Capricorn
I was surprised to find two tickets still available for online purchase at 5:20 p.m. for the 7:30 show. When we arrived, the lobby was mostly empty—not even a line at the concession stand. I mitigated my disappointment by ordering the large popcorn, which, this being the United States, was enough to fill the trunk of a Smart Car.
In the theater, I was both reassured and mildly annoyed that the room was so full, the only two seats together were in the very last row and against the wall, but, no matter; I was cozied up in a room full of Democrats, who I knew must have been seething alongside me over that day’s reports of the McCain campaign’s robo-calls claiming Obama voted to deny medical care to dying babies.
I’m not particularly proud of this fact, but I was ready to enjoy a comedic, mocking portrayal of the sitting president. And I really needed it, because it’s been getting harder and harder to use our eight-year, underdog status to rationalize mocking the Republicans, when an Obama win in November is becoming more certain every day.
Worse, earlier in the week, when I watched the real-life W. hunched over the warm, amber-colored, talking-to-the-nation-on-TV desk, he looked strange and humble. I didn’t see the customary twinkle in his eye—not the “we’re-gonna-kick-your-ass” twinkle, the “we-just-kicked-your-ass” twinkle, the “I’m-so-charming," and if that doesn’t convince, "I’ve-got-God on-my-side” twinkle, not even the catch-all “can-you-f-ing-believe-I’m-the-president, this-is-so-much-fun” twinkle.
COMMENTS (6)
RATE THIS STORY
This story is about my personal experiences at a place...
I went to a protest in Rome, Italy, November 29th, 2008. The police presence was...
Comments
Re: A Democrat's Opening Night At Oliver Stone’s W.
By Kate Chenard, October 23, 2008 at 06:42Dear SmartCookie,
Thanks so much for your comment. What a lovely moment we're having here. A democrat and a republican reaching across the proverbial aisle to speak sincerely, appreciatively, and respectfully to one another.
I for one, was quite enamored with McCain in 2004. I thought he was brave and honest and that ultimately it was his "straight talk" -- unafraid to give complicated answers to complicated questions, unafraid to challenge listeners to think two-dimensionally, seemingly stripped naked of talking points -- that made it impossible for him to win the nomination.
I think that he took that lesson to heart and has replaced the straight talk express with an "ends justify the means" so do or say anything campaign strategy (which is certainly not something he came up with on his own, but rather the norm of politics--I used to say that by the time anyone reaches the White House, they would have compromised their ideals so much along the way, they would hardly be able to remember why they wanted the job in the first place).
I believe he believes he will help the country the most, and I believe that he is pained by what it seems to take to get there.
As for Sarah Palin? We'll just have to agree to respectfully disagree. I think she as much as anything distorts the public image of a truly sincere and intelligent man.
Best,
Kate
Re: A Democrat's Opening Night At Oliver Stone’s W.
By SmartCookie, October 23, 2008 at 09:34Hi Kate,
Yes, it would be nice if we just all treated each other with respect as fellow human Americans with different opinions. Won't bore you with the vicious and cruel treatment I've personally endured during this election, but do want to let you know how much I appreciate our exchange of friendly disagreement ... and, as it turns out, we seem to have a couple things we agree about.
I think we'd get a lot more done together as a country if we could learn to embrace what we agree about and work from there. Like McCain said, we belong to different parties, not different countries.
Good luck with your novels and I hope to see more of your work here at orato.com in the meantime! Have a wonderful day!
Re: A Democrat's Opening Night At Oliver Stone’s W.
By SmartCookie, October 22, 2008 at 12:48Kate,
Thank you for this very honest review of the movie. Like Heather, I agree that I may actually want to see this movie after reading your review, and I certainly had no plans to do so before. Lol, Heather called me brave the last time I said this, but I actually voted for W. twice. -- sorry! It's the truth, though, and I'm also one of the majority of Americans who is unhappy with his administration, so I'm just being honest. (Partly because I appreciate your honesty so much.)
While I believe Pres. Bush brought these bad feelings onto himself, I have often pitied the First Lady ... after all, that's her husband people are talking about, you know? Whatever the rest of us think of him, she is his wife and she loves him. That must be really hard for her.
I am genuinely surprised to hear that Stone portrayed a sympathetic character, at least in your view. And your experience at the theater was definitely interesting to me - I live in the D.C. area and I know full well how venomous the criticism has been around here.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts about your experience with such honesty and openness. I hope you have a wonderful evening.
Re: A Democrat's Opening Night At Oliver Stone’s W.
By Heather Wallace, October 22, 2008 at 13:54Hey Smart Cookie, I hope you know my "that was brave" comment was made lightheartedly. I admit things that in hindsight may seem a little "off the mark" at least five times a day. But that's why hindsight is 20/20.
Heather :)
Re: A Democrat's Opening Night At Oliver Stone’s W.
By SmartCookie, October 23, 2008 at 09:35Hey Heather,
No worries - we're cool! ;-)
Re: A Democrat's Opening Night At Oliver Stone’s W.
By Heather Wallace, October 20, 2008 at 14:56Thanks for this unique movie review Kate. You really hit home how art can touch the nerve of a current events story, and I found myself feeling (short-lived) pity for W. just from reading your review. Certainly the timing of the film's release is interesting, since W. isn't quite behind us yet. The reviews have mostly suggested the film is mediocre, but I think I'd like to see it. I really don't know much about President Bush's early life, so it will be at least a little enlightening.
Heather Wallace
Senior Editor
Orato.com