Hartstone's script was featured in the 2014 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year. In mid June 2015, Reiner signed to direct, and Woody Harrelson was cast to play the lead role of 36th President of the United States of America. Ironically, Reiner and Harrelson disliked Lyndon B. Johnson immensely, primarily due to his stance on Vietnam. It was only after they'd delved more deeply into his life that they began to see the softer and insecure side of the man. During an interview on Charlie Rose, Harrelson said he had been offered to play the part in another biopic on Johnson and turned down the part, but when Reiner offered him the role in this movie, he couldn't turn down an offer to work with Reiner, calling it a great honor to work with him. Additionally, in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Harrelson said he called Bryan Cranston and asked for advice for the role. Bryan Cranston was also shooting his own Lyndon B. Johnson movie All the Way (2016) around the same time, and Cranston helped him by giving him advice and putting Harrelson in touch with people who knew Lyndon B. Johnson. By late September 2015, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Stahl-David, Richard Jenkins, Bill Pullman, and Jeffrey Donovan were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in December. Filming took place in Dallas, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Washington, District of Columbia. Harrelson had to undergo two hours of make-up application each morning, and one hour for removal in the evening. Makeup designer Arjen Tuiten said that transforming Harrelson into Lyndon B. Johnson was a difficult and frustrating experience, since Harrelson has a different shape of head compared to the former President. It therefore took hours each day to make Harrelson resemble LBJ, a process he didn't enjoy, and a result that Tuiten was not very happy with.
The film stars Harrelson, Leigh, Stahl-David, Jenkins, Pullman, and Donovan. The main characters aren't really explored and the supporting cast appear peripheral to the story. Harrelson's a joy to watch, as usual, although Leigh is given little to do as Ladybird Johnson, and Jenkins plays a stereotypical senator role best left in another decade. There's just not enough quality time invested in getting to know the characters for any of this to feel compelling.
I'm unsure who the film will really appeal to: It's a poor historical document; it's not nasty enough for people who hate Johnson and too nasty for the few still supporting him. The real problem here is false consciousness. Hartstone's didactic, sermonizing screenplay is hardly any less fantastical than the lies it seeks to condemn.
Simon says LBJ receives:
I'm unsure who the film will really appeal to: It's a poor historical document; it's not nasty enough for people who hate Johnson and too nasty for the few still supporting him. The real problem here is false consciousness. Hartstone's didactic, sermonizing screenplay is hardly any less fantastical than the lies it seeks to condemn.
Simon says LBJ receives:
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