Charlie Wilson's War

[Brian in Mesa]

Tom Hanks Fights Charlie Wilson's War
Source: Variety
July 21, 2005

Tom Hanks will star for Universal in Charlie Wilson's War, an Aaron Sorkin-scripted drama about a rogue Texas congressman, reports Variety.

The film, to be produced by Hanks and Gary Goetzman under their Universal-based Playtone banner, will be the next film Hanks makes after he completes The Da Vinci Code for director Ron Howard and Sony. Universal has set a tentative spring start date for "War"; a director has not yet been chosen.

Hanks will play a congressman whose penchant for booze and women earned him the nickname Good Time Charlie. He watched his political career almost go down the drain in the early 1980s when he was caught in a hot tub tryst with two cocaine-sniffing showgirls in Las Vegas.

He survived the scandal and ended up overseeing the largest and most successful covert CIA operation in history; his efforts to fund resistance fighters in Afghanistan hastened the fall of the Iron Curtain.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Julia Roberts Circling Charlie Wilson's War
Source: Variety
January 11, 2006

In what would be her first onscreen role since 2004's Ocean's Twelve, Julia Roberts is circling Universal Pictures' Charlie Wilson's War.

Variety says Roberts is in early talks to board the project with her Closer director Mike Nichols. She would star with Tom Hanks, who is producing the film with Playtone partner Gary Goetzman.

Hanks declared last year that he'd play Charlie Wilson, the rogue Texas congressman who oversaw the covert funding of the Afghan rebels in their battle against the Soviet Union.

Roberts is in talks to play Joanne Herring, a big-haired and beautiful Texas socialite who influenced Wilson to support the rebel cause.

Based on the book by 60 Minutes producer George Crile, the film was written by Aaron Sorkin. Production will begin later this year.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Charlie Wilson's War

Release Date: December 21, 2007
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Mike Nichols
Screenwriter: Aaron Sorkin
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: N/A
Website: Charlie Wilson's War

Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty

Plot Summary: "Charlie Wilson's War" is the true story of how a playboy congressman, a renegade CIA agent and a beautiful Houston socialite joined forces to lead the largest and most successful covert operation in history.
Their efforts contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, with consequences that reverberate throughout the world today. Oscar® winners Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman team with Academy Award®-winning director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin to bring George Crile's best-selling book to the screen.

Charlie Wilson (Hanks) was a bachelor congressman from Texas who had a habit of showing up in hot tubs with strippers and cocaine. His "Good Time Charlie" exterior, however, masked an extraordinary mind, a deep sense of patriotism and a passion for the underdog, and in the early 1980s the underdog was Afghanistan—which had just been brutally invaded by the Russians.

Charlie's longtime friend and patron and sometime lover was Joanne Herring (Roberts), one of the wealthiest women in Texas and a virulent anti-communist. Believing the American response to the Russian invasion was anemic at best, she prods Charlie into doing more for the Mujahideen (Afghan freedom fighters).

Charlie's partner in this uphill endeavor is CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman), a blue-collar operative in a company of Ivy League blue bloods. Together, the three of them—Charlie, Joanne and Gust—travel the world to form unlikely alliances among the Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians, arms dealers, law makers and a belly dancer.

Their success was remarkable. Funding for covert operations against the Soviets went from $5 million to $1 billion annually. The Red Army retreated out of Afghanistan. When asked how a group of peasants was able to deliver such a decisive blow to the army of a superpower, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq responded simply, "Charlie did it."

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[AZZenny]

Saw it today with friends -- a good, very entertaining movie. Extremely well-written and directed; the acting is good, not great.

It is simultaneously very funny, and very disturbing. Basically it suggests that a few well-connected, well-funded zealots can (and did) reshape foreign policy. It's about how one high-living politician wheeled and dealed so we'd arm the Afghan resistance, overriding any cautions about opening Pandora's Box in the process, and how we always, always drop the ball when it's time to tie up the loose ends and prevent future blowback. It's very watchable, not heavy, really amusing -- it's just that you walk out going, "$#!% -- we really screwed ourselves, and now we're doing it again!"

 

[Shane]

Saw it today with friends -- a good, very entertaining movie. Extremely well-written and directed; the acting is good, not great.

It is simultaneously very funny, and very disturbing. Basically it suggests that a few well-connected, well-funded zealots can (and did) reshape foreign policy. It's about how one high-living politician wheeled and dealed so we'd arm the Afghan resistance, overriding any cautions about opening Pandora's Box in the process, and how we always, always drop the ball when it's time to tie up the loose ends and prevent future blowback. It's very watchable, not heavy, really amusing -- it's just that you walk out going, "$#!% -- we really screwed ourselves, and now we're doing it again!"

Just saw this last weekend Zenny. The wife and I thought it was great. Phillip Seymore Hoffman was a freaking riot and Tom Hanks was his usual self(good at everything he does). You are right though very good movie on all accounts. Highly entertaining!

 

[UncleChris]

 

[Griffin]

I highly recommend this movie. There are times when this movie almost feels like a satire, but then you have to remind yourself that this stuff really happened. 3.5/4

 

[Pariah]

Very good movie. I think I liked the acting (particularly PS Hoffman) more than I liked the movie, though.

 

[Shane]

Very good movie. I think I liked the acting (particularly PS Hoffman) more than I liked the movie, though.

Hoffman was fantastic.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Very good movie. I think I liked the acting (particularly PS Hoffman) more than I liked the movie, though.

Just watched it. I feel the same way. I thought the characters were so interesting that I didn't want it to end. Hoffman is amazing. The range of characters he can play is pretty much limitless. I think they could have easily added 30 more minutes of material.

I kept waiting for the scene where Rambo comes in and helps them destroy a Soviet military base. I guess that scene didn't make the final cut.

 

[DeAnna]

I just saw this one DVD. I didn't find it particulary entertaining, but the acting was good.

I had not heard much about the movie but something seemed missing; some of the scenes had no transition (bad editing?).

I was amazed at Joanne Herring - to think that a rich, bored socialite could influence foreign policy is amazing. She basically managed to manipulate them into funding her cause.

EDIT: I just read an interview they did with her shortly after the film was released. The original ending made reference to the 9/11 attacks and she made the director change it.

 

[Heucrazy]

I just rented this one and I have to say it's a good movie. I would recommend it.

 

[arthurracoon]

good movie

 

[PortlandCardFan]

What the..??? I thought I posted in this thread. Enjoyed this movie!!! (could have done without the stock footage of aircraft misrepresentation but the movie wasn't about that so I'll let it slide) Saw an interview of Charlie Wilson and he seems like a cool dude!!!

 

[Gaddabout]

The topic of the movie was very interesting. The movie itself ... always felt like I was watching a Hollywood interpretation of the events and not the event itself. Never suspended my disbelief.

 

[Skkorpion]

Saw it a while ago. Very entertaining.

 

[Mulli]

Self-important, self-righteous and preachy. Ugh.

 

[Pariah]

Self-important, self-righteous and preachy. Ugh.

Enough about Chaplin. What did you think of the movie?

Spoiler

Dems just jokes, Chap. Just jokes!

 

[O]

I just watched it.
I thought it was great on so many, many levels.
However i don't think they expressed enough how much we screwed the pooch.

I did, laugh out loud, unexpectedly, on several occasions which is always good.