A whole 94 days before President Bush leaves office, Oliver Stone's biopic hits theaters tonight! I previewed W with BuzzSugar, who wrote an unfavorable review lamenting the movie as too little, too soon. Many viewers will likely leave the theater mildly entertained by Bush's past antics, but exasperated with the last eight years, especially the Iraq war. Still, I'm not sure if frustration with real-life Bush will be based on accurate events.
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W seems to argue that the greatest tragedy of the last eight years is that the spoiled son of a president became an egregiously unqualified president. Yet, history has not determined whether Bush led the US into Iraq because his White House was too incompetent to know there were no WMDs, or because it purposefully misrepresented or suppressed problematic intelligence. Stone chooses incompetence, rooted in Daddy issues, as Bush's defect, perhaps cluttering the world's historical consciousness before the truth is known.
Stone Island
Anya Hindmarch
Ben Sherman
I refuse to go to the movies and spend $10-$12 on a single ticket unless I know it's going to be stellar. The last time I forked over that much money was to see the Dark Knight which was well worth it, and W is certainly not going to be worth it.
1I think I'll check it out when it's on dvd.
2It bothers me to watch a movie about a politician that is still in office.
I don't think this movie will be that good to be honest- not going to see it unless I get many people highly recommending it. Even then I probably won't.
3I'm so cheap with movies nowadays--if I don't plan ahead and have something I really, really want to see (as Amanda mentioned with TDK) then I have no real reason to fork over my hard-earned money. Into the Netflix queue it will go...
4Oliver Stone isnt getting a dime from me on this movie. The only movies I have paid him for are:
Born on the 4th of July
Platoon
Joy luck club
heaven and earth
Natural born killers
Conan the barbarian
The Doors
Scarface
My favorite out of those is of course Joy Luck Club.
5>It bothers me to watch a movie about a politician that is still in office.
Anyone else honestly keep forgetting Bush is still president? I don't mean that in a bashing way, just that he seems so irrelevant, and he's obviously trying to lay low to be out of McCain's way, I just forget he's still around.
I was not excited about this movie at all until I heard a long interview with James Brolin on NPR this past Monday. It was just super interesting and made me want to see it.
6I agree with the others who say it doesn't look like it would be worth the price of the ticket. Plus, it looks like it would result in my being frustrated by the past eight years and with where we are now, and I'd rather not. Plus, if I'm going to go see a movie in the theater, I'll want to see something extraordinary, not something mediocre and "half-baked" as Buzz put it.
7Nope I have no desire to see it.
8THe hubby and I can't wait to see this.
And I am fascinated by the reviews that say it is fair and provides a sympathetic view of a man simply way over his head..
9Oh, I just noticed Elizabeth Banks is playing Laura Bush! I love her. (She was the girl JD got pregnant on Scrubs, and she was the college girlfriend in Definitely Maybe. She's been in a bunch of stuff and is excellent.)
Also, weird that Jesse Bradford is in this since he was also in West Wing. I just think it's neat when people are in more than one White House thing. (Like Martin Sheen who was the COS in The American President and then got a "promotion" when he was on West Wing.)
10I'm not going to see it this weekend it's not a movie that I'm going to fall over myself to see opening weekend, however I would like to see it.
11>And I am fascinated by the reviews that say it is fair and provides a sympathetic view of a man simply way over his head..
Right. In his interview, Brolin was talking about how crazy it was. The guy was an alcoholic until he was 40, then he turned his life around and ended up in the White House. He had run for state legislature once and lost, then he was the Governor of Texas for a term and a half, was elected president, and nine months into his presidency 9/11 happened. I mean, that is nuts. It sounds like...the plot of a movie!
12...Jesse Bradford? Reaaaaaaally...hmmm, might have to change my mind about this one...(I'm sorry, I'm a total loser. I will freely admit that I love "Bring It On" and will watch it every time it's on TV because I like him in that movie).
Oh, TS, you made me IMDB it, and Ioan Gruffudd plays Tony Blair. Gah, might have to see it now just for purely superficial (e.g. 'hot guy quotient') reasons!
Actually, I have heard/seen a lot of Brolin interviews lately, and he's doing a good job of promoting it fairly. He also does a really, really good impersonation of Javier Bardem's voice. Kinda scary.
13Oh, and Richard Dreyfuss got a promotion in this movie, too. He was a Senator in The American President, and he gets to be VP in W! There should be a website for dorks like me who like movies set in the White House to see what jobs everyone has had.
14My boyfriend wants to see it this weekend but I think I'd rather wait for it to come out on DVD.
15Em, he said on NPR that he refrained from going out at all while making the movie because whenever he would start telling a story or joke he'd slip into his W voice.
He talked a lot, too, about thinking about how strong the accent would be, say, while the guy was in college, whether he tried to tone it down at Yale or play it up to snub his nose at the others. They also made a point in the movie to always have him moving or doing something or eating. They studied how he holds his hands at his sides. It all sounded really interesting. I don't know, like I said, I had no interest in seeing this until I heard that long interview with Brolin and now I really want to see it. Not this weekend because we are busy, but definitely will make time to see it.
16Now that I've plugged it like six times, here is a link to the interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95670382&ft=1&f=13
The page just has a summary, you have to listen to it.
I agree, the interviews are overcoming my reluctance to see the movie - I'm not rushing to the theater, and I think there's a lot we still have to learn about Bush, but I probably will see this eventually.
18I am no Bush supporter, but do you remember when the President was the most revered and respected person in the country. I guess eight years of philandering followed by eight years of perceived blundering makes the Pres fair game, or maybe I'm just remembering through a child's eyes. I don't know. Maybe everyone didn't agree with past Presidents, but I think most at least respected the position. Nixon may have helped things along, too. The movie just rubs me the wrong way. Please remember, those of you that are going to watch this, this is a work of fiction.
19Dude! I completely agree.
20I like my movies, about real people, to have some sense of realism to it, I dont want to be sitting there watching it going "james brolin and James Cromwell are trying to talk like Bush and Bush sr" in the back of my head. I prefer, in biographical films, maybe an unkown playing the big parts or at least someone who LOOKs the part(think Val Kilmer in the Doors). There is neither in this movie.
21Bush Jr. is so embarrassing.
22Jeb Bush calls it hooey, but I think Scott McClellan's pov is more intriguing:
"But W. is a drama, not an historical documentary. Stone tries to play it fairly straight. Even if he misses the mark at times, he deserves credit for the glimpses of inner truth he provides, which can only be instructive, especially as we prepare to elect a new president.
23My guess is the most vocal Bush critics will view Stone's account as too soft on Bush and his top advisers, while Bush's chief advocates will ignore and dismiss it. But I think the average Joe just might find it entertaining and thought-provoking. I won't go as far as to borrow a line from Bush 43 and say, "Heck of a job, Stonie." But I will borrow one from Bush 41 and say, "It's good, not bad."
The Dude Abides. I completely agree!
I haven't decided whether or not to see it. I really don't think a made up story about Bush's life, based on actual events really is special enough for me to pay that much money to see. I don't really care.
However, my friend's husband has a small role in it and I want to support him. So I'm torn.
24Thanks, krank and Kris. You have to support your friends. My best friend's brother makes some of the most ridiculous indie movies you've ever seen, but I watch every one I have the opportunity to watch. I also made an appearance in one. It maybe the worst thing I've ever done.
25I have just about zero interest in seeing this movie. I think it's better to do movies like this when you are more removed from it. He is still in office, as quite as he's been keeping himself lately. I'd rather look back in 5-10 years and see it through the lens of what happens after his presidency...gives a different view point.
TS, I love your Josh avatar! I miss the West Wing...
26Dude - I honestly think that the last truly revered president was JFK. After that, we had conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory since no one trusted LBJ and the respect for the position of prez slipped and slipped until like you said- the last 16 years of office. And now, I totally agree - not sure that the respect will ever return to the office.
27I heart......hello Reagan ?
28Maybe it is just the part of the country I live in, but I felt like Reagan, at least, had some of that going for him. The feeling may have been different elsewhere.
29Yeah - where I grew up the sentiment was that Iran-Contra was just like Watergate, but Reagan didn't admit to anything... but other than that, I can see why people loved Reagan. Personally, I thought he was great.
30Thanks, MM! I miss West Wing, though the last three seasons are not as good as the first four, of course. I own the entire series (got the special edition box set!) and watch them over and over!
Are you into other Sorkin projects? I like everything I've seen that he has written. I actually saw a workshop production of the Farsnworth Invention that he was at! Sadly, I was too chicken to get an autograph.
31I LOVE Aaron Sorkin! He is such a fabulous writer; if I was a politician I'd want him to write my speeches. I kind of stopped watching the West Wing after the whole kidnapping thing...just seemed like they lost the integrity of the show. But the first few seasons were just amazingly awesome. Sports Night is one of favorite shows too...I've gotten quite a few people into it since I got the DVDs. I just wish more people had watched it when it was on tv!
32I love Elizabeth Banks too, I'd go see her in anything. But movies are pricey! And this one will go to DVD fairly quickly I bet. SO I'll be renting it!
33I'd rather spend my money on Zack and Miri Make a Porno!
34thanks for the link TS! thats a lonnnggg interview!
it was very interesting though, though i obv. disagree with a few things he said about W
35i'm probably going to see it - partly cause there's nothing else out that i want to see, and partly cause i want to be part of the majority of folks who decide to check it out
. i don't know if i truly care about the story - but it's nice to learn more right?
36Yeah, NPR does long segments in general, and Fresh Air frequently gives the whole hour to a guest. It's nice, though, when it's something you want to hear about.
37its nice that they cut out the commercials online too!
38I'll watch it, but probably not while it's in theaters. IF I get my butt and shell out for a movie, it will be Beverly Hills Chihuahua or actually anything to take my mind OFF of politics for the duration.
39Yeah, although the nice thing about publi radio is that all the commercial breaks are just weather, news, and plugs for their own shows. I can happily tell you the only place I see or hear campaign ads is on the internet.
40that makes me very jealous ts! i was watching something on TV the other day, there 4 commercials, 3 were election ones. 2 negatives and 1 positive. Its just inundating. I can't wait till its gone!
41It's just propaganda. Where is the outrage at this? Movies and plays have been made about the death of this man, yet one fool at a rally makes a statement that hasn't even been proving and everyone's panties got all twisted. Sigh, double standards.
42Dude, what movie were you in?
43I plead the fifth.
44That just smacks of porn.
45Well, it was called "Adult Pool Party." Are you happy now, GS?
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48I don't think there is any outrage because people are smart enough to realize it is just a movie. They make films about the lives of presidents all the time. This one just happens to be about our current president. Out all the reviews I don't see anything about this movie being a left wing consipracy, it is just a biography. Whats the big deal?
49Not just this movie. There were movies and plays about KILLING W.
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