The truth is the loser in "Charlie Wilson's War," a film riddled with factual errors. This tall tale is about how the West leveled a critical blow to the Soviet Union via underground work by a barely known Texas Congressman who, get this, was a Democrat.
Why, pray tell, would a member of that party of unpatriotic commie sympathizers work to destroy the USSR? Everyone who listens to talk radio knows how it actually went down: Ronald Reagan sprinted across the ocean and put Mikhail Gorbachev into a headlock until he agreed to pull his evil empire out of Afghanistan, bulldoze the Berlin Wall and wash his car for the next 10 years while freedom sprouted like daisies from Moscow to the Siberian tundra.
The film skewers the truth while making lawmaker Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) out to be the savior of the 20th century. It's a mystery why Reagan didn't stop spinning in his grave long enough to incinerate all prints of this propaganda with his lie-destroying eye lasers.
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Only a movie this twisted would assert that a politician's private life is less important than his accomplishments — Wilson, a scoundrel, engineered a covert program to help Afghan fighters fend off Soviet invaders.
It's not just that Wilson drank and caroused with a slew of beautiful assistants and used his charm to land political favors while increasing his fornication opportunities. What gets my goat is how open he was, bounding through life so cheerfully, refusing to cover up his indiscretions or at least blame them on a "wide stance," as any good Republican would.
But what would you expect from a film written by Hollywood's liberal in chief, Aaron Sorkin, of "West Wing" shame. He adapts George Crile's book with his brand of relish, crafting quick-witted characters who weigh their personal yearnings against the public good.
Sorkin's devious agenda is driven home by Hanks. He's aided and abetted by Julia Roberts as a Texas fundraiser, Amy Adams as Wilson's plucky sidekick and Philip Seymour Hoffman as a company man who gives Wilson the know-how he needs to break into the proper channels.
Liberals will surely praise "Charlie Wilson's War" as astute and endlessly entertaining. They'll scream its praises and persuade their friends to see it so they can grab a decaf soy latte and discuss its fascinating implications.
But count me out, folks. I'm a free, independent-thinking conservative with better ways to spend my time. Besides, Rush's radio show is on.
Review
Charlie Wilson's War
***1/2
• Rated: R for strong language, nudity/sexual content and some drug use.
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman.
• Director: Mike Nichols.
• Family call: Too racy for kids.
• Running time: 127 minutes.
