Charlie Wilson's War

R

Released Dec 21, 2007

1 hr. 42 min.

Drama

Comedy

List

82%

207 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In the 1980s U.S.Rep. Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), Texas socialite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) and CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) form an unlikely alliance to boost funding for Afghan freedom fighters in their war against invading Soviets. The trio's successful efforts to finance these covert operations contributes to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

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Critics Consensus

Charlie Wilson's War manages to entertain and inform audiences, thanks to its witty script and talented cast of power players.

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Carlos Javier P

Una buena pelicula, con buenas actuaciones y mejor cast. La historia bastante normalita pero interesante.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

Troy P

Hoffman and Hanks became the characters they portrayed from start to finish. Julia seemed to drag me immediately into remembering I'm just watching a movie. Thankfully the rest of the cast and the story are so good it's a must-watch movie whenever I come across it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/31/23

Full Review

Gareth v

A solid enough movie but considering the story it's trying to tell lacks some edginess. The writing is OK, Hanks is Hanks, but the shining light in this movie is Hoffman.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/16/23

Full Review

John H

A good movie with some good acting. Watching the show in 2023 after the disastrous pull out from Afghanistan this movie is an even greater tragedy. It shows how good intentions can have massively disastrous results.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/03/23

Full Review

ed w

Can't miss cast with must see history. Embellished for humor maybe, but a movie that had to be made & was exceptionally done, Hanks & Hoffman deliver.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/23

Full Review

Edward D

Sorkin, Hanks, and Hoffman are a perfect trio.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/12/23

Full Review

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Mike Nichols

Director

Tom Hanks

Charlie Wilson

Julia Roberts

Joanne Herring

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Gust Avrakotos

Amy Adams

Bonnie Bach

Ned Beatty

Doc Long

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Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - Afghanistan Refugee Camp

3:00

Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - Anti-Helicopter Light Missile

2:57

Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - The Day I Fell in Love with America

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Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - A Toast for the Vanquished

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Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - Belly Dancer Diplomacy

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Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - Bugging the Scotch

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Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - The Nerdy Kid in the White Shirt

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Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - Another Broken Window

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Charlie Wilson's War: Official Clip - The Sexiest Woman Ever

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Wilson? Enormously pleasurable company, since you ask. True, he's a lech, but such a gallant lech, plus he also gets irony.

Feb 2, 2018

Full Review

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

Hanks may at first seem like an unlikely choice to play a seasoned Texas playboy bachelor, but he's so ingratiating that he almost pulls it off.

Rated: B

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Hanks' performance as Wilson is tone-perfect, capturing both the public-servant seriousness and playboy rakishness of his character. And he does it without breaking a sweat.

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

A crackling satire about how insanely far political palm-greasing could go just 20 years ago. But its chilling closing quote succinctly sums up just how ideology, infantry and a political disinterest would come back to haunt our nation.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 9, 2023

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

It’s a smart and sophisticated piece of political comedy for grown-ups with sharp performances and a delightful anti-hero who embraces his imperfections and scandalous behavior with a wink and smile.

Apr 8, 2023

Full Review

Stephen Silver

The National Interest

An all-time great director, Hollywood’s hottest screenwriter, and a pair of the world’s biggest movie stars teamed up to make a movie about diplomacy, politics, statecraft, and covert war, one that's funny throughout (15th anniversary, 19Fortyfive.com

Rated: 4/5

Dec 27, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

In the 1980s U.S.Rep. Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), Texas socialite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) and CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) form an unlikely alliance to boost funding for Afghan freedom fighters in their war against invading Soviets. The trio's successful efforts to finance these covert operations contributes to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Director: Mike Nichols
Executive Producer: Celia D. Costas, Jeff Skoll, Ryan Kavanaugh
Screenwriter: Aaron Sorkin
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Playtone Productions
Rating: R (Some Drug Use|Nudity/Sexual Content|Strong Language)
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $66.6M
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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