The third time will definitely not be the charm for Oliver Stone’s latest president biopic.
Those of you who have not heard may be wondering which president is the inspiration behind Stone’s newest movie.
Could it be Bill Clinton? The Monica Lewinsky scandal would certainly make for an entertaining film. And Stone does enjoy those political controversies (i.e. Richard Nixon and Watergate).
Or maybe Stone has decided to take the historical route like HBO did with “John Adams.”
No, Stone has chosen the one president who is probably the least likely candidate for the film. A man who is probably the last man on your list of favorite presidents or even favorite people right now.
I am sure that narrows it down for you. The star is none other than the current president of our country, President Bush.
Stone claims he is not making an anti-Bush statement. But I do not see how he will succeed otherwise.
First of all, the movie was originally entitled “Bush.” Now come on, Stone, did you honestly not think about the connotations of that?
However, a movie entitled “Bush” would probably be a bigger hit at the box office than “W.,” the film’s official title.
Stone is also going to have a hard time backing up his political indifference because of the movie’s inclusion of Bush’s infamous grammatical “skills” and speech slip-ups, such as his famous pronunciation of “nuclear.”
Another one of my qualms is the fact that the film will barely touch on Bush’s time in office. Instead, it will focus on his early life as a rich Ivy Leaguer whose life revolves around getting wasted at Skull and Bones parties.
And Stone just could not spare us Bush’s daddy issues. In the film, since “Lil’ Bush” just can’t seem to make his papa proud, he figures, “Why not just piss daddy off by getting drunk and waging fist fights with him in the front yard of the White House?”
Again, how is this not an anti-Bush film? And how is it not a comedy?
And speaking of comedy, Stone has chosen the perfect actress to portray first lady Laura Bush.
Elizabeth Banks. Yep, that is right, shower-head girl from “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” And who better to play the elegant and poised First Lady of our country than an actress with the upcoming “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” film on her résumé?
I do not see how this movie is going to do well, and I do not see its point.
Stone wants to release the film before Bush leaves office, possibly by November.
Can Stone not wait at least a couple of years until Bush is gone? Stone’s “JFK” and “Nixon” did not come out until decades after these presidents left office – and they were also dead.
And to boot, we just lived through eight years of Bush. Do we really need to witness two more of hours of his incompetence? Do we really need to be reminded that we made a huge mistake in electing him as our country’s leader?
Honestly, how many of you are going to go see this movie? There is not one person to whom I have spoken whose first response hasn’t been “Seriously?” or “Is it a comedy?”
Bush is not the most popular man right now.
He is a punch line.
His speeches are “Saturday Night Live” spoofs.
He is the protagonist of a political satire on Comedy Central.
His “Bushisms” are part of a liberal’s everyday lexicon.
So how is Stone going to turn the Bush we have all come to know, but not necessarily love, into a man that people can take seriously?
Seeing him as an inebriated frat boy stumbling around Yale and hearing reiterations of his improper grammar is not going to improve his already deteriorating image.
Stone is known for his controversial films, and I am sure this movie will be just that.
—-Contact Drew Belle Zerby at [email protected]