The plot tells the story of Bush’s early life as an unmotivated alcoholic through to his Presidency. A series of flashbacks takes the viewer through the milestones: his arrest and subsequent rescue by his father (James Cromwell as George Sr), meeting Laura Welch (Elizabeth Banks) his first failed campaign for congress. In between flashbacks we see events leading up the 2003 invasion of Iraq beginning with the infamous “Axis of Evil” speech. It ends with a reporter asking him what he would take back from his Presidency. He is speechless.
Josh Brolin and Other Notable Performances
Everyone in this movie looks eerily like his or her character. Josh Brolin has the looks, voice, and gestures of George W. Bush. From his heated exchanges with his father (Cromwell), to his many notable sayings he manages to play W as being more than he appeared.
Geoffery Wright was well cast in the role of Colin Powell. He played him as the movie’s conscience at one point making a speech in the war room, emphasizing his opinion of the war as wrong. If even half of that was true, it makes one wonder if Powell had come forward with the truth prior to the Iraq war, how would the world be different today?
Cromwell played Bush Sr. as being of a different generation. His version was never comfortable expressing his feelings, or relating to George Jr. This became the source much of the movie’s conflict as George Sr. constantly compared George W. Bush with his brother Jeb
One of the most notable scenes in the movie was when “W” was out on the ranch with the inner circle (Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove, and Powell). They’re wandering a back path, talking over the war to come and they get lost, in what feels like a bit of foreshadowing of the Iraq war.
Oliver Stone Paints a Sympathetic Picture of Bush
Overall Stone’s version of Bush is sympathetic. The viewer is often left feeling sorry for “W” as he battles his father on his many failures, and constantly seeks his approval. He comes across as being more naive, and easily led rather than stupid. And that vulnerability led to him being manipulated by people like Cheney and Rumsfeld whose motivations were somewhat questionable. The movie makes him seem like he earnestly wanted to serve the Americans. The love between him and Laura (Banks) added to the sense of sympathy. She unconditionally loved, and supported him. It makes you think: if she can find something to love about him, then is he really such a bad guy?
Biographical movies like any other take dramatic license, and blend fact with fiction. If this version of George W. Bush is anywhere close to the real thing, he was a better man critics gave him credit for.
Watch this one with an open mind, and be prepared to change your opinion of George W. Bush. This viewer did.
W is available for sale or rent on DVD.
