Charlie Wilson's War

“A stiff drink. A little mascara. A lot of nerve. Who said they couldn't bring down the Soviet empire.”

How does a Texas congressman with a reputation for hot tubs and parties end up steering a secret war against the Soviet Union? It begins when Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is pushed by the socialite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) toward the Afghan fighters, and he teams up with a rumpled CIA operative, Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Mike Nichols plays it fast and light, keeping the jokes and the sharp talk running right up against the politics.