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December 17, 2004
"Dubya: The Movie"
A biopic of a sitting president is a challenge for the simple reason that the president isn't yet done creating his (or, eventually, her) story. The producers of "Dubya" recognized what others didn't: our current president has already created more history than you could fit in a steamer trunk. So, with an eye toward capturing his past and enough of his present to reveal character they moved forward.
The brilliant casting of Don Knotts in the lead role won't surprise many. Knotts' ability to subtley capture the essence of his characters is reknowned. What is surprising is that he so perfectly captures a person who is so in the public eye that the audience has no questions about what would constitute a valid performance. Knotts so perfectly renders George W. Bush that one would swear that archival footage of the real president had been used. The producers assured the critics at the early showing that this had been debated, a la "Tuskeegee Airmen" but it was decided, due to heart-felt lobbying by Mr. Knotts, to not use archival footage but recreate some of his more famous moments.
With breath-taking sincerity and certainty the film-makers have provided an accurate and moving portrayal of a president's movements through adolesence, into maturity, and back again. Mr. Knotts' tour-de-force performance lends some moments such emotional weight that you marvel that these tests of courage were as recent as two, three or four years ago. Furthermore, he lends such strength to the president in his portrayal that our estimation of the real president will certainly benefit from this film, making him seem more inevitable and needed than he did before its screening.
Highly Recommended.
(Dubya: The Movie; unrated at time of review, mild nudity and sexual situations, violence, drinking, binging, and unnecessary invasion of sovreign nations.)
Posted by sferrell at December 17, 2004 6:03 PM
Comments
I smell an oscar!!!
Posted by: mferrell 
at December 18, 2004 3:33 AM
Tim Conway would be perfect for Dick Cheney.
Posted by: evebird at December 18, 2004 3:52 AM
I believe the working title for the sequel is "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Second Term."
Posted by: s.m.f. at December 18, 2004 2:33 PM
