In 'Charlie Wilson's War,' All's Well That Ends Well

Jason Pyles Movie Critic

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
X Rental
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

One nation’s terrorist is another nation’s martyr. Perspective can be fickle that way. Or sometimes the difference between heroic acts and dastardly acts is only a matter of how favorably we view the ends used to justify those questionable means. To compare what some call “George Bush’s War” with Charlie Wilson’s War illustrates this phenomenon.

Mike Nichols’ film retells the true story of a mischievous congressman from Texas who helped orchestrate and finance Afghanistan’s eradication of the invading Soviet Union during the 1980s. Despite the unauthorized nature of his covert crusade, Charlie Wilson was celebrated for the results of his actions.

Yet when we discover that our elected officials’ secretive good intentions (let’s give them the benefit of the doubt) have gone south, and paved the road to Hell, we recoil and revolt, horrified, disenchanted and disgusted.

It seems that most of us consider the incredible sacrifice of American lives during World War I and World War II unfortunate but necessary. World War I claimed 116,516 Americans, and World War II a staggering 405,399 lives. But both times we were on the winning team, which prevented the spread of global domination by evil nations, so it was worth it, right?

Then the Vietnam War changed the tune of public opinion with a death toll to the tune of 58,135 Americans. Many believe we didn’t win that war; accordingly, it was a big mistake and not worth it, right?

And now, we’re approaching the five-year mark to the anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War. This controversial engagement has claimed at least 3,239 American military personnel so far.

Since we lost Vietnam, the ends did not justify the means. Since we have not produced Osama bin Laden’s head on a platter (or utterly wiped out al-Qaida), the ends have not justified the means. We got Saddam Hussein but no weapons of mass destruction, so the ends did not justify the means.

My point is not to make a stance for or against any of our American wars. I simply hope to demonstrate that we lovable Americans seem to subscribe to the “all’s well that ends well” mentality, which is why the film Charlie Wilson’s War celebrates its title character, while Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) vilifies the Bush administration.

Setting aside its fair-weather narrative, Charlie Wilson’s War is well made and moderately entertaining. Tom Hanks’ Charlie Wilson is a charismatic “man of many character flaws” and quite amusing. Julia Roberts plays Joanne Herring, the sixth wealthiest woman in Texas and facilitator of Wilson’s endeavors. And Roberts is fine here, but she’s reached that “distraction status” like Tom Cruise, where the star is so big, you can’t see the character, only the celebrity.

The true magic of Charlie Wilson’s War happens when Philip Seymour Hoffman is onscreen. He plays CIA man, Gust (not Gus) Avrakotos, an intelligent loose cannon who reminds you of your big brother’s smart-mouthed best friend. When Hanks and Hoffman are playing their duet, this movie is mesmerizing and gleeful.

While watching Charlie Wilson’s War, I kept smiling at the ironic Hanks’ character, a perfectly well-meaning politician whose imperfections are so loud and glaring they give his staff of Barker’s Beauties frequent PR headaches. I like to call this funny contrast the “Chandler Jarrell Principle” (see The Golden Child, an Eddie Murphy gem from 1986 where he, in all his crassness, plays “The Chosen One”).

This Chandler Jarrell Principle made me wonder about the relevance of the close scrutiny we give to the personal lives of our presidential candidates. I mean, as long as we like what they accomplish, should we balk at their religion, or whether they’ve been married and divorced several times? Maybe, but we won’t if we’re pleased at their work … if he or she is “The Chosen One.”

The moral dilemma inherent in “all’s well that ends well” is also noted in the movie Rendition (2007), a drama about an American family man who’s suspected of having terrorist ties, and is kidnapped and taken to a secret interrogation facility. At one point in the film, Meryl Streep’s character is questioned about the ethical implications of such a practice, to which she replies, “This is nasty business. There are upwards of 7,000 people in central London alive tonight, because of information that we elicited just this way. So maybe you can put your head on your pillow and feel proud for saving one man while 7,000 perish, but I got grandkids in London, so I'm glad I'm doing this job... and you're not.”

Yeah, when it comes right down to it, we’ve all got grandkids (or someone important to us) somewhere; so we look the other way, if we must, and hail Charlie Wilson-like heroes.

Directed by Mike Nichols
Tom Hanks / Julia Roberts / Philip Seymour Hoffman
Drama | 97 min.
MPAA: R (for strong language, nudity/sexual content and some drug use)

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