Laura and Condoleezza will be played by Elizabeth Banks (Wet Hot American Summer) and Thandie Newton (Beloved) respectfully. While both Banks and Newton are fine actresses who should have no problem with their roles, there’s no denying the fact that these are two stunningly attractive young actresses playing rather homely middle-aged women. Hopefully there will be extensive prosthetic makeup appliances (or at least fake teeth for Newton). Bush’s parents will obviously have prominent roles in the film given the fact that they played a big role in their son being elected. George Sr. and Barbara will be played by James Cromwell (the farmer in Babe) and Ellen Burstyn (the mother in Requiem For A Dream). Cromwell is a perfect choice as a result of his striking physical similarities to Bush Sr. and his considerable acting chops. Bunstyn is also well cast. She’s a very underused actress who has experience playing mother’s with troubled children (The Exorcist).

Underrated actors Jeffery Wright and Ioan Gruffudd have signed on to play Colin Powell and Tony Blair. Wright is a chameleon-esque character actor who can be trusted in any role, so he should be fine. Gruffudd has is talented and English, so there’s really nothing to worry about there. The most recent actor announced (and perhaps the most telling) is ex-Daily Show correspondent Rob Corddry, who has signed on to play Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. Corddry does look similar to Fleischer, but seems an odd choice given that he is a comedian who has never appeared in a dramatic role before. This suggests that perhaps the tone of the movie could be quite comic. It’s hard to think of a president who has been mocked and laughed at more than George Bush, so that choice would be appropriate. Because so little is known about the script, it’s hard to verify this, but the presence of both Corddry and Elizabeth Banks (who is also a comedy specialist) in prominent roles is quite suspicious. Only time will tell.

Shooting is still a few weeks away and the movie is not even fully cast yet (there is a big glaring hole in the Dick Cheney role…maybe Danny DeVito or Joe Pesci?), but so far the project looks very promising. Stone is due for a comeback and talented enough to pull it off. The material seems right for him and the cast is strong, so it should work. Sure, the actors are all far more attractive than their real life counterparts, but that’s true of any Hollywood bio-pic and not particularly surprising. Whether it’s a comedy, a drama, or both Oliver Stone’s tentatively titled W. will be released in November in time for the next election. Hopefully, the final product will live up to the reputations of considerable talent who will be involved. P.B., NewsExtensions.com