Charlie Wilson's War [P&S]

Director: Mike Nichols, Brian Markinson, Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cyia Batten

Overview

Produced by Tom Hanks, written by Aaron Sorkin, and directed by Mike Nichols, this adaptation of George Crile III's incendiary bestseller tells the remarkable story of the Texas congressman whose efforts to prevent the Red Army from overtaking Afghanistan eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union while simultaneously fueling the rise of radical Islam. In the early 1980s, a hastily assembled army of Afghan "freedom fighters" achieved the remarkable feat of fending off Soviet invaders despite the fact that the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against them. At the time, Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Hanks) was a key member of the hugely powerful House Appropriations Committee. Illuminated to the specifics of this remarkable war by a high-profile Houston socialite, Wilson spearheaded an effort to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons and training to the Mujahideen with more than a little help from brilliant but prickly CIA operative Gust Avrokotos.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/22/2008
UPC:	0025195004831
Original Release:	2007
Rating:	R
Source:	UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:42:00

Special Features

The Making of Charlie Wilson's War; Who Is Charlie Wilson?

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tom Hanks	Charlie Wilson
Philip Seymour Hoffman	Gust
Amy Adams	Bonnie Bach
Ned Beatty	Doc Long
Julia Roberts	Joanne Herring,Stinger Presenter
Emily Blunt	Jane Liddle
Om Puri	President Zia
Ken Stott	Zvi
John Slattery	Cravely
Denis O'Hare	Harold Holt
Jud Tylor	Crystal Lee
Terry Bozeman	CIA Award Presenter
Brian Markinson	Paul Brown
Hilary Angelo	Kelly
Cyia Batten	Stacey
Kirby Mitchell	Stoned Buy
Ed Regine	Limo Driver
Daniel Eric Gold	Donnelly
Peter Gerety	Larry Liddle
Wynn Everett	Charlie's Angel
Mary Bonner Baker	Charlie's Angel,Marla
Rachel Nichols	Charlie's Angel
Shiri Appleby	Charlie's Angel
P.J. Byrne	Jim Van Wagenen
Thomas Crawford	Maitenance Man
Joe Roland	McGaffin
Patrika Darbo	Auctioneer
Amanda Loncar	Slave Girl
Salaheddine Benchegra	Pakistani Steward
Faran Tahir	Brigadier Rashid
Rizwan Manji	Colonel Mahmood
Maurice Sherbanee	Refugee in Wheelchair
Salam Sangi	Refugee Building a Wall
Navid Negahban	Refugee Camp Translator
R.M. Haley	Embassy Official,Embassy Official
Michael Spellman	Agent Patrick
Russell Edge	Agent Wells
Christopher Denham	Mike Vickers
Joe Sikora	Chess Player
Gabriel Tigerman	Chess Player
Tracy Phillips	Belly Dancer
Ron Fassler	Mario
Nancy Linehan Charles	Mrs. Long
Daston Kalili	Mujahideen Translator
Pasha Lychnikoff	Russian Helicopter Pilot
Ilia Volok	Russian Helicopter Pilot
Sammy Sheik	Stinger Mujahideen
Jim Jansen	Congressional Committee Member
Harry S. Murphy	Congressional Committee Member
Spencer Garrett	Congressional Committee Member
Kevin Cooney	Congressional Committee Member
Carly Reeves	Slave Girl
Mozhan Marn?	Refugee Camp Translator #2
Michelle Arthur	Refugee Camp Nurse
Edward Hunt	Embassy Marine
Drama	Actor
James Newton Howard	Composer

Technical Credits

Aaron Sorkin

George Crile

Aaron Sorkin	Screenwriter
Ellen Lewis	Casting
Gary Goetzman	Producer
Helena Packer	Special Effects
John Hartigan	Special Effects
Jordi Casares	Stunts
Richard Edlund	Special Effects
Tom Hanks	Producer
Ryan Kavanaugh	Executive Producer,Producer
Celia D. Costas	Executive Producer,Producer,Executive Producer
Jeff Skoll	Executive Producer,Producer
George Crile	Screenwriter
Michael Haley	Producer
Edward Hunt	Producer
Paul A. Levin	Producer
David Alexander	Special Effects
Ron Bochar	Sound Effects
David Boulton	Sound Effects
David Corcoran	Sound Effects
Petur Hliddal	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Charlie Wilson's War
1. Highest Honor [3:07]
2. Current Events [4:58]
3. Bigger Budget [9:07]
4. Killing Russians [4:16]
5. Ultra Right-Wing [4:17]
6. Fake War [2:58]
7. Meeting Leaders [6:13]
8. Firsthand Account [4:04]
9. Debriefed [4:44]
10. Jefferson vs. Bond [9:02]
11. Choice of Weapons [4:21]
12. On the Front [2:47]
13. Politics and Belly Dancing [:51]
14. Modulating Religion [3:22]
15. Getting the Money [3:02]
16. On the Good Side [7:09]
17. Fighting for Freedom [3:11]
18. Making Progress [4:57]
19. Fall of an Empire [4:36]
20. End Titles [6:39]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Charlie Wilson's War
Play
Scenes
Bonus Features
The Making of Charlie Wilson's War
Who Is Charlie Wilson?
Languages
Spoken Language: English 5.1
Spoken Language: Español 5.1
Spoken Language: Français 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH
Subtitles: Español
Subtitles: Français
Subtitles: Off

Editorial Reviews

From his very first film, a blistering version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Mike Nichols has proven over and over again that he is arguably the finest adaptor of plays for the screen. His stage work -- in both improv theater and his legendary time with Elaine May -- taught Nichols the power of exquisite timing. He understands not only how a line should be delivered, but also when. Charlie Wilson's War continues this fine history. As Charlie Wilson, a Texas senator familiar with the shadier sides of his private appetites, Tom Hanks embodies someone who both enjoys the privileges of and respects the power he possesses. He embodies the seemingly sexist career politician with a winning good ol' boy charm. He hires only attractive women to staff his office, but they are all smart and politically savvy, and he listens to their advice. After seeing a news report about Afghani rebels fighting the Soviet invasion of their country, and being egged on by a very wealthy hardline Anti-Communist Texas socialite (Julia Roberts -- reteaming with Nichols after Closer) interested in funding his reelection, Wilson decides to covertly fund the rebels. The large portion of the film is a nearly journalistic revelation of the steps he took to achieve this. The script, adapted by Aaron Sorkin from a non-fiction book, has the snap of the best West Wing episodes. You feel as if you are seeing how politics really works -- how idealism and intelligence and humor can be used to manipulate the seemingly unmovable bureaucracy of the Federal government -- a process full of unique types like a youthful weapons expert and a spineless diplomat. This is not a dry history lesson, but a fast-paced, witty exposé of a man who found himself in the right place at the right time to affect history. The film maintains a sarcastic tone thanks to the crack writing, and the presence of the always brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman. As a violently moody, fiercely intelligent CIA man, Hoffman gets the kind of role good actors dream of and great actors, like him, make unforgettable. His impeccable delivery draws huge laughs from the script's best lines, and in a subtle final speech he offers the film's surprisingly pointed moral. For 90 minutes, Charlie Wilson's War is a portrait of American can-do ingenuity, but the final ten minutes offer a reminder of what can be expected from any change made in the world -- a lesson that couldn't be timelier. With Wit, Angels in America, the aforementioned Closer, and now Charlie Wilson's War, a 76-year-old Mike Nichols has proven over the course of this decade that while other skills might erode with age -- perfect timing does not have to be one of them.