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Casting W and friends

If you've been wondering when Hollywood will finally get its act together and make a major motion picture about George W. Bush, well then, I have some very exciting news for you: Oliver Stone has come to our rescue. The controversial director is working on a new biopic about Dubya, and the film will be titled simply W.

The strangest part about W (aside from the fact that it is actually being made) is that we're all familiar with the people that the movie will be about. They have had the pleasure of being a part of our lives for eight agonizing years.


Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

I don't envy the job of casting agents who have to find actors who will be believable in these roles. I mean sure, we praise their past decisions when they cast Helen Mirren as The Queen and or Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan (and Cate Blanchett actually made Bob Dylan look sexy — is there anything this woman can't do?). But there isn't much artistic freedom when it comes to casting the first family or Bush's cabinet members. They're sort of … well, boring.

We all know who Barbara Bush is and what she looks like, and we've heard all about the drama surrounding Bush's booze-loving daughters, Jenna and Barbara. So it's interesting to see who are the lucky actors who have been cast in these roles. Let's break down some of them, shall we?

Barbara Bush

Ok sure, I can get behind this. A little makeup, a little less botox, throw a set of pearls around Ellen Burstyn's neck and we have a match.

Condoleezza Rice

Thandie Newton is in final negotiations to play the role of Condoleezza Rice. (My girlfriend just perked up and told me that she would love to play Ms. Randy Bean, if that is the case. Normally I would be jealous, but I cannot in good conscious blame her. Newton is beautiful — so I will let that flirty outburst go.)


Photo credits: Alex Wong/Getty Images (Rice), Michael Buckner/Getty Images (Newton)

Thandie is married (in case anyone else was hoping for a chance with her), but here is the silver lining: She is married to Ol Parker, director of Imagine Me & You. Gasp! Maybe Thandie could wrangle Piper Perabo and Lena Headey into playing Jenna and Barbara Jr.? Wow, this movie is getting better and better.

OK, so it's not an exact match.

The development of Condoleezza Rice's story line is what perks my curiosity most about this film. I would be interested to see how the movie develops the juicy subplot of Condi buying a home with her "closest female friend," Randy Bean. Maybe the writers will take some artistic liberties and show us a dramatization of them picking out curtains together or bickering over which Netflix movie should be first in their queue.

Laura Bush

Hmm … this is one that gives me trouble. I'm just not seeing it.

You may or may not know Elizabeth Banks from her role in the The 40-Year-Old Virgin (she was the girl who drove Steve Carell's character home while she was drunk). Switching hats pretty dramatically from that, she has been cast to play the first lady. I'm wondering how they are going to pull this off. No offense to Laura Bush, but this looks like it will require quite a bit of makeup.

I think they would be way better off casting Kathy Bates.


Photo credit: Vince Bucci/Getty Images (Bates), Dennis Brack-Pool/Getty Images (Bush)

The resemblance is totally believable. If you told me tomorrow they were cousins, you'd get no argument here. But truthfully, I just love any excuse to watch Kathy Bates. She can do no wrong, especially when she gets to use a Southern accent in a movie.

W the movie seems a bit odd to me for a myriad of reasons, but Ill just limit myself to one. The portrayal of real people, who are very much still in the news, in a feature film has a very Lifetime movie-of-the-week feel to me — and this is not a good quality. The only thing that makes me slightly interested in seeing this movie is wondering how good of an impression the actors will do of these public figures. It's in that same spirit that I briefly tuned into Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story.

So what do you think? Would you go see this movie? Would you cast anyone else?

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  • Phantom's picture

    Who (the hell) thought that was a good idea? O_o

    Ick...
    to the whole concept.
    to even the mere idea.

    nunzilla's picture

    Personally, I'm

    Personally, I'm terrified.

    But uh...Lena...Headey...and Piper...Perabo...

    I'm conflicted as to whether or not I'll watch.

    Can we get Cate Blanchett as W, please? I want to see how far her drag acting skills can go.

    Phantom's picture

    As if :/

    But do you seriously think such actresses would take such parts? :(
    [/cynic-o'-vision]

    StPauligrrl's picture

    Casting Barbara

    Is it just me, or would John Lithgow be a dead ringer for Barbara in the picture you've posted of her?

     

    Batman's picture

    huh?

    My brain hurts...

    The only way I will see this film is if Will Ferrell is Dubya.

     

    Phoenix21's picture

    Elizabeth Banks

    Elizabeth Banks was actually the girl that worked at the bookstore near the store Steve worked. Leslie Mann (from George of the Jungle) was the one who drove him home drunk. Just thought I'd throw that in. I will not be seeing this movie though, despite the cast. I could care less about our dear ol' King George.
    Radical Bradacal's picture

    Actually ...

    Judd Apatow's wife - Leslie Mann - plays the drunk driver/seafood thrower-upper.

    Elizabeth Banks plays the woman wearing the thong in the bookstore. 

    Not like it matters one way or another.

    You know she's getting something other than the love of her mother.........

    Radical Bradacal's picture

    For the casting ...

    of King George ...

     

     

    You know she's getting something other than the love of her mother.........

    water-fly's picture

    haha that's exactly what i

    haha that's exactly what i think when i see his face! How could anyone be interested in making a movie about this..this..human, to call him something that doesn't hurt someone's sensibility

    betsys2003's picture

    Why the chimp hating?

    Come on now, that's not nice to those poor apes!

    =)

    Radical Bradacal's picture

    I don't!

     

    Hate chimps!

    And I would insists on the ASPCA being present during the filming at all times!

     

    You know she's getting something other than the love of her mother.........

    boywithmoonandstars's picture

    Ahhhh

    Could you do me a favor? Find a similar monkeyesque photo of Bill Clinton looking like he just blew a big ol' wad on some poor unsuspecting monkeys face? Bush may be a fuck up, but he never asked me what my definition of "is" is.....
    rachelsluv's picture

    Oh Please

     

    With the MONUMENTAL disaster that George W. Bush is from Foreign and Environmental Policy to National Security the ONLY thing you can indict Bill Clinton over is what the definition of "Is" is?

    This is why George and his supporters have got to GO! We have been ruled by the intellectually deprived for too long.  You can't even legitimize his indefensible actions.

    Radical Bradacal's picture

    Uh ...

    Could you do me a favor? Find a similar monkeyesque photo of Bill Clinton looking like he just blew a big ol' wad on some poor unsuspecting monkeys face?

    this sex argument is just so droll ... so he got laid?! Good for him! I mean, if you were Hillary, would you want to screw him either? At least Bill Clinton never committed an unintentional suicide attempt via the means of pretzel. Does Bill Clinton think with his dick? Sure. But at least he HAS something to think with ... and knows to swallow ...

    Bush has ...nothing.

    Honey, Bush didn't just "fuck" up. To fuck up implies an idiotic mistake ... like hitting a parked car ... he's a criminal, many times over. And I really don't think that any of his crimes are accidental "fuck ups" ... with that in mind ... I was wrong - he does have something to think with ... Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.

    Really ... in hind sight, sex isn't so bad, is it?

    frixion's picture

    your casting call

    F***ing brilliant. That's perfect...and hysterical! 

    cosmiccowgirl's picture

    Bedtime for W

    I am so glad you posted the monkey pics. Those are still just as relevant today as they were back in 2000 when they first made me laugh.
    spotticus's picture

    good lard

    As if we haven't been tormented enough?
    caroL_br's picture

    I did not know that Oliver

    I did not know that Oliver Stone was into horror movies 
    heheh

    www.myspace.com/carolconti

    mossy's picture

    No to the movie!

    I do not want a movie of these people. We are living in their bad movie right now. No better yet we are living in their awful reality TV show as I type this. I wish we could vote them ALL off the island. Oliver Stone must have rocks in his head. He should do a feature on the Katrina disaster since he's a great conspiracy theorist.
    pancreas's picture

    It sounds interesting. Even

    It sounds interesting. Even though this blog is about women, you could have mentioned who was playing W (Josh Brolin).

    araparatus's picture

    Snacks

    I hope the court appointed clown choking on a pretzel scene is included.
    sellmysoul2music's picture

    im just wondering if this

    im just wondering if this movie is meant to somehow engage some sympathy towards the Bush administration? or do the exact opposite?

     

     

    Lets go get lost right here in the USA.

    Lets go get lost...lets go get lost

    --RHCP/Road Trippin'

    boywithmoonandstars's picture

    I doubt it.

    Stone knows what he's doing, and he is good at it. I expect his usual slick hit piece.
    rachelsluv's picture

    Engendering Sympathy

    I doubt it, none of Stone's films have engendered sympathy. Mostly they indict so why would you think that this film would be any different?
    rachelsluv's picture

    This is why Hollywood is the Land of Fantasy

    First of all Condoleeza wished she looked as good as Thandie. What are they going to do? Ugly Thandie Up for the role?

    If he were stilll alive then George Washington should have been cast in the role of Barbara Bush

    .BB: Good ol BabsBB:

    Boy George Barbara's Doppleganger

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Now Condolleeza looks NOTHING like Thandie! They aren't even the same color and NO all black people DON'T look alike

    Condi

    This is the only photo I found t made Condi look halfway decent. There's a reason why the pic in so tiny.

     

    La Princessa

    La Princessa

    I don't know why Thandie's photo also came out tiny because it's much larger.


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