EDGE: Liberal and pro-U.S.? Who knew? (Charlie Wilson's War Review)

The Washington Times ^ | 12-20-07 | Scott Galupo

[JZelle]

This is progress. With "Charlie Wilson's War," a trio of liberal Hollywood A-listers — director Mike Nichols, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and actor-producer Tom Hanks — have made a movie that acknowledges the evil of Soviet communism, celebrates Cold War hawkishness and more or less decries the post-Vietnam evisceration of U.S. intelligence services.

Hey, by 2027, we may even get a film about American war heroes in Iraq.

It's possible, too, that the filmmakers have fashioned a new genre of Washington-based drama, one that combines detail-laden high seriousness about geopolitics with the screwball sensibility and smart dialogue of Preston Sturges.

The heroes of Mr. Sorkin's typically sharp script, based on a nonfiction chronicle by former CBS journalist George Crile, are the eponymous Charlie Wilson, a Democratic congressman from Texas, and Gust L. Avrakotos, a CIA division chief with a wicked tongue and little patience for the agency's blue-blood politesse.

They drink hard, chase skirts and view with pointed suspicion religious and ideological zealots of every stripe; they are the kind of wise, if personally flawed, realists whom Hollywood and much of official Washington associate with competence.

An early scene, set in 1980, finds Wilson (played by Mr. Hanks) in a Las Vegas hotel, sharing a hot tub with strippers. Soon, however, he's distracted by a television report by Dan Rather in Afghanistan. The juxtaposition is jarring, but the message is clear: While Wilson is literally neck-deep in sleaze, his head is where it should be.

After a trip to the Pakistani-Afghan frontier, where he sees firsthand the casualties of the Soviets' wanton violence, Wilson is moved to action. Against the inertia of Washington's intelligence and diplomatic bureaucracy, he and Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) secretly funnel defense appropriations into arming Afghan mujahideen freedom fighters against the Russians.

[JZelle]

Interesting take

[Abathar]

When I saw Sorkin was involved I figured it was a total libfest orgy like he had on the West Wing. This writeup actually gives me cause to read some of the reviews now.

[Excellence]

Yahoo movie has an eight-minute clip that is flatout halarious. I want to see this movie.

[VR-21]

I’m too “reptilian and repugnant” to enjoy anything with Julia Roberts in it.

[fortheDeclaration]

It would seem to me, based on the review of the movie, that the Democrats are trying to get some credit for being anti-Communist, even though they attempted to thrawt Reagan in his efforts to roll it back.

The Democrats are trying to push the view that they are indeed patriotic, even though they hate everything American.

[JennysCool]

I want to see this movie.

Me, too. I suspect Mike Nichols is smart enough to have noticed that movies spouting liberal platitudes have been astonishing failures over the past few years. This sounds like the sort of movie both smart liberals and smart conservatives would like -- in other words, a hit.

[poobear]

My take is the movie credits with due cause, one Democrat single handedly pushing for fighting the Soviets, while on the other hand the Reagan Administration had absolutely nothing to do with anything.

A little cynical, well since when does Hollywood do anything without a subliminal message?

[paudio]

While it may sound pro-American, I suspect the intention was to show that the US supported the Mujaheedeen, hence, at one point, breed Osama bin Laden himself. In other words, the US is seen as Dr. Frankenstein. I can be wrong, of course.

[Recon Dad]

If the review is on the mark and I hope it is then this will be a great movie. The book was the best I’ve read since it came out, read it twice.

The real message in the aftermath of the victory is if you get involved in a war (Iraq) don’t pull the plug until you’re done. This will be a hard message for the weak kneed liberals in the congress today to swallow.

Charley was a social liberal and one of the most flawed individuals to go to congress, but a real hawk when it came to fighting communists, he hated them.

Can’t wait to see this movie.

[Tallguy]

Liberal folklore. I’m sure that the Congressman played some role — perhaps even a significant role. It’s just that you can’t trust Hollywood not to stretch the Truth beyond the facts.

Prolly just an effort to rehabilitate Slick’s image with the public while his wife is running for Prez. Timing is everything.

[Recon Dad]

In the book that was not the intent, but who knows about the movie version, we’ll see.

In fact it was not the foreigners who were the recipients of most of the arms sent but the local Muj.

[Recon Dad]

Prolly just an effort to rehabilitate Slick’s image with the public while his wife is running for Prez. Timing is everything

Way before Clinton.

[Tallguy]

Way before Clinton.

Yes, but the re-telling is after Clinton and as such can benefit him (& his candidate-wife). What was it that the Clinton-defenders always said? As long as he's right on the politics, morality doesn't matter? I may have the wording a bit screwed-up but that was the general thrust.

[BenLurkin]

Tom Hanks?

No thanks!

[paudio]

According to this post, I was right. The movie's intent was to show that the US breeds Osama.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1943203/posts

[Recon Dad]

Well I saw the movie and I read the book and in neither was that the intent.

We as a country lost all interest in anything that had to do with Afghanistan after the Russians left. A short time later with the situation in chaos the taliban moved in and took over. OBL along with the rest of AQ supported the Taliban and moved in. We supported the Muj. not OBL during the war with the Soviets, noboby but the extreme left make the connection and the movie does not either.

[murdoog]

I’m guessing Peter Scolari was busy

[murdoog]

one that combines detail-laden high seriousness about geopolitics with the screwball sensibility and smart dialogue of Preston Sturges.

Great minds think alike