Watch Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George W. Bush For Free
Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George W. Bush
After playing George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live for many years, funny man Will Ferrell brings his impression to Broadway to send up the 43rd President of the United States of America.
Release : | 2009 |
Rating : | 7 |
Studio : | Funny Business Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions, |
Crew : | Set Designer, Camera Operator, |
Cast : | Will Ferrell Michael Delaney Adam Mucci Patrick Ferrell |
Genre : | Comedy |
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Cast List
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Reviews
Best movie of this year hands down!
Overrated and overhyped
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
There was absolutely no need to make this pile of dreck. Yeah, yeah, I get it Ferrell, you do not particularly like George W. Bush. Well guess what dip wad, a majority of Americans elected him President twice, so it is time to just get over it. Fact of the matter is that George W. Bush was a much better President than you are a comedian. As a matter of fact Carrot Top is a better comedian than you are. As for this movie it is the lowest of the low, with uncalled for insults, and at one point racial humor aimed at Condeleezza Rice. Since Will Ferrell has no problem with racist humor, and since Obama is 10 times worse than George W. Bush ever thought about being, I guess in 2016 American can look forward to Will Ferrell appearing on HBO in blackface to skewer Odumba.
It is really hard for me to judge this movie because it is politically charged, historically educational, and a rather scattered collection of lewd and extreme segments, all at once. The first two thirds were excellent and I laughed really hard and often. Much of what Farrel says about G.W. is both shocking and true, so there is some really valuable recent history delivered in a very entertaining way. No small feat. Some of the information was even shocking to learn and I had to look it up and always found that he was correct. I haven't looked up everything but I would bet that nearly everything he says that wasn't obviously a joke is completely true. The movie is very valuable for anyone who doesn't know much about G.W. or misremembers or just plain forgot.Even though the first two thirds has some really hilarious parts, it is shot through with some serious material which I did not mind. The performance takes an abrupt and very serious turn for the final third. I was OK with that too but was sad that most of the laughs were gone. Still, I thought the latter material dragged on far too long. So if you don't watch the whole thing that is perfectly OK. Just know that the wrap-up and interaction with the audience at the end is precious.You will either love this movie or love to hate it, so either way you win!
I've noticed that any review here that says this was not funny tends to be voted down whereas any review that says it was funny is voted useful, quality of writing seems to be out of the equation and the politics of the situation appear to be the all, because obviously liberals will love anything that mocks conservatives while only red neck racists would not love this film, right? Well, it will make no difference (to borrow a phrase, "haters gonna hate") but as a white, middle class male in my 30's who watches the Daily Show and is "liberal" in most issues, I should have been target audience for this and, if I'm honest I did watch it because I expected to find Bush easy to laugh at and for my own opinions to be reaffirmed in the meantime.Problem is that this film is so incredibly basic that it just doesn't work. If you take it as an attempt at political satire then it is a total fail because there is almost nothing clever in here; considering the Daily Show ate well for years off the Bush presidency and produced constant material that was as funny as it was cutting. There is nothing here that even comes close. So OK, maybe that is me being unfair to the material because it is clearly not trying to be a biting satire but rather just a basic mocking of Bush based on the idea that he is dumb and fake. This is not anything new and it is a pretty well mined seam for the film to try and get something out of, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Problem is that the material is just crude and unfunny without any real invention or wit – the biggest laughs from the crowd come due to a picture of a penis. Add to that the fact that we have almost 3 minutes given over to a moment where Condoleezza Rice does an erotic dance for Bush (in a bit so painful I wondered if it would ever end) and you're starting to get the idea. In fairness it is a Will Ferrell film so one should not be surprised and it does play to the teenage boy market rather anyone used to their political comedy being either (a) political, or (b) funny.Ferrell is not a good impressionist but, like the material, he goes for the easy route and he vaguely gets there – I know the point is not that he is meant to look or sound particularly like Bush but it does add to the "good enough" feel the film has. Overall I was looking forward to this film but it doesn't deliver. No matter how you look at it (political satire or fish-in-barrel exercise) it isn't funny and has no wit or invention. The "Bush is dumb" line has produced some very funny material in the past, while his terrible presidency has given us some great, cutting satire – this film cannot manage to be even average in either of those camps.
Will Ferrell is just an amazing actor. To take 8 years of American history on his shoulders in such a funny, awkward, shocking, detailed, eyes-opened, over-the-top, superb, state-of-the-art way is just a great pleasure to watch and a relief that the real life of Mr. Bush as a president is finally over. We just loved to watch Will doing George W. As a German viewer it increased my trust in America. I could not believe my eyes and ears that something like Will Ferrell did here would be ever possibly in USA. It is the second time the past years that my respect for America is back in order. The first time it hit me in a positive way that USA voted for a president (finally) who is black and open minded, and now for a second time Will Ferrell made it possible to understand and digest the live and times of the former president. After I have seen this show my hope for USA is full of best wishes and trust in the future. You're back on track....