|
W. (I) (2008) 6.4
Ratings:
6.4/10 from 32,891 users
Metascore: 56/100
Reviews: 301 user | 239 critic | 36 from Metacritic.com A chronicle on the life and presidency of George W. Bush. Director:Oliver StoneWriter:Stanley Weiser |
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: W. (2008)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
The Aviator
(2004)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Stars:
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Cate Blanchett,
Kate Beckinsale
Biography
|
Drama
|
History
Director:
Gus Van Sant
Stars:
Sean Penn,
Emile Hirsch,
Josh Brolin
Kinsey
(2004)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Bill Condon
Stars:
Liam Neeson,
Laura Linney,
Chris O'Donnell
The People vs. Larry Flynt
(1996)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Milos Forman
Stars:
Woody Harrelson,
Courtney Love,
Edward Norton
The Queen
(2006)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Stephen Frears
Stars:
Helen Mirren,
James Cromwell,
Alex Jennings
J. Edgar
(2011)
Biography
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Clint Eastwood
Stars:
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Josh Hamilton,
Naomi Watts
A Beautiful Mind
(2001)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Ron Howard
Stars:
Russell Crowe,
Ed Harris,
Jennifer Connelly
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Julian Schnabel
Stars:
Mathieu Amalric,
Emmanuelle Seigner,
Marie-Josée Croze
The Pursuit of Happyness
(2006)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Gabriele Muccino
Stars:
Will Smith,
Jaden Smith,
Thandie Newton
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Jon Amiel
Stars:
Paul Bettany,
Ian Kelly,
Guy Henry
Coco Before Chanel
(2009)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Anne Fontaine
Stars:
Audrey Tautou,
Benoît Poelvoorde,
Alessandro Nivola
The Great Debaters
(2007)
Biography
|
Drama
Director:
Denzel Washington
Stars:
Denzel Washington,
Nate Parker,
Forest Whitaker
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Josh Brolin | ... | ||
| Colin Hanks | ... |
Speechwriter #1
|
|
| Toby Jones | ... | ||
| Dennis Boutsikaris | ... | ||
| Jeffrey Wright | ... | ||
| Thandie Newton | ... | ||
| Scott Glenn | ... | ||
| Richard Dreyfuss | ... | ||
| Bruce McGill | ... | ||
| Wes Chatham | ... |
Fraternity Enforcer
|
|
| Jesse Bradford | ... |
Fraternity President
|
|
| Sean Stone | ... |
Fraternity Pledge #1
|
|
 |
Ben Mayer | ... |
Fraternity Pledge #2
|
| James Cromwell | ... | ||
| Juan Gabriel Pareja | ... |
Oil Worker
|
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Oliver Stone's biographical take on the life of George W. Bush, one of the most controversial presidents in USA history, chronicling from his wild and carefree days in college, to his military service, to his governorship of Texas and role in the oil business, his 2000 candidacy for president, his first turbulent four years, and his 2004 re-election campaign. Written by Anonymous
Taglines:
Get Ready See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
17 October 2008 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Bush See more »Box Office
Budget:
$25,100,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
£183,065 (UK) (14 November 2008)Gross:
$25,517,500 (USA) (28 November 2008)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Arranged by Francis Scott Key (as Francis Key) and Michael Licari
Provided by APM Music
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The White House speechwriter named "Mike" played by Colin Hanks is based on two real speechwriters for George W. Bush, David Frum who wrote the "Axis of Evil" speech, and Michael Gerson who was Bush's chief speechwriter from 2001 to 2006. See more »Goofs
In the 1991 Gulf War scene with George H.W. Bush, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS) is portrayed as an U.S. Air Force General, however at the time, the VJCS was a U.S. Navy Admiral. See more »Crazy Credits
At the very end of the credits, you see a Christian cross with a period. It morphs into the W-period logo of the movie. See more »Soundtracks
"Star Spangled Banner"Arranged by Francis Scott Key (as Francis Key) and Michael Licari
Provided by APM Music
See more »
With his "in the moment" biopic "W." the normally volatile Oliver Stone wisely saves his judgments for history when hindsight will be 20/20. Achingly subdued and slightly satirical, Stone plays it straight and to the bone. Here he presents us with the early years of our current lame duck president, showing Dubya rushing a frat-house at Yale, meeting Laura at a barbecue, living in the shadow of his father and brother, his troubles holding down a job, his failed bid to become baseball commissioner, and his defining moment when he gives up drinking and becomes born-again. All of which leads us to his first term and the Iraq War quagmire, where Dubya honest-to-goodness truly believes "God" wanted him to become president and that Iraq did have those rascally WMD.
In the lead role, Josh Brolin is an endearingly bumble-headed Dubya, and Stone presents him as a simple-minded man with good intentions who has been crippled by his "daddy issues" and has surrounded himself with the most cynical, self-serving, and corrupt administration in modern American history. The supporting cast is a hoot, with highlights including Thandie Newton eliciting big laughs just with her facial expressions as a wicked and moronically faithful Condi Rice, Elizabeth Banks giving a winning portrayal of Laura Bush, and Richard Dreyfuss playing Cheney as the most insipid megalomaniac American politics has ever seen.
Stone accomplishes three major coups here that should surprise those who expected a one-sided liberal smear job. First, he humanizes George W. Bush. The director does this with savvy editing showing the back-story of why Dubya does the things he does (i.e. why he uses nicknames for everyone or why running three miles every day is so important to him), and then juxtaposing that with the inane decisions he has made as president. By utilizing actual transcripts from press conferences, news coverage, and meetings, Stone and scribe Stanley Weiser allow Bush and his administration to speak for themselves, and it's both comically cathartic and occasionally frightening to see it dramatized so well. Second, he redeems the presidency of George "Poppy" Bush (a somewhat miscast but still effective James Cromwell) by showing what a restrained and thoughtful Commander in Chief he was compared to his naive and too-eager-to-please son. Thirdly, he redeems the legacy of Colin Powell (a surprisingly good Jeffrey Wright), who is shown here as the only person in the administration with any hindsight or foresight, and the only sane voice who questioned the motives for entering Iraq, though he eventually caved in and played along. His "f-you" to Cheney towards the film's final act is priceless.
As the actual presidency still has a few months to go at the time of the film's release, Stone's biopic was never written a true ending, leaving us with a symbolic image of Dubya looking up to the sky in center field waiting to catch a ball that will never drop. It may be another twenty years before we can pass any accurate judgment on Dubya's legacy, and likewise, Stone's film will have to wait. It's going to be a long time before anyone catches all those balls George W. Bush's administration threw up in the air.