FIRST LOOK
First Look: Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Banks as Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bush!
by Alex Billington
May 8, 2008
Source: EW.com
We already talked about the casting announcements and shared the comparison photos with you, but now it's time to actually see Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Banks as Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bush. The two are the frontrunners in Oliver Stone's biopic on on our 43rd President title simply W. I'm still baffled that we're even seeing this movie get made when Stone himself makes statements like this: "Bush may turn out to be the worst president in history. I think history is going to be very tough on him. But that doesn't mean he isn't a great story." Are you daring enough to take a glimpse at the newly reformed Brolin and Banks?
The Hollywood gurus over at EW.com present our very first look at Brolin and Banks in Stone's biopic. In addition to the glorious new cover photo below, the mag features an in-depth article covering all of the ins and outs of the production. Stone and company are currently in the midst of setting up down in Shreveport, Louisiana and are less than two weeks away from shooting the first frame, but that doesn't mean this film hasn't already garnered excessive attention.
Will update with higher res once we find a better version.
I'm not exactly looking forward to W., at least not a much as other Bush followers and movieogers. Part of my problem lies with the actors - they're too glorified to represent people I've come to dislike over the last eight years. Another part of the problem is as I just said, I'm not fond of Bush at all and I can't help but let politics creep in - especially when it comes to my interest in watching a movie about a man I've deemed an idiot. However, maybe I'm missing the big picture - maybe there is more to this movie than meets the eye (and I'm not talking about giant robots here).
As Kevin rightly pointed out previously, one draft of the screenplay leaked out a month back and was laughed at by journalists and critics. However, Stone explains that "it's gone through two rewrites since an earlier draft leaked" and that he would "still like one more pass at it," claiming that "it's evolving." Most of the cast has already been finalized, except Dick Cheney, and they're currently being outfitted with prosthetics and hairpieces in order to properly resemble their realistic counterparts.
Although I'm not yet sold, stories like this one are what capture my attention and actually force me to become interested as a big movie fan myself. "If that bootlegged script is any indication, the film will feature such flag-waving moments as the Commander-in-Chief nearly choking to death on a pretzel while watching football on TV and a flashback of him singing the 'Whiffenpoof' song as a frat pledge at Yale, not to mention scenes in which he refers to his advisers by dorky nicknames — 'Guru' for Condoleezza Rice, 'Turdblossom' for Karl Rove, 'Balloon Foot' for Colin Powell — while discussing plans for the invasion of Iraq with the coolness of a late-night poker game."
After hearing that, I'm thinking this could turn into an extended SNL sketch with Brolin instead of Darrell Hammond, but I know Stone won't take it that far. While I have started to gain a minimal amount of interest, I'm still not excited for this. I really don't know if Oliver Stone is as capable as Stephen Frears in creating a biopic on someone I don't care about yet find extremely entertaining within the confines of cinema like with The Queen.
I'm sure plenty of news reports and photos will be hitting the web from the sets down in Shreveport as they head into production, but until then, it's time to consider whether Brolin and Banks really were the right choices. If you're curious to read more, the lengthy article over at EW.com is a great read that gives you a true sense of the production on a whole and Stone's true idea for the film. In the meantime, it's time to open this to discussion. What do you think about these new photos?
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23 Comments
1
just squinting doesn't make you look like the president. I'm just saying.
troy on May 8, 2008
2
I actually missed the news Brolin was cast; I just remember hearing Stone wanted him. Wow. Coming off the "No Country" high--getting a career twenty years after "Goonies," Brolin's setting himself up for playing second-fiddle on a network dramedy after this one bombs. Even if Stone does an okay job (I remember "Nixon" being all right)... there's no way this one will be a success. Conservatives won't see it (it'll be like when d*ldo boy walked out on "Fahrenheit 9/11") and it'll split the liberals. I feel bad for Brolin... hopefully he won't be reduced to joining a USA show.
Andrew Wickliffe on May 8, 2008
3
i didnt really recognize brolin, im not anti bush but i think this will fail, so maybe nobody will recognize brolin and hold it against him
harrison on May 8, 2008
4
Who makes a movie about a sitting president? This is retarded. At least wait a few terms until they are out of office. I can get entertained by Bush by turning on the TV.
Synopsis on May 8, 2008
5
wow, not even a little bit. In the second one he looks more like john kerry if you ask me.
taylor on May 8, 2008
6
I wont be going to see this piece of crap simply because it wont have any accuracy in the story. Oliver Stone is a hack. look what he did with the JFK movie.
Dirk Diggler on May 8, 2008
8
"W" stands for "Why?"
Scorpio on May 8, 2008
9
omg Josh what have they done to you?!? 0.0
Samy on May 8, 2008
10
to be honest Leslie Nielsen should be the president in this, he is the best president ever 😛 ok well maybe 'President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, porn star and five-time ultimate smackdown wrestling champion!' was almost as cool (watch Idiocracy)
chrisUK on May 8, 2008
11
He doesnt look too bad as Bush. Better than i thought they could make him look. Banks is too sexy for Laura Bush. Alex get the forums running.
Heckle on May 8, 2008
12
Why would they cast someone attractive as the first lady? At least Brolin looks the part a little.
Sparkle Picnic on May 8, 2008
13
What a piece of sh*t movie to even make, who gives these hacks money to make them. Cant be that hard apparently, I should direct my own biopic about some other EPIC FAIL president.
interl0per on May 8, 2008
14
Squinting DOES make you the president. What the fuck kind of country do you live in? ITALY?
DCompose on May 8, 2008
15
Not at ALL like BUSH. This movie is a BAAAAADDDD idea. I mean, give it sometime! And W.?! Please, please, please change the title.
Ryan on May 8, 2008
16
Oliver Stone will not read anyone's posts! Except mine! Keep up the good work, Stone! Gimme a dollar!
DCompose on May 8, 2008
17
This just reminds me of that short-lived Comedy Central show "That's My Bush," with Timothy Bottoms as W. I guess Stone is going for some sort of shock value? He did do "World Trade Center" too, even though that was surprisingly patriotic instead of heading into the "Loose Change" territory of "JFK." He did do the somewhat sympathetic "Nixon," so don't expect him to take a total dump on the Prez.
The Brain on May 8, 2008
21
Hilarious pictures. Looks like an SNL-Skit. Now get Ned Beatty as Cheney, Kerry Washington as Condi, and fpr Cove that insane Priest from Dead Zone (TV). Comedy Gold.
Mark on May 9, 2008
22
Eh Karl Rove o course
Mark on May 9, 2008
23
i think its really funny how liberal movie makers still havent gotten over the fact that Bush beat kerry and edwards, and have to keep dwelling on the fact they hate bush, so they make a movie about him? first of all its gonna be a flop, second of all he looks absolutely nothing, not even remotely like President Bush, and if they hate him so much why be so obsessed with the man?
shelby white on May 27, 2008
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