2018 • Christian Bale
Summary
Vice traces Dick Cheney’s remarkable rise from a Yale dropout and congressional intern to arguably the most powerful Vice President in American history. The film covers his mentorship under Donald Rumsfeld, his role in the Ford administration, and especially his dominant influence in the George W. Bush White House after 9/11 — shaping policy on the Iraq War, enhanced interrogation techniques, surveillance, and the expansion of executive power.
Dramatizations & Historical Liberties
1. Cheney as the true power behind a weak President Bush
The film’s central thesis strongly suggests Cheney was the real decision-maker, with Bush as a figurehead. In reality, while Cheney was extremely influential, George W. Bush was the final decision-maker on major policies including the Iraq invasion.
2. Multiple completely invented private conversations
The movie features numerous key scenes — including private strategy sessions with President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld, intimate moments with his wife Lynne, and Cheney’s direct-to-camera narration — that were entirely invented by director Adam McKay for dramatic and satirical effect.
3. Dramatized push for the Iraq War and torture program
The film heavily simplifies and dramatizes the internal debates over invading Iraq and approving enhanced interrogation techniques. It portrays Cheney as the aggressive driving force behind these policies, with far less opposition from others than actually existed.
4. The Halliburton war profiteering implication
The movie strongly implies Cheney pushed for war partly to benefit his former company Halliburton. While the company did receive major contracts, the direct causal link is significantly overstated.
5. Compression of timelines and career events
Cheney’s early political career, multiple heart attacks, and key periods in the Bush administration are heavily condensed and rearranged for pacing.