Film Snail

W.
W.

6.2

W.

PG-13·2008·129m

Summary

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.

Cast

Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin

George W. Bush

Colin Hanks

Colin Hanks

Speechwriter #1

Toby Jones

Toby Jones

Karl Rove

Dennis Boutsikaris

Dennis Boutsikaris

Paul Wolfowitz

Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright

Colin Powell

Thandiwe Newton

Thandiwe Newton

Condoleezza Rice

Scott Glenn

Scott Glenn

Donald Rumsfeld

Richard Dreyfuss

Richard Dreyfuss

Dick Cheney

Bruce McGill

Bruce McGill

George Tenet

Wes Chatham

Wes Chatham

Fraternity Enforcer

Jesse Bradford

Jesse Bradford

Fraternity President

Sean Stone

Sean Stone

Fraternity Pledge #1

Ben Mayer

Fraternity Pledge #2

James Cromwell

James Cromwell

George H.W. Bush

Juan Gabriel Pareja

Juan Gabriel Pareja

Oil Worker

Shea Lewis

Oil Rig Driller

Randal Reeder

Randal Reeder

Oil Rig Foreman

Marley Shelton

Marley Shelton

Fran

Litt Martin

1971 Houston Oilman #1

James Ron Parker

1971 Houston Oilman #2

Michael Gaston

Michael Gaston

General Tommy Franks

Keenan Harrison Brand

Marvin Bush

Ellen Burstyn

Ellen Burstyn

Barbara Bush

Jason Ritter

Jason Ritter

Jeb Bush

Bryan Massey

Bryan Massey

Skeeter

Noah Wyle

Noah Wyle

Don Evans

Bill Jenkins

Bill Jenkins

Jim Sale

Brent Sexton

Brent Sexton

Joe O'Neill

Jonathan Breck

Jonathan Breck

Corn Dog

Jennifer Sipes

Jennifer Sipes

Suzie Evans

Jonna Juul-Hansen

Jan O'Neill

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks

Laura Bush

Paul Rae

Paul Rae

Kent Hance

David Born

David Born

Texas Debate Moderator

John Buffalo Mailer

John Buffalo Mailer

Speechwriter #2

James Martin Kelly

James Martin Kelly

NSC Official

Rob Corddry

Rob Corddry

Ari Fleischer

William Lanier

Resort Waiter

Stacy Keach

Stacy Keach

Rev. Earle Hudd

Gregory Alan Williams

Gregory Alan Williams

Evangelical Minister

Jon Michael Davis

Jon Michael Davis

1988 Campaign Aide #1

Andrew Sensenig

Andrew Sensenig

Texas Reporter #1

Gabriela Ostos

Gabriela Ostos

Texas Reporter #2

Lisa Fairchild

Texas Reporter #3

Paul T. Taylor

Paul T. Taylor

Texas Reporter #4

Halley Rachal

Park Bench Voter #1

Dottie McWhiney

Park Bench Voter #2

Ronan Summers

Ronan Summers

CIA Official

John Neisler

John Neisler

Cheney's Lawyer

Ioan Gruffudd

Ioan Gruffudd

Prime Minister Tony Blair

Charles Fathy

Charles Fathy

Pres. Jacques Chirac (voice)

Jim Garrity

Jim Garrity

TV Commentator #1

Anne Pressly

TV Commentator #2

Randall Newsome

Randall Newsome

Paul Bremer

Jewel Williams

Legless Soldier

Oscar Contreras

Burned Soldier

Tom Kemp

Tom Kemp

Dr. David Kay

Teresa Cheung

Miss China

Brad Sham

White House Reporter

Crew

Director

Oliver Stone

Writer

Stanley Weiser

Reviews

GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwine

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.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$25,100,000.00

Revenue:

$29,506,464.00

Keywords

usa president
the white house
politics
president
iraq war
america