You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush: He'd Rather Be Right
by Michael Dale - February 15, 2009
Near the conclusion of Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush the actor/playwright takes a brief respite from the evening's frivolity to have his title character express sincere emotions that are no doubt shared by everyone in his audience. He looks down with a sorrowful expression and his voice even quivers a bit as he speaks of the brave men and women of the military, and the civilians as well, who have died under his command. He feels grief for those who have lost their spouses, and for the children who have lost parents, because of decisions he felt were best for the nation. Whether or not you believe our former president experiences that same grief, the sincerity of the man portraying him is evident, and the moment of silence he requests becomes a bonding moment for all of those present.
In another bonding moment, the former president has a photo of his penis projected on a large screen and brags, "That's what you call shock and awe right there!"
Sure, exactly how funny you think You're Welcome America. is or isn't may depend on you opinion of our 43rd president, but when you consider the man's approval ratings at the end of his term, it's safe to say that Ferrell's target audience could include over 70% of the nation. And in my best attempt to provide a strictly non-partisan judgment on purely theatrical terms, let's just say I laughed a hell of a lot.
Director Adam McKay's efficiently staged and swift-moving production begins with a grand entrance that's capped off with a zinger that sets the mood for the night. Then Ferrell gets down to the serious business of making his subject look like a complete and total idiot, using fine mimicry - the steely glare and the puffed-up swagger - and a combination of exact quotes and reasonable facsimiles.
Bush's reason for making a stop in "the faggy theatre district" before returning home to Texas is to spend an informal evening among his supporters reminiscing about the good times ("Don't mess with me... I was a cheerleader at Yale!"), the good friends ("Dick Chaney is so charismatic he can shoot a guy in the face with a shotgun and have that guy apologize to him!") and the challenges of the presidency ("Niger... You don't want to mispronounce that one!").
He's up front about the many controversies of his administration, including the lack of emergency aid after Katrina ("I don't hate black people. I never even think about them.") and the lengthy war in Iraq ("Sure some things didn't go as planned, like the absence of a plan for anything once we gained control.") and even reveals little known details about an encounter with Bigfoot. A scary episode where all the Bush men were trapped in an abandoned coal mine ends with them being rescued by the superhuman power of Barbara Bush, who apparently can lift large boulders with her bare hands.
Patrick Ferrell, the star's brother, silently stands in place throughout the evening as Bush's secret service protection, though in private moments he proves himself a capable hip-hop and techno dancer. But the show's best candidate for this season's Astaire Award is Pia Glenn, who erotically undulates as Condoleezza Rice in a fantasy scene.
Despite the keen observation that, "In the theatre, the third row's called the second row," this is by no means a heady evening of sharp political insight, but Ferrell's sense of silliness prevails. If satire is what closes on Saturday night, You're Welcome America. could pretty much run for years.
Photos of Will Ferrell by Robert J. Saferstein
