W: Oliver Stone's New Film

[Big Magilla]

I'm not so sure this "formulative years" stuff isn't a cover-up for the real reason for the fim - W's disasterous presidency. Why else woudldthey be talking about casting Robert Duvall as Cheney, Tommy Lee Jones as Rumsfeld, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell and Toby Jones as Karl Rove? Sure, the roels may be little more than cameos but actors of this calibre wouldn't consider them unless they has some meat to them. And planning on releasing the film before Election Day, if possible? It can only be to thrust more nails into Repulcian caskets.

[Hustler]

This casting just doesn't seem right. Cromwell's a tall man...and yet he's playing the not-so-tall Bush Sr. And I just can't see this casting working. Though, wouldn't it be lovely to see Burstyn take home an Oscar again?

Burstyn has completed four other films. If she's going to take home another Oscar hopefully it will be for something else than what will undoubtedly be a white washed version of that old hag.

if she really has a chance, would be for The Stone Angel.

[Zahveed]

Worst President Ever

Maybe this is the real reason they're calling it W

[Damien]

Oliver Stone and Worst President Ever were in the same class at Yale.

[flipp525]

Bush is a "born again" Christian.

The absolute worst kind. Self-righteous and repugnant people in general.

Hey, if nothing else, Stone's film should give you some good masturbation material, criddic. And by "hatchet job", I'm assuming you mean telling the truth of this awful man's life story. It's Oliver Stone, dude. I doubt it's going to be a puff piece.

Timothy Bottoms made a great W on that comedy awhile back.



Edited By flipp525 on 1206633727

[criddic3]

Bush is a "born again" Christian.

If Stone did the type of even-handed job he did on Nixon, I might actually give it a chance. Obviously it wouldn't be a love-fest, but as long as it wasn't a Bush-bashing hatchet job, it could work.

I agree, though, that the casting seems off. Josh Brolin as W?



Edited By criddic3 on 1206633496

[Big Magilla]

This casting just doesn't seem right. Cromwell's a tall man...and yet he's playing the not-so-tall Bush Sr. And I just can't see this casting working. Though, wouldn't it be lovely to see Burstyn take home an Oscar again?

Burstyn has completed four other films. If she's going to take home another Oscar hopefully it will be for something else than what will undoubtedly be a white washed version of that old hag.

Cromwell is 66 and Burstyn 75, yet they are supposed to be playing the elder Bushes during W's "formulative" years which begin with his college days. Heck, even Josh Brolin at 40 is too long in the tooth to be playing the young W, though I suspect it will concentrate on his later years. The Reuters article had this to say:

"Stone, who wrote the screenplay with his "Wall Street" collaborator Stanley Weiser, has said he plans to make "a fair, true portrait" of Bush, focusing on such areas as his relationship with his father, President George H.W. Bush, his wild youth, and his conversion to Christianity."

I don't get the last part, either. Bush was born Christian.

[OscarGuy]

This casting just doesn't seem right. Cromwell's a tall man...and yet he's playing the not-so-tall Bush Sr. And I just can't see this casting working. Though, wouldn't it be lovely to see Burstyn take home an Oscar again?



Oliver Stone casts parents of 'W'
Cromwell, Burstyn to play Bush Sr., Barbara
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Director Oliver Stone has set James Cromwell to play George Herbert Walker Bush and Ellen Burstyn to play former first lady Barbara Bush in "W," a drama about the formative years of their son, President George W. Bush.
Josh Brolin is playing the title character, and Elizabeth Banks will play first lady Laura Bush.

Stone will direct from a script by his “Wall Street” co-writer Stanley Weiser. Moritz Borman is producing with Bill Block and Jon Kilik.

Block's QED International is financing the film, which will begin shooting Shreveport, La., at the end of April.

Cromwell recently made another fact-based foray in a film about an iconic political figure: He played Prince Philip alongside Helen Mirren in "The Queen."

Stone was calling the project "Bush" when he began showing it to buyers (Daily Variety, Jan. 21), but the filmmakers are now calling it "W." The film is expected to be ready for distribution possibly by the November presidential elections and certainly before Bush leaves the White House in January.More than one option(Co) Daily Variety
Filmography, Year, Role
(Co) Daily Variety