Woodward. It was promoted as "a behind-the-scenes account of how and why President [George W.] Bush decided to go to war against Iraq".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Republican National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The 2000 Republican National Convention convened at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 31 to August 3, 2000. The 2,066 delegates assembled at the convention nominated Texas Governor George W. Bush for president and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Richard B. "Dick" Cheney for vice president.

The Saddam–al-Qaeda conspiracy theory was based on false claims by the United States government alleging that a secretive relationship existed between Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and the Sunni pan-Islamist militant organization al-Qaeda between 1992 and 2003. The George W. Bush administration promoted it as a main rationale for invading Iraq in 2003.

The Saddam interview is a television interview that occurred between President of Iraq Saddam Hussein and American news anchor Dan Rather on February 24, 2003, very shortly before the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The interview was aired both in the United States and on all three Iraqi television networks. British politician Tony Benn had also interviewed Saddam earlier that month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George W. Bush</span> President of the United States from 2001 to 2009

George Walker Bush is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 46th governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Cheney</span> Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009

Richard Bruce Cheney is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. Often cited as the most powerful vice president in American history, Cheney previously served as White House Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, the U.S. representative for Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 1979 to 1989, and as the 17th United States secretary of defense in the administration of President George H. W. Bush. He is the oldest living former U.S. vice president, following the death of Walter Mondale in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fictionalized portrayals of George W. Bush</span>

Fictionalized portrayals of George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, have become common since his inauguration on January 20, 2001. Many popular TV shows, magazines, books, and comics have portrayed or satirized him.

Lil' Bush is a satirical adult animated television series which premiered on June 13, 2007, on Comedy Central. The series features caricatures of members of the George W. Bush administration, and other American and international political figures, most of which are depicted as children.

<i>Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency</i> 2008 book by Washington Post investigative reporter Barton Gellman

Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency is a 2008 book by Washington Post investigative reporter Barton Gellman. Presenting information in a narrative fashion, Gellman asserts that United States Vice President Dick Cheney misled Republican leaders about the threat of Iraq before the invasion of Iraq by the United States. The book levels several allegations against Cheney and his administration. The book is based on hundreds of previously unpublished interviews with high-ranking government officials.

<i>Decision Points</i> Book by George W. Bush

Decision Points is a memoir by former U.S. President George W. Bush. It was released on November 9, 2010, and the release was accompanied by national television appearances and a national tour. The book surpassed sales of two million copies less than two months after its release, breaking the record previously held by former President Bill Clinton's memoir My Life. Decision Points also opened at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaign</span> Campaign for US presidency

The 2016 presidential campaign of Jeb Bush, the 43rd Governor of Florida, was formally launched on June 14, 2015, coming six months after announcing the formal exploration of a candidacy for the 2016 Republican nomination for the President of the United States on December 16, 2014, and the formation of the Right to Rise PAC. On February 20, 2016, Bush announced his intention to drop out of the presidential race following the South Carolina primary. Had Bush been elected, he would have been the first president from Florida and the first sibling of a U.S. president to win the presidency himself.

<i>Vice</i> (2018 film) American film by Adam McKay

Vice is a 2018 American epic biographical political satire black comedy film directed, written, and produced by Adam McKay. The cast of this film include Christian Bale as former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, with Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Justin Kirk, Tyler Perry, Alison Pill, Lily Rabe, and Jesse Plemons in supporting roles. The film follows Cheney on his path to becoming the most powerful vice president in American history. It is the second theatrical film to depict the presidency of George W. Bush, following Oliver Stone's W. (2008).

On January 20, 1993, following the first inauguration of his successor Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush built a retirement house in the community of West Oaks, Houston. He established a presidential office within the Park Laureate Building on Memorial Drive in Houston. He also frequently spent time at his vacation home in Kennebunkport, took annual cruises in Greece, went on fishing trips in Florida, and visited the Bohemian Club in Northern California. He declined to serve on corporate boards, but delivered numerous paid speeches and served as an adviser to The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. He never published his memoirs, but he and Brent Scowcroft co-wrote A World Transformed, a 1998 work on foreign policy. Portions of his letters and his diary were later published as The China Diary of George H. W. Bush and All the Best, George Bush.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "W. (2008)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Fleming, Michael (May 8, 2008). "Lionsgate books Oliver Stone's W". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Larry Carroll (October 15, 2008). "What Do Batman And George W. Bush Have In Common? Oliver Stone Explains ..." MTV. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Benjamin Svetkey (May 7, 2008). "First Look: W., Oliver Stone's Bush Biopic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  5. ↑ Sperling, Nicole (March 26, 2008). "Oliver Stone's George W. Bush biopic coming together". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Bush and Earle Hudd – Bible Study Group". Lionsgate. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  7. ↑ Bush, George W. (2001). A Charge to Keep: My Journey to the White House. HarperCollins. p. 1. ISBN   0-688-17441-8. NOTE: Citation is for list of influential figures.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Michael Fleming (January 20, 2008). "Oliver Stone votes for 'Bush' project". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
  9. ↑ Stephen Galloway; Matthew Belloni (April 7, 2008). "Bush biographers mixed on script for Oliver Stone's W.". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
  10. ↑ Schuker, Lauren A. E. (October 11, 2008). "A Film on Bush Finds Friends Abroad". Wall Street Journal . Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  11. ↑ Mike Goodridge (May 30, 2008). "Interview: Oliver Stone". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
  12. ↑ Fleming, Michael (March 26, 2008). "Oliver Stone casts parents of W". Variety. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  13. ↑ Michael Fleming (May 8, 2008). "Lionsgate books Oliver Stone's W.". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Brolin, Wright arrested in pub fight". Variety . July 13, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  15. ↑ Cindy Adams (May 13, 2008). "Film Has A Few Words About Our President". New York Post. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  16. ↑ "W. (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  17. ↑ "W. Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  18. ↑ Roger Ebert (October 15, 2008). "W". rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  19. ↑ Ann Hornaday (October 17, 2008). "'W': Mission Not Accomplished". The Washington Post . Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  20. ↑ James Berardinelli. "W". ReelViews. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Jeb Bush calls 'W' movie 'Hooey'". Washington Times. October 17, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2008.
  22. ↑ Noah, Timothy (October 17, 2008). "Dubya, Stoned". Slate Magazine . Retrieved October 20, 2008.
  23. ↑ "Screen Test - Josh Brolin". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  24. 1 2 "Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 24, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  25. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results from 10/17 to 10/19". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved October 20, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.