With just about a year to go in the presidency of George W. Bush, Oliver Stone has set his sights on a biopic about the nation's 43rd president. Josh Brolin, fresh off his turn in No Country for Old Men, has signed on to play the title role.
Bush is sure to be a controversial project coming from Stone, who hasn't exactly been the most subtle critic of the president's administration. But he told Variety his personal feelings about Bush weren't the point. He said:
Here, I'm the referee, and I want a fair, true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he is coming from. It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, preemptive attack on Iraq. It will contain surprises for Bush supporters and his detractors.
Well, it's not the most neutral statement I've ever heard (nor is the project's development title of "Misunderestimated"), but I'm still curious to see what Stone will do with this one. I'm also eager to see Brolin go from outlaw to Commander in Chief. I wouldn't have pictured it at first, but Stone pointed out that while "Josh is actually better looking than Bush," they do share a certain old Hollywood swagger.
Mey
black'Up
Liz Claiborne
I think it is way too soon to make a film like this. It will be decades before all of the information is declassified.
Additionally, while Stone claims that he is the "referee," there is no way to make an objective film about George W. Bush before his term has even ended. It just is not possible to remove your personal emotions from the film and create a "fair, true portrait" when you are this close to the situation. It is not as if Stone hasn't made his feelings about the president known and, if he was interested in creating a film about his personal perspective then now would be the perfect time to do so. However, his claims of fairness and objectivity do not align with his choice to make this film now.
I say wait but that's just me.
1I agree ChelseaGirl. This is what annoys me about today's tv/film. Everything is up for grabs the minute it happens. We don't give ourselves the time and distance from something that might lead to better understanding. If it was a documentary obviously it would be totally different.
2I say wait as well. There's just no way that this film can even try to be objective at this point.
3Meh - I don't really care about the waiting. Now or later, I'd still take any information protrayed with a grain of salt. The real issue here is Josh Brolin. In what universe would he make a good GW Bush?
4Even his comments to Variety about being objective show a bias.
Seeing as how Hollywood hasn't even made a movie about the Clintons yet, I think it's a little soon to be planning one on Bush.
5No. No no no. I protest. I've had a *massive* crush (read: I love him) on Josh Brolin since I was at least 5-6, thanks to the Goonies. I reaaally don't want him to be associated with W Bush in my head. No, no, and no.
And I agree with ChelseaGirl, too. While it may be interesting to have an immediate 'interpretation' (I'm sorry but films are too close to fiction to really be unbiased) of W Bush, the whole context is a touchy and difficult subject. I'd hate that to be romanticised, and then inevitably having people making up their mind on Bush based on the film instead of facts.
But then again, it's more or less what I also thought of Stone's "WTC" - but since I haven't seen it I can't honestly say how it worked out.
Guess I'll just avoid the film (inspite of Josh Brolin - btw talking about him, after seeing him in No Country For Old Men I think he's a good enough actor for that role) and instead wait for the day DeLillo decides to write a book on the story.
6I can't see him as George Bush AT ALL.
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