I now feel the same way about Oliver Stone’s Bush biopic as I would if he made the movie Chris Cunningham/Windowlicker style with every actor wearing demonic versions of Stone’s own face.
That is, I don’t know what the fuck is going on.
MTV is reporting that Rob Corddry has been signed to play press secretary Ari Fleischer. Beyond the basic resemblance and Corddy’s obvious experience parodying guys like Fleischer on The Daily Show, I really don’t get it. A lot of you will say that’s plenty, but this thing seems well beyond going off the rails. That’s without even giving full credence to the script review that’s been making the rounds over the past week.
(Edit: The draft evidently plays up Bush’s dumb frat boy image. From what I’ve read, I honestly can’t tell if it’s meant to be funny.)
Slate’s take is fairly amusing and spoiler-filled, if a commentary on a current political figure can actually be spoiled. And it’s not that I doubt the accuracy of several outlets’ take on the script, but I wonder how much of that Oct ’07 draft is what’s being shot.
Corddry joins a cast that gets weirder every day. The current line-up for those who haven’t been paying attention/contributing to the laugh track:
George W Bush: Josh Brolin
Laura Bush: Elizabeth Banks
George H.W. Bush: James Cromwell
Barbara Bush: Ellen Burstyn
Condoleezza Rice: Thandie Newton
Don’t the Bushes have a dog? Maybe Jason Lee is free to do some voice work.