Marker: W.

I think that the goal of the movie W. was not necessarily to present a truthful depiction of George W. Bush, but rather, it was to make a statement. The movie should be viewed as such and not as a biography or historical document. I believe the statement Stone was trying to make is that despite his position of extreme power, the president is only human. It also exemplifies the "Peter Principle" - the idea that Bush rose past his level of competence. W. shows how a president's personal life and his personal struggles can affect his presidency. The first scene that depicts this is when Bush is telling his father that he wants to have a career in baseball. This is important because it is clear that Bush would rather do something in baseball than politics. He had no real desire to be a politician.

Another scene that represents Bush's presidency is the one in which he dreams that he's talking to his father in the oval office. In this scene Bush is crushed because he feels he is a disappointment to his father. One of Bush's biggest motivations for moving into politics was his father. However in this scene his father is claiming that he is responsible for all of his son's political successes. Many of the decisions Bush made were done so in an attempt to impress his father. The profound influence he had on Bush affected who he was both as a person and as a president.

Both of these scenes show how outside factors and personal struggles can affect the way one governs and why. This is the message and prominent theme of the movie. Had Bush been more successful in baseball he may have never become president. Similarly, had his father not been a politician or had he been more supportive of Bush, he may have never made the decision to move into politics at all. In the movie, it is clear that Bush's personal problems influenced his presidency. I do not think the movie represents an honest depiction of Bush or his presidency, yet it still presents a clear statement about the position of President.