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W.

 W.
type
TVTItem
 W.
label
W.
 W.
page
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/W
 W.
comment
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })W. (pronounced "Dubya"note After the way it's pronounced in Texas, the state of which Bush was governor, and was a nickname for Bush himself) is a 2008 Biopic of the 43rd President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, that was directed by Oliver Stone and written by his Wall Street screenwriter Stanley Weiser.A largely sympathetic portrayal of the man (albeit with a bit of satirical edge), it tells the story of Bush's life from his college years to his Presidency, focusing on his administration's push for war with Iraq. Josh Brolin stars in the title role, with a supporting cast including Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, James Cromwell as George H. W. Bush, Ellen Burstyn as Barbara Bush, Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld, and Thandiwe Newton as Condoleezza Rice.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })The film is notable for being the first Presidential Biopic to be released while the subject was still in office, and the only one until Southside With You and Barry came along in 2016* though, unlike W., neither of those cover Barack Obama's actual presidency. Understandably, the film faced a good deal of controversy when (and even before) it was released. Conservatives accused it of being liberal propaganda, and many liberals accused Stone of being too soft on Bush. (Basically, the same criticisms Stone received for Nixon.) It received mixed, but still generally positive reviews, with lots of praise for the uncanny performances by Brolin, Cromwell, and Dreyfuss.Oliver Stone was later told by Bill Clinton that he had loaned Bush his DVD of W. and that Bush found some parts very sad but liked the film very much.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_3'); })If you're looking for the Canadian animated shorts about a guy stuck on a desert island, go here.
 W.
fetched
2021-10-14T01:09:16Z
 W.
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2021-10-14T01:09:16Z
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DBTropes
 W. / int_1779f10e
type
"Well Done, Son" Guy
 W. / int_1779f10e
comment
"Well Done, Son!" Guy: Dubya, in spades. Implied with George Sr. in passing when he remarks that the only real thing he was ever given by his father was a pair of cufflinks.
 W. / int_1779f10e
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1.0
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W. / int_1779f10e
 W. / int_19ebe383
type
Never Trust a Trailer
 W. / int_19ebe383
comment
Never Trust a Trailer: Some trailers for the movie suggested more of a comedic parody of George Bush's tenure as the President, contrasting the more down-to-earth if satirical tone of the actual film.
 W. / int_19ebe383
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1.0
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 W. / int_24321e44
type
Only Sane Man
 W. / int_24321e44
comment
Only Sane Man: Colin Powell is portrayed as this.
 W. / int_24321e44
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1.0
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 W. / int_26852e3d
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Persona Non Grata
 W. / int_26852e3d
comment
Persona Non Grata: Brent Scowcroft, after the reporter expresses Bush Sr.'s concerns by proxy.
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 W. / int_29c5faf
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Background Halo
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Background Halo: While praying after giving the order to invade Iraq, a low-angle shot makes a light in the ceiling look like a halo around Bush's head, and then the light goes off.
 W. / int_29c5faf
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 W. / int_2dc0d2bf
type
Hidden Depths
 W. / int_2dc0d2bf
comment
Hidden Depths: Dubya is not a simpleton or as goofy as he appears, while he's presented as a Manchild with daddy issues who is over his head who makes stupid mistakes, he's also shown to be savvy and reflective about some things, from time to time, and generally means very well.
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 W. / int_337a0f4
type
TrailersAlwaysLie
 W. / int_337a0f4
comment
Trailers Always Lie: The trailers made it out to be a surrealistic, mocking satire about a gibbering moron and his idiot presidency. The real film is much more serious and treats the main character as complex and with some sympathy.
 W. / int_337a0f4
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 W. / int_3a05ecaf
type
Toppled Statue
 W. / int_3a05ecaf
comment
Toppled Statue: Saddam's. Discussed by Bush Sr. and Barbara during the symbolic overthrow. "Well, they got the statue but now they gotta catch the man."
 W. / int_3a05ecaf
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W. / int_3a05ecaf
 W. / int_3a1c2171
type
The Man Behind the Man
 W. / int_3a1c2171
comment
The Man Behind the Man: Despite Bush making it quite clear that he is supposed to be "The Decider", either Dick Cheney or Karl Rove are usually shown to be the brains behind most of the White House's decisions.
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W. / int_3a1c2171
 W. / int_4192763e
type
Malaproper
 W. / int_4192763e
comment
Malaproper: The amount of Bushisms present in the movie is not to be misunderstimated
 W. / int_4192763e
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1.0
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 W. / int_43a46119
type
Surrounded by Idiots
 W. / int_43a46119
comment
Surrounded by Idiots: While he never states this outright, Dubya is NOT happy when he's told that Iraq didn't, and probably never did, have Weapons of Mass Destruction.
 W. / int_43a46119
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W. / int_43a46119
 W. / int_54bb502b
type
Nobody Poops
 W. / int_54bb502b
comment
Nobody Poops: Averted. W is shown sitting on the toilet.
 W. / int_54bb502b
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1.0
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W. / int_54bb502b
 W. / int_56515a39
type
Artistic License – History
 W. / int_56515a39
comment
Artistic License – History: Deliberately invoked; many of Bush's famous Malapropers are moved to different points in time for comic purposes. The movie's portrayal of the 1992 Presidential Election differs considerably from the real story. While the movie portrays the Bush family as shocked and angry when Clinton's victory is announced, it's pretty well-documented that they knew that the election was lost by the afternoon, and that George H. W. Bush took the evening results in stride and good humor.
 W. / int_56515a39
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1.0
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 W. / int_598513bb
type
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling
 W. / int_598513bb
comment
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Dubya and Jeb, respectively.
 W. / int_598513bb
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1.0
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W. / int_598513bb
 W. / int_7c9dcc1
type
THeUnfavorite
 W. / int_7c9dcc1
comment
The Unfavorite: In the film, Bush Sr. makes it quite clear that he wanted Jeb to be his political successor and considers Bush at times to be an embarrassment. This is driven home in Bush's second-to-last dream sequence, in when enters the Oval Office, only to find Bush Sr. sitting at the desk and mocking him.
 W. / int_7c9dcc1
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 W. / int_7eebe99c
type
The Alcoholic
 W. / int_7eebe99c
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The Alcoholic: Bush is shown to be quite the drinker in his youth, apparently stemming from a hazing incident from college.
 W. / int_7eebe99c
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1.0
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W. / int_7eebe99c
 W. / int_80b5924
type
Left Hanging
 W. / int_80b5924
comment
Left Hanging: Literally. At the end of the film, after he embarasses himself by being unable to answer a reporter when she asks him what his biggest mistake was while in office, Bush has another baseball fantasy where he runs to catch a long fly ball which never comes down.
 W. / int_80b5924
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 W. / int_88933ad4
type
Parental Favoritism
 W. / int_88933ad4
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Parental Favoritism: Bush Jr. believes that his parents have always favored Jeb over him.
 W. / int_88933ad4
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W. / int_88933ad4
 W. / int_8b6e8d7
type
Anachronic Order
 W. / int_8b6e8d7
comment
Anachronic Order: The movie jumps back and forth in time between Bush's early years and the buildup to the Iraq war.
 W. / int_8b6e8d7
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W. / int_8b6e8d7
 W. / int_8d6d9535
type
Artistic License – Medicine
 W. / int_8d6d9535
comment
Artistic License – Medicine: W is shown coughing in the scene where he is apparently choking on a pretzel. If he is coughing, it means he is breathing. And if he is breathing, he is not choking. That, and at no point are his lips turning blue.
 W. / int_8d6d9535
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 W. / int_8fe78cef
type
Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
 W. / int_8fe78cef
comment
Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: Dick Cheney uses the trope name in a scene where he has Bush sign an order authorizing it.
 W. / int_8fe78cef
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W. / int_8fe78cef
 W. / int_a0db7803
type
It's Personal
 W. / int_a0db7803
comment
It's Personal: Bush Sr. always left personal feelings out of politics, but Saddam made him change this approach. The son inherits the feud and is set to conclude it.
 W. / int_a0db7803
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 W. / int_a39d6056
type
NiceToTheWaiter
 W. / int_a39d6056
comment
Nice to the Waiter: While he isn't mean per se, Dubya does criticize a White House servant on being slow by seconds in bringing him a sandwich.
 W. / int_a39d6056
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W. / int_a39d6056
 W. / int_a7382a73
type
Imagine Spot
 W. / int_a7382a73
comment
Imagine Spot: Bush is often seen imagining himself as a baseball star.
 W. / int_a7382a73
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 W. / int_a82ff02f
type
Meet Cute
 W. / int_a82ff02f
comment
Meet Cute: George and Laura first meeting at a friend's barbecue. Bush proves to be quite the charmer, getting Laura's number despite the fact that she describes herself a librarian who works on Democratic campaigns.
 W. / int_a82ff02f
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 W. / int_b7f082b6
type
Logical Fallacies
 W. / int_b7f082b6
comment
Logical Fallacies: Rumsfeld smugly uses "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence", which in due context is a valid argument, but in the movie he invokes it during the discussion about the WMDs and comes off as a gung-ho handwavenote Especially since the Bush administration, as the ones making the claim that they exist in the first place, are obligated to provide evidence that supports that claim.
 W. / int_b7f082b6
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 W. / int_be192f18
type
Yes-Man
 W. / int_be192f18
comment
Yes Woman: Condoleezza Rice stands out as one of the most caricaturesque portrayals. She's also literally caricatured in-universe as this on a paper.
 W. / int_be192f18
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 W. / int_bec0417c
type
Happily Married
 W. / int_bec0417c
comment
Happily Married: George and Laura. George Sr. and Barbara.
 W. / int_bec0417c
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 W. / int_bf2ba07c
type
Game of Nerds
 W. / int_bf2ba07c
comment
Game of Nerds: While not many people would call George Bush a nerd per se, his love of baseball is a constant theme throughout.
 W. / int_bf2ba07c
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 W. / int_c83cd6b8
type
The Nicknamer
 W. / int_c83cd6b8
comment
The Nicknamer: Shown in an early scene to call his cabinet members by names such as "Turdblossom", "Balloon Foot", etc. In a Flash Back to his frat days, this is shown to be his way to remember people's names.
 W. / int_c83cd6b8
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 W. / int_c868a42a
type
Freudian Excuse
 W. / int_c868a42a
comment
Freudian Excuse: One of the criticisms leveled at the film by Liberals was in its near-complete reliance on this to explain Bush's flaws. George Sr. is a well-meaning but emotionally distant father unable to have a face to face talk with his son, who feels haunted by the disdain well into his so called adulthood. His mother Barbara barely hides her criticism and scorn. See also The Unfavorite and "Well Done, Son!" Guy.
 W. / int_c868a42a
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 W. / int_ca063422
type
Disease Bleach
 W. / int_ca063422
comment
Disease Bleach: The stress Bush is under ages him quite a bit.
 W. / int_ca063422
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 W. / int_d8573ef9
type
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!
 W. / int_d8573ef9
comment
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Bush Sr. intercedes for his son time and again. W is admitted to Harvard Business without knowing that his father pulled the strings.
 W. / int_d8573ef9
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 W. / int_deea2fb5
type
Idle Rich
 W. / int_deea2fb5
comment
Idle Rich: W is born with a silver spoon and wants to change this image - first trying his hand at being an oil worker, before quitting after slacking off too much. Before running for Governor of Texas, Karl Rove remarks that W has not done a thing in his life.
 W. / int_deea2fb5
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 W. / int_e1fa333c
type
Hannibal Lecture
 W. / int_e1fa333c
comment
Hannibal Lecture: After Powell rips apart his entire strategy on Iraq, Dick Cheney's speech to the cabinet on how to best create an American empire in the Middle East.
 W. / int_e1fa333c
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 W. / int_e22dae0a
type
Pretext for War
 W. / int_e22dae0a
comment
Pretext for War: Bush explains that his administration will bait Saddam and trump-up charges if it comes to that. Tony Blair is uneasy about it
 W. / int_e22dae0a
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 W. / int_e2d457
type
The Ditz
 W. / int_e2d457
comment
The Ditz: Downplayed, while W is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and is able to get lost in his own ranch, the film doesn't bash Bush in this regard, unlike contemporary portrayals of the man.
 W. / int_e2d457
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 W. / int_e35b1a96
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Everything Is Big in Texas
 W. / int_e35b1a96
comment
Everything Is Big in Texas: The Yellow Rose of Texas is used as a boisterous leitmotif for W, who is quite proud of his Midland heritage and is made very upset when he loses a congressional race in the region:
 W. / int_e35b1a96
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 W. / int_e42e91b4
type
Godwin's Law
 W. / int_e42e91b4
comment
Godwin's Law: Cheney is very fond of Hitler analogies.
 W. / int_e42e91b4
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 W. / int_e52a0409
type
Calling the Old Man Out
 W. / int_e52a0409
comment
Calling the Old Man Out: Bush Jr. confronts and challenges his father at least twice, and eventually remarks that he only answers to a higher, celestial father.
 W. / int_e52a0409
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 W. / int_f8c079b3
type
With Us or Against Us
 W. / int_f8c079b3
comment
With Us or Against Us: Said word for word by W. in regard to Iraq and the terrorists.
 W. / int_f8c079b3
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 W. / int_f9f2c33
type
Running Gag
 W. / int_f9f2c33
comment
Running Gag: Bush's habit of praying at the end of the meetings is presented as awkward and quirky, to the point that some of the attending find it odd and barely conceal their disbelief.
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The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 W (Magazine)
seeAlso
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Background Halo / int_3ab2943d
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Biopic / int_3ab2943d
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Deleted Role / int_3ab2943d
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Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling / int_3ab2943d
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Left Hanging / int_3ab2943d
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Let No Crisis Go to Waste / int_3ab2943d
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Living Prop / int_3ab2943d
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Mononymous Biopic Title / int_3ab2943d
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One-Letter Title / int_3ab2943d
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Protagonist Title / int_3ab2943d
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Ruler Protagonist / int_3ab2943d
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Toppled Statue / int_3ab2943d