"W" Movie Assignment


Procedure:

"You have now seen the movie "W" - one director’s perception of George W. Bush. This movie not only brought up issues regarding the presidency, but also concerns such as invasion of privacy, international relations, proper Congressional etiquette, etc.

Your assignment will be to dive into one of these subjects. You will write a minimum of two pages for your topic. Your topic MUST contain at least one outside source; feel free to use more! That will add up to a grand total of two pages plus one source.

Your paper will be fue on _________. Your final paper should be double-spaced, size 12 font and use appropriate margins. A works cited page is also required; "www.noodletools.com is a good site for a quick works cited page.

"W" Questions

1)      Do you feel that Oliver Stone directed an accurate portrayal of George W. Bush? Defend your position.

2) The movie brings up the practice of hazing. Is there anything wrong with this practice, or is it just another American tradition?

3) What type of image does this movie portray of the United States? Is our culture self-aware that we are capable of making a movie like this, or is our society truly like this, i.e. favoritism, etc.?

4) How much are our actions dictated by our family? Would W. have gone down the same path if his family had not been involved? Can we ever escape our family’s plan for our lives?

5) Parents can either let their children fall on their faces or continue to save them time and time again. Which option should parents choose in dealing with their children; when is it enough?

6) The movie brings up the issue of privacy here in the United States, and how, since 9/11, it seems to have taken the backseat to the anti-terrorist movement. Hence, cell phones are being tapped; emails are being recorded, etc. To what extent do we allow our privacy to be invaded in the name of "peace"?

7) "No torture" is a policy that our country supposedly abides by when dealing with terrorists. Yet, this is not always the case. Rendition is one such movie that deals with this issue; so is our country truly torture free?

8) What is the purpose of the Executive Branch? Do the three parts, President, Vice-President and Speaker of the House, act as support for each other, or is it more of a partnership?

9) In watching the movie, I was struck by the accuracy of the mannerisms of the actors portraying real life people. Did this prove to be an error on the part of the director? What decision led Stone to use this strategy?

10) Politics as a whole has been through many facelifts. When someone aspired to be a politician, is it still seen as a noble profession? Was there ever a time when politics were viewed as a dignified job?

11) Individuals have wrestled with various types of mental illnesses; do you believe that a person should be allowed to be President if they have a mental illness?

12) Does separation of church and state still exist? Should it exist?

13) President Bush signed into being the No Child Left Behind Act; he knew nothing about education, but allowed a bill, which had HUGE ramifications on schools, to be passed. Should individuals who have no professional knowledge of a subject be allowed to make decisions regarding it (think about HMO’s who are not medically trained but control our medical coverage anyway).

14) What type of foreign policy do you think the United States has based on watching this movie?