Location: NS, Canada
Directed By: Oliver Stone
Written By: Oliver Stone
Produced By: Oliver Stone
Edited By: Robert Richardson
Score By: John Williams
Main Cast
Susan Sarandon as Margy Hamilton
Nicholas Cage as Greg Hamilton
Jared Leto as Mark Hamilton
Tagline: "We Are The People!"
Synopsis: "Dear, Mr. President...
Six months ago, my family and I were devastated by the news that our oldest son, Private Robert Hamilton, had been killed serving his country in Iraq. His death still haunts me to this day. But now, what is on my mind, is the fact that my other son, Mark, is missing in Iraq and the military will give us no word other than that. Apparently he had been on a private mission that we are not allowed to know about.
My husband and I are greatly worried. We have avoided becoming active in the campaigns to remove American soldiers from Iraq because of our son's military involvement, but lately it is nearly impossible to keep this up. You refuse to give us any word on when the troops will be coming home. In fact, it seems you refuse to even entertain the notion of this happening.
I do not wish for you to give me an answer to this question, as I sincerely doubt I would get one anyway. I only wish to speak with you on this matter, either in person or over the telephone, which ever way suits you best. I would greatly appreciate a response.
Yours truly, Marge Hamilton"
This was the letter sent to president George W. Bush by Margie Hamilton two years ago. She has yet to receive an answer. Her son, Mark, is home but is severely traumatized by his mission in Iraq and his therapist bills are not being covered by the government. With no answer in sight as to when young men and women like her son's will be coming home, Margie Hamilton is going to Washington to get one...
What the Press would say:
"Dear, Mr. President" is the moving and heart-wrenching story of Margie Hamilton, a woman to whom the war in Iraq has been excessively harsh. One son was killed by a land mine and the other has returned with shell shock and is now being denied treatment because of a dishonorary discharge. She had watched her family be crippled by the war in Iraq and now wants answers. Susan Sarandon gives a show-stopping performance as the lead character. We, unfortunately, never get to see her smile in this film. The role takes her to such emotional places that it is almost impossible for the character to smile near the end of the movie. Sarandon is supported by Nicholas Cage, a father so fed up with the United States that it is only his wife that keeps him from moving to a different country. Although his role is limited to supporting, Cage gives a magnificent performance. The audience follows him just as much as Sarandon but we abandon him, or at least I did, when he leaves his wife because he can't handle it anymore; all the time and energy spent on seeing a man who won't even write ten words to them. Margie ends up losing everything in the end. After one son dying, and another being lost to a mental disorder, and finally her husband leaving her. Margie is left with nothing but her ambition. This isn't you typical story though. Margie never does get to see the president and she never does get the answer she so longs for. After countless protests, several TV appearances, and endless amounts of letters, Margie is left broke and without her family. The saddest part of this story is that it is based on real events.
Oliver Stone directs the film with an odd amount of subtly. Much of the film is played without a score, allowing us to hear the pain that Margie is going through. Stone tells about 30% of the story through news stories and television interviews. Anytime we feel like we may be lost, he cuts to a CNN news broadcast that brings us back to the front of the story. This is a brilliant way of keeping the audience informed as the film jumps forward in time. He is careful not to let us get too lost. Something that I found odd with this film was it's lack of political agenda. Margie Hamilton is not against the war in Iraq, or any other policies of the Bush administration as far as I can see. She is, however, against how the administration treats the war. This is not an anti-war film. This is the true story of one woman trying to get answers to questions that should have been answered immediately. What is the real reason he son lost his life? If it's over oil, or a vendetta, fine! She just wants an answer. An answer. And she never gets one. And neither do we.
Possible Nominations...
Best Picture
Best Director - Oliver Stone
Best Actress - Susan Sarandon
Best Supporting Actor - Nicholas Cage
Best Original Screenplay
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