W. (2008)

A chronicle of the life and Presidency of George W. Bush.

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writer:

Stanley Weiser

Stars:

Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Ioan Gruffudd

1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Josh Brolin	...	George W. Bush
Colin Hanks	...	Speechwriter #1
Toby Jones	...	Karl Rove
Dennis Boutsikaris	...	Paul Wolfowitz
Jeffrey Wright	...	Colin Powell
Thandiwe Newton	...	Condoleezza Rice (as Thandie Newton)
Scott Glenn	...	Donald Rumsfeld
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Dick Cheney
Bruce McGill	...	George Tenet
Wes Chatham	...	Fraternity Enforcer
Jesse Bradford	...	Fraternity President
Sean Stone	...	Fraternity Pledge #1
Ben Mayer	...	Fraternity Pledge #2
James Cromwell	...	George H.W. Bush
Juan Gabriel Pareja	...	Oil Worker

Storyline

Oliver Stone's biographical take on the life of George W. Bush, 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.

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Plot Keywords:

banana | ape | talking monkey | monkey | family relationships | 

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Taglines:

A life misunderestimated.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the dream sequence toward the end of the movie, when George HW Bush confronts his son in the Oval Office, a portrait of John Quincy Adams can be seen. Like George W Bush, John Quincy Adams succeeded his father as president.

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Goofs

In the scene where George W. Bush holds the speech about uranium in Africa, the TV shows some scenes from the actual speech. The real Dick Cheney is shown, though he is played by Richard Dreyfuss in the movie.

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Quotes

Reporter: [about carrier landing] You know, Jack, it's really stunning. I mean, he's landing on a boat at 150 miles per hour. I can't think of a democrat that would do that.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Suckula (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Performed by Jake White
Courtesy of Stone Angel Music, Inc.

User Reviews

Huge Stone Fan, but this is Stone at his lowest.

Preface: I'm a huge Oliver Stone fan. HUGE. I even wrote a 20 page paper on the relationship between Platoon and the American psyche regarding the Vietnam War. However, .... In his latest film, Oliver Stone forfeits the insightful, truth-driven film-making that has made him famous for normal, good ol' American profit-driven propaganda (if not tabloid fodder for the masses).

The representation of Bush and his actions border's on the absurd. I am no Bush fan, but this film seems to be nothing more than a means of gratifying all those who yearn for a simple movie that reinforces, rather than questions, all their ignorant beliefs about very complex issues. Example: Bush recklessly invades Iraq without any reservations. None. His rational, according to Stone, has more to do with his ego and his quest to prove himself to his father. Fact: Even Clinton voted for war in Iraq. The majority of leaders in the US thought that Iraq posed a legitimate threat.

The film's motto: "Hate Bush, and America is not to be blamed." That is exactly what the Germans did after WWII. As stated, I'm no Bush fan, but this film equates to political propaganda, and I reject propaganda, whether it is from Bush or from Stone.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Oliver Stone Site Production Notes

Country:

USA Australia Hong Kong Switzerland China

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 October 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bush

Filming Locations:

Millennium Studios- 300 Douglas Street, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,505,668, 19 October 2008

Gross USA:

$25,534,493

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$29,560,587

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, QED International, Omnilab Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1