That’s All You’re Good For (Part II)
Some of you may have heard of the upcoming film entitled “W.” in which Josh Brolin (the cowboy from “No Country for Old Men”) plays George W. Bush and Richard Dreyfuss plays Dick Cheney. (Thandie Newton as Condoleeza! Holla!)
The flick is directed by Oliver Stone, which is code for will be needlessly complicated and not follow any discernible narrative structure. It also means there will be too many actors-with-a-capital-A in the cast, all of them wanting to chew scenery.
And while I tease, I can’t help but be excited. These kinds of all-star jams are the only reason I still have to get excited about movies, especially when you know all the characters already. I love seeing who gets cast as who. James Cromwell as George H. W. Bush? Nice. Ellen Burstyn as Barbara Bush?? Totally unexpected! Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell??? Is there any role he can’t play?!
Naturally, I cruised all the information about who would play the Asian characters. You know: Secretary Norm Mineta, the first API person to serve in a president’s cabinet, and the first Democrat to ever serve in a Republican cabinet. He was the Secretary of Transportation, the one who gave the order to ground all planes on 9/11. Who did they get? George Takei? James Hong? Randall Duk Kim? Dustin Nguyen? Steve Park? Daniel Dae Kim?
What do you mean nobody?
Well what about Elaine Chao, who was Secretary of Labor during 9/11? (And still is: making her the only Bush secretary who is not trying to distance herself from President Bush as much as possible right now.) With the role that the Department of Labor played in the aftermath of 9/11, trying to support failing small businesses and interacting with so many laborers who lost wages and faced health concerns, surely, surely, they got someone to play her. No? Not even Sun-jung Jung – Oliver Stone’s wife?
A glance up and down the IMDB cast list for the movie reveals three Asian characters: Asian Journalist #1, Asian Journalist #2, and Exotic Dancer. Shoot, really? I’d rather have not had any Asians in the movie then. What’s wrong Oliver Stone? Couldn’t find a place for a Ninja and a Computer Programmer?
As per usual, I must admit, IMDB is wrong about a hell of a lot of stuff, but it seems pretty clear that our community is again not present in an Oliver Stone movie. Not that I want our communities to be closely associated with W or anything.
Damn you Oliver Stone.
Damn you to hell.
Last 5 posts by giles
- Review: I Love Yous Are for White People - October 23rd, 2009
- Youth Media Blog-a-thon: Health Care - October 1st, 2009
- Video: MRSHMLO - Rocky Rivera - September 3rd, 2009
- ...while the old folks dance at your family reunion... - August 17th, 2009
- Two Americans Walk Into North Korea... - August 7th, 2009
Tags: Movie.
2 comments
Well, one might say that those cabinet positions are minor positions and have no place in a movie about W.
And furthermore, don’t you realize, this is a movie about America and thus, Americans want to see real American people not these whatever they are. Sarah Palin for President! [excuse me while I vomit now]
you’re right Eugene. I’m sure the Asian Exotic Dancer was much more integral to the Bush story than Norm Mineta.