W. | Rotten Tomatoes

W.

PG-13

Released Oct 17, 2008

2 hr. 11 min.

Biography

Comedy

Drama

List

58%

224 Reviews

Tomatometer

42%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Flashbacks to key events in his life reveal the rise of George W. Bush from ne'er-do-well party boy and son of privilege to president of the United States. After trading in booze for religion, George mends his aimless ways and sets his sights first on the Texas governorship, then on the presidency. But the country's involvement in the Iraq war decreases his approval rating.

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Critics Consensus

A surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of the 43rd American president, W. is fascinating in spots, but merely rudimentary as a whole.

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nikodemious f

Seriously does not encompass any of the highs of the career of the president. Paints him as a horrible person and president. Plays him off as a fool who does not take into consideration any of the advisors. Also uses a horrible actress for one of the presidents advisors. No one in his cabinet looked or spoke like her. The movie was made and portrayed by liberals who did not like him and only wanted to ruin his name and reputation.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/07/23

Full Review

Lanfranco C

W portrayed very well.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Good acting, interesting portrayal. Won’t watch again

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/12/22

Full Review

Audience Member

I'm no George W. Bush fan, but the movie was a disservice to everyone, including this country. The movie focused purely on President Bush being a drunken, failure in his early years to the mistakes the Bush administration made in the years following the 9/11 Terror attacks. It completely glosses over EVERYTHING President Bush experienced/did in the days/weeks/months following 9/11. The movie plays out as someone who as an agenda rather than any sort of biography.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Mike J

Sonic I think it's so great for you guys

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/29/22

Full Review

robert p

Finally, a re-enactment of George W. Bush that shows or hints in his cracked administration and the subsequent invasion of Iraq because of miss-leading information of Iraq and it's message of mass destruction, when there was none, his father knew better than to depose a family that ran Iraq as they wanted to, but George W. Bush stood on deck of an aircraft carrier with a sign that Iraq was free and that was not true!!!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Oliver Stone

Director

Josh Brolin

President George W. Bush

Elizabeth Banks

Laura Bush

Ellen Burstyn

Barbara Bush

James Cromwell

George H.W. Bush

Toby Jones

Karl Rove

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

The trouble, basically, is that this film just doesn't know what it is about. Is it about dynasty? Imperialism? Ambition? The dark side of democracy? What? And, consequently, you are just not made to care about any of it.

Feb 1, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: B-

Feb 18, 2012

Full Review

Laremy Legel

Film.com

Rated: C+

May 6, 2011

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Brolin embodies his role completely, allowing the audience to forget there’s an actor toiling to perfect every mannerism and speech inflection. From body language to the signature “heh-heh” snicker, Brolin simply is George W. Bush.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 20, 2024

Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

The director possesses a lively vulgarity, which he applies to glaringly public and intimate moments alike. Occasionally, this is effective and attractive; here, more often than not, however, it is not.

Feb 13, 2021

Full Review

Jason Best

What's On TV

Overtly mocking satire is rare in the film and it's a shame that Stone has reined in the crazy, flamboyant side we know from such films as Natural Born Killers and JFK.

Nov 14, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Flashbacks to key events in his life reveal the rise of George W. Bush from ne'er-do-well party boy and son of privilege to president of the United States. After trading in booze for religion, George mends his aimless ways and sets his sights first on the Texas governorship, then on the presidency. But the country's involvement in the Iraq war decreases his approval rating.

Director: Oliver Stone
Executive Producer: Matthew Street, Jon Kilik, Albert Yeung, Elliot Ferwerda, Johnny Hon, Teresa Cheung, Thomas Sterchi, Christopher Mapp, David Whealy, Peter D. Graves, Tom Ortenberg
Screenwriter: Stanley Weiser
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Moritz Borman, Ixtlan Corporation
Rating: PG-13 (Disturbing War Images|Alcohol Abuse|Language|Sexual References|Smoking)
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 17, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.5M
Sound Mix: Dolby, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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