The controversial director is feeling the heat from what certainly will be the most talked-about film of 2008, but Stone is someone who never lets them see him sweat.
Days away from his "W." opening at the multiplex, Stone is mulling over if and when the real commander-in-chief will see the biography Stone directed about his life.
"I think in this present political state, the real George W. Bush might not approve of this movie," says Stone with a wry grin. "But this movie tries to understand George W. Bush -- the good, the bad and the ugly.
"I tried to be fair and balanced and compassionate," Stone adds. "I don't take sides. I don't take political sides. I'm a dramatist, and this is the movie I've made."
Got that? The leftwing Stone doesn't take political sides despite the fact that 'W.' portrays Bush as nothing much more than a dissolute drunkard who disappoints his father as you can see in this reality challenged trailer. Here is a summary of the movie by the Sun-Times' Cindy Pearlman:
In "W.," Josh Brolin portrays the 43rd president of the United States as a beer-guzzling, hazed Yale frat guy who fails at his Daddy-pulled-the-strings jobs in the Texas oil fields, manages a baseball team in Texas and then shockingly lands at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
In between, he boozes it up, puts down the bottle, marries Laura (Elizabeth Banks), wrestles with the long shadow of his father and even finds religion at age 40. All of his White House meetings end with a quick prayer session.
...The president doesn't exactly come off like a Rhodes Scholar in the film, and his personal life isn't off limits. One scene has his daddy griping about having to deal with one of his young namesake's former girlfriends.
"What are you cut out for -- chasing tail? You're not a Kennedy. You're a Bush," fumes Cromwell.
Stone insists his film isn't a satire.
Perhaps not satire but definitely highly laughable fiction.
—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
"Ignore"
October 12, 2008 - 19:46 ET by TexndocThat's my personal setting for this thing.
Stone or stoned?
October 12, 2008 - 21:36 ET by wdhorningStone is just a plain liar about his apolitical claim.
There are loads of private conversations in this movie which reflect badly on Bush, Cheney, Rice, etc. Since it is blatantly obvious he was not present at any of these private conversations and for certain none of the participants revealed any such private conversations to Stone, the negative things these people imply about themselves are Stone's imagination and cannot possibly have one ounce of truth in them. This is not apolitical, it is political.
Now when you present this kind of movie as a documentary or even near documentary and use your imagination to slander people, you are just a blatant liar and low-life, IMHO.
So for me, no more Oliver Stone movies, even older movie rentals.
Remember what happened to the Dixie Chicks for their anti-American rant?
Dixie Chicks
October 13, 2008 - 10:54 ET by Mr XUnfortunately I think they are doing fine. Remember "boobus americanus" only has about a 6 month memory capacity.
6 months?
October 13, 2008 - 10:56 ET by Sergeant ROCKBoy, you're generous!
PALIN/McCain 2008
Yet Another
October 12, 2008 - 23:31 ET by Secret ConservativeHollywood movie we can watch crash and burn at the boxoffice.
whats up
October 12, 2008 - 19:51 ET by smoto66hey whatsup I was just born last night
Is this movie based on a
October 12, 2008 - 19:57 ET by balboaIs this movie based on a book or some other source material?
Yeah boa...maybe a comic
October 12, 2008 - 20:06 ET by bigtimerYeah boa...maybe a comic book...
...after-all it is from La-La-Land...
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
"Is this movie based on a
October 12, 2008 - 23:16 ET by stratmanAre you lazy and manipulative or just manipulative tonight?
We all know you have internet access since you did post this question on the internet. We also know your IQ is likely at least 80 since your grammar was adequate, the words were spelled correctly, and the content was understandable.
So, are you lazy, manipulative or both?
Do it yourself.
Sheesh, stratman, it's a
October 12, 2008 - 23:27 ET by balboaSheesh, stratman, it's a simple question. If you don't know the answer, don't answer it. I thought maybe someone here would have the quick answer.
and michael moore is only
October 12, 2008 - 20:09 ET by dark_dsand michael moore is only interested in the truth
so in 4 to 8 years we can expect the same kind of movie made about O man yea right
they are free to make this crap but dont insult us by saying "i dont take political sides"
the new last supper
Dear Mr Stone
October 12, 2008 - 20:10 ET by GeoGolfDear Oliver Stone.
I noticed you did a movie on JFK. Now on "W". I have a suggestion since you are not political.
How about a certain kid from Arkansas. Who was raised by his mom. Went to college- dodged the draft- met the future First lady and senator from NY. Became president, inspite of his womanizing. Helped create the "wall" that caused 911 and promoted the financial dealings that would fuel the 2008 economic collapse and was impeached?
Now that would make one hell of a story.
Stone is apolitical, he would never it do that!
October 12, 2008 - 21:39 ET by wdhorningLiar, liar, his pants are on fire!
Don't forget his loving
October 12, 2008 - 23:27 ET by stratmanDon't forget his loving look at Nixon in "Nixon".
And certainly no politics were involved in any of his other movies like Born on the Fourth of July or Salvador to name a couple.
Yeah, Stone is a real political enigma.
***"Oliver Stone" is an anagram for "Soviet Loner"***
I feel a coincidence coming on
October 12, 2008 - 20:14 ET by AmericanEnergistJosh Brolin found it difficult to get his shoes tied in Hahawood until the Good Ship 'O' hired him for 'W'...now, he's going to that bastion of Palin-love, SNL next week. I can just imagine the great skits they're gonna do (yes, I meant to say it that way, being a non-intelectual and all)
This may be the springboard Brolin needs to get a regular gig on '30 Rock'.
www.ArmchairEnergist...
Can you imagine the outrage
October 12, 2008 - 20:21 ET by Jnobleand crys of "RACIST!" if BO is elected and someone makes a movie about a shady Chicago phoney who bumbles his way into the White House and embarrasses the US for four years?
I wonder if they can get Richard Dreyfess to play William Ayers? And maybe Samuel Jackson to play Rev Wright.
This is definitely very high
October 12, 2008 - 20:22 ET by balboaThis is definitely very high profile, but things actually started going great for Brolin with his role in No Country for Old Men.
Is Stone a snake oil
October 12, 2008 - 20:30 ET by zhombreIs Stone a snake oil salesman --- or broker of adjustable rate mortgages, the modern equivalent --- or is he really that monumentally deluded and thinks he actually is fair, balanced and --- you gotta be kiddin' me --- compassionate. A python suffocating a small mammal displays more compassion. The pretentiousness and self regard of this guy is astounding.
Well, They Don't Call Him Oliver "Believable"
October 12, 2008 - 20:36 ET by dodecahedronAccording to his bio at imdb.com, Stone was in the Yale Class of 1968 along with George W. Bush. Bush graduated. Stone dropped out after failing all of his classes.
Seems like someone may need some couch time with Dr. Phil to deal with repressed failure issues.
It's ok Oliver, just because you make bad films doesn't make you a bad person. Making dishonest films makes you a bad person.
Wikipedia states that Stone
October 12, 2008 - 23:31 ET by Rush FanWikipedia states that Stone returned to Yale and then dropped out a second time. That may have been about the same time President George W. Bush, after receiving his Bachelor degree from Yale, enrolled in Harvard so he could complete his MBA. George W. Bush is not known to be a quitter like some people. That perseverance was highlighted in his steadfastness when many were clamouring for retreat in failure from Iraq. Character does matter!
Compare the lives of George W. Bush and Oliver Stone. If you had to choose between one of them, which one would you call a failure.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The most important change we can make is to vote out the Democrats and RINOs in Congress!
----------------------------------------------------------
Geeez, what a liar! I
October 12, 2008 - 20:46 ET by Clear thinkerGeeez, what a liar!
I wonder how much money Mr. Stoned gives to Dems?
Why Obama Scares The Crap Out Of Me
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
That link has a lot of
October 12, 2008 - 21:04 ET by balboaThat link has a lot of unsupported theories in it, lots of loose connections between ideas and fear.
bal... You are nuts! The
October 12, 2008 - 21:10 ET by Clear thinkerbal...
You are nuts! The connections are not theory, they are very real and very worrisome. Besides, there is no way you had time to listen and read everything to see how the dots connect. You didn't even go through it all, did you?
Why Obama Scares The Crap Out Of Me
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
CT, it is clear that Cone is
October 12, 2008 - 21:52 ET by balboaCT, it is clear that Cone is way, way out there. Bizarre ideology. BUT, take this statement: "Both Rev. Wright andBarak Obama consider James Cone to be a great man for inventing BLT." Where does this conclusion come from? I don't see it supported in the article.
Or this: "His political life has been shaped by people like William Ayers, an avowed Communist and home-grown terrorist." Evidence?
Or this: " Barak Obama has shaped his adult Spiritual life around Black Liberation Theology, invented by a racist Marxist named James Cone and preached by his preacher of 20 years, Rev. Wright." Proof?
Disgusting
October 12, 2008 - 21:04 ET by EurikaYes, I can just hear Dr Phil: Are you NUTS?! Then again Dr Phil is probably for Obama.
Stone doesn't take political sides?
October 12, 2008 - 21:14 ET by SlicksterWho knew?
I don't care who you are
October 12, 2008 - 21:28 ET by Scout FinchIt's obvious that Oliver Stone tries to portray George W. Bush as a one-dimensional cartoon character who is clearly a dunce-like simpleton. While W has disappointed me many times in the past few years, I still believe the man who won the White House for two consecutive terms is most definitely NOT this character.
Most moviegoers will be able to tell the difference, and this movie will be received as well as all the other obviously biased Hollywood movies in recent years. It may receive an Oscar, but it's pure fiction/fantasy, and won't earn what it cost to produce.
Scout... Ditto. You are
October 12, 2008 - 21:40 ET by bigtimerScout...
Ditto.
You are so right in everything you said IMHO.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Of course, Oliver Stone is a 'principled man', bt
October 12, 2008 - 22:02 ET by Scout FinchI'm sure he doesn't care about accolades from peers and romantically queued up Rolling Stone interviews with Jann Wenner.
I just want to see those box-office returns, Ollie.
You ever notice the timing
October 12, 2008 - 23:39 ET by ahusserYou ever notice the timing of these things. Oliver had to rush this crud/dud into production. Probably working overtime to get this trash out before the election. He lost me with that way way overated movie "Platoon" that so called depiction of the Vietnam War. He lied about that and he was there. He's not a moviemaker in the entertainment sense he is an unabashed propagandist.
"...no civilization, no matter how rich, no matter how refined, can long survive once it loses the power to meet force with equal or superior force." - Bernard Knox
Stone = Moron
October 13, 2008 - 08:55 ET by Sergeant ROCKExactly. From the previews I've seen of this piece of crap, I would dare say that 'Triumph of the Will' was a more subtle work.
PALIN/McCain 2008
Stone doesn't take sides?
October 12, 2008 - 21:36 ET by BeresfordYeah, and Britney is still a virgin.
Other claims by Oliver Stone...
October 12, 2008 - 21:50 ET by goldenthroatYou don't take political sides? Yeah, right, Ollie!
"Don't crush that dwarf! Hand me the pliers!" - Firesign Theatre
It's OK Oliver Stone that you don't take political sides
October 12, 2008 - 21:56 ET by jefflebowskiMy policy is I don't watch your movies. You are less than zero to me.
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.c...
I am with you
October 12, 2008 - 22:33 ET by DEVILDOCMOMJeff. I may have seen some of Platoon and I have seen Wall Street...nothing since then and never will. His subject lines do not appeal to me.
He says he doesn't take
October 12, 2008 - 22:41 ET by GregEHe says he doesn't take sides? That's simply a case of a far Leftist not thinking that he is a far Leftist, but instead thinking his views are right down the middle.
Stone-cold celluloid
October 12, 2008 - 22:44 ET by GalvanicHaving produced and directed a long series of total box office flops, it's doubtful that Stone's latest piece of fantasy will be "the most talked about film of 2008." His celebrity as an Oscar-winning filmmaker must be running on fumes by now, and should soon die out altogether.
I doubt there will be little box office interest in W, because there is far too much going on right now, and we're less than a month away from Election Day.
Oh sure, some Bush-haters will get some laughs out of it. Stone makes movies for the Hollywood crowd, and not for the public at large.
But don't be surprised if this goes to DVD by Christmas, and pops up by the dozens in the bargain-DVD bin of your local Wal-Mart by next summer.
Which is more ridiculous...
October 12, 2008 - 22:55 ET by BeukeboomI don't know which is more ridiculous, Oliver Stone making this future failure of a film or the leftists financing the flick. Oliver Stone, like Spike Lee, has been rendered irrelevent in the film world due to their skewed political leanings getting in the way of what movies were originally meant to be: entertainment.
Taking Heads Theme Song
October 12, 2008 - 22:57 ET by Terry TrippanyYeah, he doesn't take sides. And it is just a coincidence that the trailer uses the Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime", cutting off before the bridge (linking W to McCain no doubt):
Yeah us dumb idiots. We just don't get the subliminal genius of Hollywood elites.
The choice of song itself is actually quite revealing.
Byrne also just did a solo show tonight where he sang this song followed by Life During Wartime and then retorted "that day could be Nov. 4" moments after singing the lyric "everything can change that one fine day."
I agree with the song, "same as it ever was".
Yeah, I thought so too, tt
October 13, 2008 - 00:44 ET by Scout FinchSame as is it ever was...(showing A.C.O.R.N. footage...)
What is it...
October 12, 2008 - 23:29 ET by Secret Conservative...with the Brolin boys? First, dad James Brolin Streisand stars as Ronald Reagan in a hatchet job, and now Josh does a hatchet job on W.
Non biased Oliver Stoned
October 12, 2008 - 23:38 ET by nuclearnavymomRiiiiiiiiiiiiight. And I'm 30 years old, 5'9, weigh 129.5 pounds and make $150K a year.
I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
Josh Brolin
October 12, 2008 - 23:50 ET by Rush FanAt least he keeps his liberal bias and hatred of President Bush in the family. His stepmother, Barbara Streisand, hates President Bush, and his father, actor James Brolin, is not known to be a fan of President Bush either.
Liberals are very good at lying because they lie so much. Oliver Stone saying he doesn't take political sides is similar to CNN's Campbell Brown saying: “You’re not going to see me ever be partisan. I’ll never take a position on a candidate or an issue.”
----------------------------------------------------------------
The most important change we can make is to vote out the Democrats and RINOs in Congress!
Speaking for myself...
October 13, 2008 - 01:26 ET by jawebster1I will not go see this movie, nor will I watch it on TV. I do not care to enrich Liberals with my hard earned money. I never understood Hollywood producers making movies that turn off nearly one half of their prospective domestic audience. The answer can only be they are appealing to America haters overseas. Jim Webster
no balls to pick a side.
October 13, 2008 - 10:08 ET by szampHe is releasing a movie ridiculing the current president right before the election and he's not taking political sides. Yeah righ.
The truth is that he doesn't have the balls to say which political side he took.