The story of the eventful life of George W. Bush—his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith—and the critical days leading up to his decision to invade Iraq.
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
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
Shea Lewis
Oil Rig Driller
Randal Reeder
Oil Rig Foreman
Marley Shelton
Fran
Litt Martin
1971 Houston Oilman #1
James Ron Parker
1971 Houston Oilman #2
Michael Gaston
General Tommy Franks
Keenan Harrison Brand
Marvin Bush
Ellen Burstyn
Barbara Bush
Jason Ritter
Jeb Bush
Bryan Massey
Skeeter
Noah Wyle
Don Evans
Bill Jenkins
Jim Sale
Brent Sexton
Joe O'Neill
Jonathan Breck
Corn Dog
Jennifer Sipes
Suzie Evans
Jonna Juul-Hansen
Jan O'Neill
Elizabeth Banks
Laura Bush
Paul Rae
Kent Hance
David Born
Texas Debate Moderator
John Buffalo Mailer
Speechwriter #2
James Martin Kelly
NSC Official
Rob Corddry
Ari Fleischer
William Lanier
Resort Waiter
Stacy Keach
Rev. Earle Hudd
Gregory Alan Williams
Evangelical Minister
Jon Michael Davis
1988 Campaign Aide #1
Andrew Sensenig
Texas Reporter #1
Gabriela Ostos
Texas Reporter #2
Lisa Fairchild
Texas Reporter #3
Paul T. Taylor
Texas Reporter #4
Halley Rachal
Park Bench Voter #1
Dottie McWhiney
Park Bench Voter #2
Ronan Summers
CIA Official
John Neisler
Cheney's Lawyer
Ioan Gruffudd
Prime Minister Tony Blair
Charles Fathy
Pres. Jacques Chirac (voice)
Jim Garrity
TV Commentator #1
Anne Pressly
TV Commentator #2
Randall Newsome
Paul Bremer
Jewel Williams
Legless Soldier
Oscar Contreras
Burned Soldier
Tom Kemp
Dr. David Kay
Teresa Cheung
Miss China
Brad Sham
White House Reporter
Director
Oliver Stone
Writer
Stanley Weiser
January 14, 2023
10
Eeeehhhhh! I still don't know how to feel about this, and it's been a decade since I first watched it.
And then there is the bias that will certainly seep through. I really hate the DNC in 2018...but in the '00's and still today, well, W. was to me what Nixon was to Hunter S. Thompson. There is literally no president I like less than W. So excuse the bias that may pop up here, I try to keep politics out of these in this insanely political age.
So, on one hand (and I have been ripping into Stone lately) this is a SOLID Oliver Stone film. Unlike Snowden and World Trade Center, it actually has what you expect from an Oliver Stone film. And I can't not like that.
Agree with Stone's politics or not...you go to see an Oliver Stone film because he can leave his mark on it...and this has that mark.
So you can sit down and watch it and have that clear "I'm watching an Oliver Stone movie" feeling, and that is always enjoyable when you can do that.
But then, it's been a decade since its release and that kind of mutes it. When it came out in 2008, W was still in office and just going to see it made you proud to be an American. Hardly any other country would allow someone to release a film critical of the CURRENT leader while he was still in office. It gave you a great "this is what makes America great" feeling, "this is what puts us above the rest of the world. Thank you Oliver Stone."
But, it's been a decade, so you don't get that feeling from watching it now. You don't feel compelled to buy your ticket, and then go back and see it again to celebrate the 1st Amendment.
And because of that, a decade later, it kind of makes you feel that it should have been released now instead of then.
A decade later you remember the people that were celebrating in the streets when he was finally out. You remember that sense of relief that NOT Bush was in office. You remember the Obama victory...you remember the St. Paul horror, and the sense that the DNC could have run a rotting corpse and won.
And then, after you remember all of that, you get the feeling that it would have made a better ending if Stone just waited a year to make the film.
But despite all of that, it was a fair film. It was balanced (unlike this review) and that's probably because of what my late father used to say, he hated W. as a president, but felt he'd like him as a person. Which, unfortunately, is an attitude you're regrettably not allowed to have today.
But that doesn't change the fact that you still feel like you are watching an Oliver Stone movie. It doesn't change the feeling of pride you got by going to see W. in the theaters when it was released. It doesn't change the fact that it is still a good movie...even if it's a better movie for the people that are old enough to remember it.