W. (Oliver Stone, 2008)

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Lionsgate is distributing the film and it opens on Oct. 17. Here are the juicy cast details:

Josh Brolin stars as the title character, and the cast includes Elizabeth Banks (Laura Bush), James Cromwell (George H.W. Bush), Ellen Burstyn (Barbara Bush), Thandie Newton (Condoleezza Rice), Jeffrey Wright (Colin Powell), Scott Glenn (Donald Rumsfeld) and Ioan Gruffudd (Tony Blair). Stone is still casting veep Dick Cheney.

[Antoine Doinel]

It's almost Capra-esque, the story of a guy who had very limited talents in life, except for the ability to sell himself.

Source

[flyonthewall2983]

Has there ever been a presidential bio-pic (theatrical only, no TV) released in such a manner, this close to leaving office?

[domino harvey]

Has there ever been a presidential bio-pic (theatrical only, no TV) released in such a manner, this close to leaving office?

Primary Colors was released while Clinton was still in office, wasn't it?

[flyonthewall2983]

Yup. Wasn't thinking of that one, if you can call it that.

[colinr0380]

Primary Colors was released while Clinton was still in office, wasn't it?

Yes, but any connection to a philandering politician running for office with a frighteningly driven wife in tow was purely coincidental!

[Fletch F. Fletch]

It's almost Capra-esque, the story of a guy who had very limited talents in life, except for the ability to sell himself.

Source

That article is basically cannibalizing the EW linked above.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

The New York Post reportedly has gotten their hands on a more recent draft of the script and have published excerpts.

[Antoine Doinel]

As much as I hate Bush, those excerpts read like SNL skit outtakes. Awful.

[domino harvey]

Brother in Arms In a 2003 sit-down with Saudi ambassador Prince Bandar, Bush explains that he has given up sweets since the beginning of the Iraq war. ''This is my personal sacrifice to show support for our troops,'' he says.

I really hope this actually happened

OMG

[davebert]

After reading the script leaks and then the Politico interview recap, I am beginning to agree with the general consensus that this will be the greatest thing ever made.

[tavernier]

Brother in Arms In a 2003 sit-down with Saudi ambassador Prince Bandar, Bush explains that he has given up sweets since the beginning of the Iraq war. ''This is my personal sacrifice to show support for our troops,'' he says.

I really hope this actually happened

OMG

No one can write a script that's any shallower than the real man.

[jbeall]

All this Bush-hilarity would be so funny if the truth wasn't such a nightmarish tragedy (just ask an Iraqi). Frankly, I've always felt that Oliver Stone is a hack--an ambitious hack, to be sure--but a hack nonetheless. His attempts to shock have always been so laughably far behind the times that the only people to actually find his work shocking must have been hiding under a rock since the 1950s.

I thought Platoon was quite good, but as much as I wanted to like Natural Born Killers, the movie was horribly ineffective both in terms of its message and its style. And both Any Given Sunday and Alexander were so excrescent that I've avoided his other films like the plague. How he and Joel Schumacher continue to get work is beyond me.

[Highway 61]

Stone isn't a hack, but he became an egomaniac and hasn't been able to make a film that stands up in years. If he left the sweeping historical dramas behind and directed something on a smaller scale, like say, Good Night and Good Luck, I'm confident he could make a great film.

[jbeall]

Maybe, but his egomania feeds into these ambitious films that his talent simply isn't adequate to, and the glaring gap between his ambition and his talent is writ large on the screen.

But hey, at least he knows when to stop filming and sign his name to it. Axl Rose's fans have been waiting on Chinese Democracy for how long?

[oldsheperd]

Art imitating life. As far as Bush giving up sweets to sacrifice for the troops I don't know if that's true but I did hear that he gave up golf in reality just recently to show his sacrifice for the troops.

[jbeall]

Art imitating life. As far as Bush giving up sweets to sacrifice for the troops I don't know if that's true but I did hear that he gave up golf in reality just recently to show his sacrifice for the troops.

And b/c he needed knee surgery.

[oldsheperd]

Shhh! That's the reason in "The Reality Based Community". Onward Christian Soldiers! Marching as to waR!

[domino harvey]

Art imitating life. As far as Bush giving up sweets to sacrifice for the troops I don't know if that's true but I did hear that he gave up golf in reality just recently to show his sacrifice for the troops.

Where did you hear that, the link I posted like two up from your post

[davebert]

Other best part about this thread: My ad at the bottom is from the John McCain 2008 campaign.

Looks like Google Ads has already made the "Bush's third term" connection and is running hard with it!

[oldsheperd]

Domino, are you always this petty? I've read a lot of your posts and I would reckon the answer would be yes.

[tavernier]

Domino, are you always this petty? I've read a lot of your posts and I would reckon the answer would be yes.

Welcome to the board!

[oldsheperd]

Thanks Tavernier, a little late, but thanks the same:
Joined: 11 Nov 2004

[domino harvey]

This is a good thread

[Tom Hagen]

The most important presently-vacant role may be going to Richard Dreyfuss. I am sure he can mimic the crooked smile and quacking voice, but my question is whether he will put on fifty pounds for the role Raging Bull style?