Anyone care to guess how women will fare in this film...?

[bliss_eternal]

http://www.wthefilm.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._(film)

Ellyn Burstyn portrays Barbara Bush:

What did you find in being Barbara Bush?

Well, she was, or is, a very strong woman. The family refers to her as the enforcer, because she was the one that administered all of the discipline. She's a true matriarch: That is a huge family. The children, the grandchildren, the cousins -- when that family gets together, it's a strong village.


It's funny, she's so unknown to us in many ways.

Well, I think that she is probably -- what's the word I want? You know, a kind of masked figure. I don't think she means to wear her heart on her sleeve, you know. I think she has a carefully constructed social personality.
---------------snip----------------

excerpted from:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-ca-conversation5-2008oct05,0,206067.story

Laura Banks portrays Laura Bush:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/26/elizabeth-banks-cast-as-l_n_93504.html

Thandie Newton portrays Condeleeza Rice:

Quote (as article is rather long and I found some of the author's comments offensive):

As it happens, Newton’s gorgeous looks nearly did torpedo her chances for W. “I was not an advocate at first for Thandie. When Oliver suggested the idea, I said, ‘What? This is the girl you hire because she’s hot, not for a major character.’ Becoming Condi Rice is a massive undertaking, but Thandie made a total transformation,” says Brolin. “Thandie came onto the set and surprised all of us,” agrees Stone. “There were no prosthetics because of humidity and time constraints. It’s so fluid to watch her go back and forth from Condi Rice to whoever Thandie Newton is.” Newton went deep into the part, immersing herself in Rice’s world. “I spent quite a lot of time watching her do interview after interview, seeing where she placed her face,” Newton says. “She smiles in places you wouldn’t normally. I tried to find the gray areas—the person sitting in between the public and the private.”

-------------snip--------------

Her bond with Brolin became particularly intense, mimicking the actual closeness between Bush and Rice. “It’s funny—me and Josh became really good friends, and between Condi and Bush, there’s an intimacy and ease between the two of them which is kind of peculiar,” Newton explains. “I think Bush and Condi are fucking in every way but physically,” Brolin says. “And that’s kind of what it came down to between Thandie and I when we were playing those characters.”

excerpted from:
http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/thandie-newton-lethal-weapon/4187



Comments? Thoughts?
:hi:

[ismnotwasm]

1. A few guesses

Women hot, or hot as possible. With Stone, probably just hot. Extra sizzle or sexual dimension added for Condi, probably a shoe store scene at some point as well. Men tragic, cold, or need fixing, two dimensional characters. Possibly, women see the violent "little boy" in men, perceive a need for mothering in male politics and step right up as a stern, disciplinary mother, with glimpse of "feminine softness" every so often.

My very best guess? It will subtly or maybe not so subtly be Barbara Bush's fault "W" is such a slimebag, or whatever presentation he gets in the movie.

A bit of Daddy blaming, of course but more in a rugged manly man with an eventual coming of age type of way. Dad might even be presented as the driving force for certain behavior or reactions but in the end it's going to be Mom's Fault.

All women will have great clothes, and the famed large faux pearls of Mother Bush will be much in evidence. Maybe even a small scene of how she started with that particular little fashion. Can't be girls in a men's world without our little fashion idiosyncrasies, now can we?

[bliss_eternal]

2. Stone doesn't have a great history regarding women....

...in his films, nor is he particularly honest regarding men who objectify women (think Flynt).

In a piece on the film Wall Street, I learned that he was a complete asshat toward Darryl Hannah (rather abusive). Her role was the classic "Hollywood blonde, stereotype." The ambitious, pretentious, cold, blonde archetype of a woman...in it for the money and little else. :eyes:

To me, it sounded like he wanted Darryl based on the way she looks, but with little sense of what she was capable of as an actress. He wanted her to portray this person she has no sense of, and couldn't even begin to pretend to be. I respect that she's that honest as an actor, in her work. (Hannah is one of the few female actresses that won't even appear in commercials or ads, and has said that just isn't who she is or wants to be).

She was ready to walk(apparently took the part but not feeling she was right for it). He insisted she just "do it." :eyes: He was hell bent on bullying her, into becoming his vision.

Back to "W":
It's interesting to me that he cast such attractive women as Condi and Laura. The fact he did, says he will probably utilize much of what you suspect. I'm not saying neither woman is attractive in reality, but given their politics I don't really see them that way (if that makes sense).

I LOVE Ellyn Burstyn, and know she'll do all she can with it (try to defy any stereotyping)--but fear the mother won't fare well in the editing room. :scared:

I also wonder if the Laura Bush premarital abortion rumour will be addressed.
;)

[femrap]

3. I sure wish we could enjoy

watching a fantasy flick where Babs aborts W!