Hollywood has once again received a lesson in how out of touch it is with America. Oliver Stone’s latest “I hate America” flick “W.” starring Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush tanked, coming in fourth place at the box office. Though it was clear that he intended this film to influence the upcoming election – why else would he have chosen now to release it – he was very misguided.
Fact is, whether you love or hate George W. Bush, he is a sitting president during a time of war. The American public does not want to see their president undermined while his administration is still active. You can hate the president, but you still must respect the Office. Stone has proven he does not respect the Office, the president, America or its people.
Max Payne, starring Mark Whalberg came in first with over $18M. Beverly Hills Chihuahua was second, despite being open for more than two weeks, and Secret Life of Bees was in third. W. came in at just over $10M – disgraceful for an Oliver Stone film.
Will Hollywood ever learn?
October 19th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
My dearest Wendy, nobody, and I do mean nobody could undermine bush anymore than he already has himself. Perhaps if bush’s police state hadn’t busted Mr. stone over said pot charge he wouldn’t have made the movie. I don’t know for sure. Stones trademark is to make controversal movies that paint the establishment as evil, paranoid, or silly. You can vote with your $ 12.50(or is it $15 now) or go buy a toasted sandwhich instead. Its the patience of the US military that will slowly erode al queda and they are doing so with their latest disposition of number 4 mountain dweller. Bush doesn’t care what people think about him(well he really does and wants a decent last chapter written about him in the wanning days of his Presidency and he gets paid $400,000 good American dollars for his “service”.) Whether W will win any critical acclaim or any seriuous reviews is beyond me, but its a distinctly american product we can all be proud of and we can take it. I look at it as a hypothetical case movie and doubt his father and him had such a stereotypical relationship. Interesting for just having a bachelors degree, Bush sr, seems more intelligent and polished and I don’t get all this texas thing anyways. Interviews shortly after bush sr. retired are very interesting and he may well be underestimated as a statesman for the times of the soviet dissolvement.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:55 am
i suspect the storyline for Max Payne is a lot more exciting when it’s happening in the form of a video game. except for those few exciting parts that i already saw in the preview, it was a snoozefest; better luck next time, Mark
October 20th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Perhaps if bush’s police state hadn’t busted Mr. stone over said pot charge he wouldn’t have made the movie.
Um, the Federal Government does not run local police departments. Just so you know.
Everything I’ve seen from the movie makes it seem like a fun, reasonably light-hearted take on the Bush presidency. Naturally there are going to be some liberal bones to throw to his core audience, but is W. a trashing of America like Redacted or Rendition or as boring as the god-awfully boring Stop Loss or the genuinely pretty good Grace is Gone, where John Cusack plays a conservative, former-military man whose wife has died in the Iraq war in a convincing and sympathetic manner (and his leftist brother comes off as kind of a unsympathetic creep). That movie amazed me, as John Cusack–who has said some awful things about conservatives and conservatism–played a conservative father believably and sympathetically. Certainly, not ham-handed and bone-headed like Michael Douglas in Falling Down. And let’s not forget the tedious liberal piety of Lions for Lambs. Ugh. Deservedly flop-a-liscious.
While Max Payne crushed, it’s worth pointing out the unabashedly pro-American An American Carol tanked at the box office (shame on you, conservatives). The humor is a little stale, but the movie itself is an unabashed love-letter to the American military, and it plays in many ways like World War II era pro-American propaganda–and, in this day and age, that’s a Very Good Thing.
With a domestic take of $10,550,00 over the weekend with a production budget of $25.1 million, W. will probably turn out to be as profitable as Max Payne. And it’s a good showing for Stone, whose recent efforts like Alexander have kinda tanked. Keep in mind, the total domestic take of Stone’s Nixon was $13.6 million. Total. By Stone’s standard, W. looks to be a big success. His budget for Nixon, BTW, was almost twice that of W.
Keeping in mind, W. is a fictionalized biopic. It’s not the Hate America propaganda of films like Rendition or Redacted or even, to some extent, Lions for Lambs.
October 20th, 2008 at 8:18 am
I don’t really care what movie people are seeing. But, for some proper perspective:
Max Payne was shown in 3,376 theaters. Its average take per theater was $5,332.
W. was shown in 2,030. Its average take per theater was $5,197.
The “real” winner? Secret Life of Bees shown in 1,591 theater with and average of $6,945 per theater.
Again, I’m not defending Stone’s movie at all,I haven’t seen it, and I probably won’t unless I happen to flip to it on cable later.
I’m just offering some perspective on how to think of the numbers when you read that Max Payne “slammed” the competitors.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Like Allen, I’m not defending the film.
Oliver Stones’s “W” first weekend: $10.5 million
“An American Carol” full take: $5.9 million
I didn’t see either.
I spent my money on “The Secret Life of Bees”.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
From what I hear W. just isn’t a very good movie. No matter what you think of Bush, it’s probably not a worthwhile way to spend time/money.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
eeeeegads! couldnt they find an actor who resembles him more?
October 26th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I WOULDNT WASTE MY MONEY OR MY TIME WATCHING ANY OF OLIVER STONES PURTID MOVIES WHY SEND ANYTHING TO THAT STUPID MINDLESS IDIOT HE IS ONE OF HOLLYWOODS WORSE ALL TIME DIRECTORS