Posted: 4:31 am
October 6, 2008
IKE, shmike. Hurricane Oliver's coming Oct. 14. That's the day Oliver Stone, who makes movies like "JFK" and "Nixon," premieres the George Dubya Bush job "W," which is guar anteed to stir up the elements. Having seen some of the powerful footage, I asked America's maybe greatest filmmaker why he's also its most controversial.
"I make films that make people think. This guy's a fascinating story. A drama. Love him or hate him, he's as entertaining as it gets. Look, I didn't do a movie about Clinton or Reagan.
"Right now with the elections upon us and the economy crisis, nobody is even talking about him, but he still remains the most important man in the world. Bush, personally, is out of here in a few months. Bush, historically, will impact us the next 20 years. Bush changed the world."
And why Josh Brolin to play him? "Josh has Bush's raw energy. Bush is cranky. He shows impatience, irritation. He's bold, daring, cocky. Josh shares that same Americana rough-edged John Wayne never-back-down quality. He has that feel of the West. Mama matriarch Barbara, who's much stronger than her husband, is played by Ellen Burstyn because Ellen has that same steely sass."
Flashbacks show Bush's spoiled brat, rich kid, boozy, black sheep, sluggard in school, ego-driven frat days. It shows the tension and fights with his father (played by James Cromwell), whom he calls "weak." It shows failures and, when losing a congressional election, vows, "I'll never be out-Christian'd or out-Texan'd again." It shows the inherited temperament in a scene where his mother says: "You're too much like me. You can't win."
It shows, as Oliver puts it: "George Jr. was the family f - - - up." It shows resolve as in his first hello to Laura: "I don't believe in forcing myself on people, so I'll just ask for your phone number."
And there's the today scenes. He calls Bill Clinton "lard ass." Tells Tony Blair: "I want to paint a reconnaissance plane in the UN's blue and white colors" because, concludes Oliver, "He wanted this war. He says, 'I'll bring democracy to the Middle East.' Understand, Bush always thinks he's right. Asked his mistakes at a closing press conference scene, he denies he made any. He's simply never wrong.
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