Stone's "W" Easier On Bush Than Expected

Director: I Feel Empathy, Not Sympathy For Bush, But Moviegoers Need To Judge For Themselves

(CBS)  The life of a president is usually portrayed on film years after he leaves office.

But with his new movie, "W," opening Friday, Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Oliver Stone explores the presidency of George W. Bush while he's still in the White House.

On The Early Show Tuesday, co-anchor Harry Smith noted that someone who attended a screening of "W" with Smith left remarking that the film seemed "so sympathetic."

"I think there's confusion between sympathy and empathy," Stone said. "Empathy means understanding and, as a dramatist, it's my job to understand, to walk in the shoes of George W. Bush as best as I can.

"Sympathize, no. I do think he's hurt this country. I'm a Vietnam veteran. We should not have gone into the Iraq war. We were in three wars, not only Afghanistan and Iraq but, really, the war on terror is a major war. We've had an economic meltdown because of it, partly because of the overreach. And this country is in a very dire place, and I'm not happy about it. But, you know, people voted for him."

Stone pointed out, "I'm not the judge. I'm the dramatist. I'm putting out this story. It's one of the most incredible stories of the last 20 years. This guy, who is an improbable president, he came from very strange roots. And he's shaped and changed the world in these last eight years in ways that were inconceivable. He spoke for himself, the administration.

"It's not for me to -- you see the movie, you walk out and think about where we are now as a country, where we were eight years ago, and I think you come to your own conclusion."

Stone praised Josh Brolin, who played Mr. Bush, saying Brolin wasn't doing an imitation. "Josh is a wonderful actor," Stone observed. "He comes from theater. He's 40 years old. He's been through a tremendous life, much failure, like George Bush -- at the age of 40, he turned it around, George Bush. I think Josh is mature. I think he lived the role. He went into the role and he became... "

But Brolin displayed mannerisms similar to Mr. Bush, Smith asserted.

"Some," Stone replied, "but he didn't overdo it. It's easy to make fun of George Bush, and he's been an object of comedy -- for eight years, we've made fun of him. The truth is, you don't really know much about the man. People think they know him. The have opinions about him, but they haven't really walked in his steps.

"Those first three, four years of the presidency were very veiled, manufactured. Karl Rove... they kept everything... only in the last -- from about 2004, the book started to come, little by little -- (author Ron) Suskind, (Bob) woodward. They broke the ice."

Smith says, "This really is about who this person is. How he was formed, where he was formed. The Yale days. The relationship with his father. The relationship with his mother. The relaitonship with his wife."

"Yes," Stone agreed. "(All that is) crucial. It's a character study, because you wouldn't understand what happened on the march to Iraq, which is the climax of the movie. That's the third act. The first act is the recklessness of his youth and the wild times. And the second act is that governorship of Texas, owning the baseball team (the Texas rangers). You see the seeds of the man, how he develops. When he becomes president, for me, that's where the tension really pays off."

[summarex]

I''m not at all surprised. Bush and Stone are very similar people. Both are slaves to ideology. Both are imnpulsive and both are known to be influenced by groups with veiled and nefarious interests.

[afsc30574]

The statements "Sympathize, no. I do think he''s hurt this country." and "Stone pointed out, "I''m not the judge. I''m the dramatist." directly conterdict each other. This is more base propaganda being touted by propagandists.

Let''s talk sympathy: look at his "hard-hitting expose" of Castro!

[missingamerica]

Stone: "And he''s shaped and changed the world in these last eight years in ways that were inconceivable. He spoke for himself, the administration."

Precisely true, and Cheney made apparent with this response about his feelings as to two-thirds of the American people disapproving of the Iraq war:

"So?"

Bush and Cheney spoke for the Administration - that is, themselves - and not for the American people as is their job.

[cbshoveit2]

I hope they put in Chaney shooting his friend while duck hunting. Palin is big on guns, Maybe *** and Sarah could go duck hunting! The Democrats would like to get rid of her. I think most Republicans would too. Great photo op!

[yongamerica]

This movie of the puppet will be entertaining, but the movie about the puppet masters, Cheney and Rove will be informative and most entertaining.

[caldwellptr]

I was suprised to read that Oliver Stone is a Vietnam Veteran. I thought the Swift Boat people were pushing folks away from that distinction - taking it away from those who are not deserving of being a Veteran, distinguishing those who they believe deserve to be a Vietnam Vetran.

[luvny-2009]

Josh Brolin is too good looking to play Bush. Couldn''t they find a Chimp?

[mbourn2]

Not sure what Stone''s point is in making a movie that half the country will not go see. I think it is a little hard for the hollywood group to believe that there are just about as many conservative Republicans as there are liberal Democrats. I am not a Bush fan but he is FAR less of a joke than Clinton. A spoof movie about Bill and Hillery might be funny but I doubt Stone will do that...

[inventagod2]

Geuss we are keeping those CBS censors busy today.
Sorry I used our VICE-president''s name!
Mr. Cheney must be used to being called by his first name - DlCK....

Sad our political circus is ruled by a chimp and a pig with lipstick...

[Redoubt]

Oliver Stone walked the fence on this one. The pre-release of this movie depicts a ''W'' that his fans will identify with, and a nitwit for those who despise him. It is all things to all people related to George Bush.

It''s doubtful that even the far right or far left will find reason not to see this one.

[libluv2cnsor]

want to see how a good liberal, a good american and a good patriot oliver stone is....GO PAY AND WATCH HIS MOVIE..

the essence of liberal patriotism..

[leroymerch]

I''ll wait about 8 years to see ''W'' the movie. I''ve been calling him "Bushface" for 8 years, he''s such a loser in the Presidency. The ''W'' really stands for Bushface and the other Republican Wienies!

[norepubs]

Yeah that Clinton shoiuld be hung for getting his pipes cleaned on the side!
George W Bu$h however,should be nominated for sainthood for LYING about the reasons for the war with Iraq.
4000 bravest of the brave American soldiers killed because of Bu$h''s failed oil business venture......

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mbourn2 said "I am not a Bush fan but he is FAR less of a joke than Clinton."

[matter77]

No other president was hated more than Abraham Lincoln. He was considered incompetent, a personal failure, and was despised by both sides. They blamed the war on him, and if he didn''t start it he didn''t do enough to stop it, they said. Several attempts were made on his life and JW Booth eluded capture for so long because there so many sympathisers in neighboring Maryland.
And now I think arrogant lazy punks like you are the cause of America''s decline. You''ll find someone, anyone to blame but yourself. You repeat nonsense you hear elsewhere and don''t have any idea what you are talking about. You surround yourself by people who think exactly like you do and say the same things you do and if even it meant the United States would be utterly destroyed, you would spew off the same garbage about others just one more time. The reason you opposed the war in Iraq was because it wasn''t about you. You are just as stupid as the day is long and deserve everything you get. Idiot.

[omnibus66]

You surround yourself by people who think exactly like you do and say the same things you do and if even it meant the United States would be utterly destroyed

Posted by matter77 at 12:28 AM : Oct 15, 2008
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A good description of the Smirkinator.

[brianbwb-2009]

"...Sorry I used our VICE-president''''s name!..." Posted by inventagod2

But it is an obscenity, as is his full name, but CBS has to let us identify him somehow...

[neoconrcrazy]

who wants to see a movie about failure? when we''ve lived the real thing for the last 8 years.