From the ACLU, this is at Liberty.

I'm Emerson Sykes, a staff attorney here at the ACLU and your host.

This week, we're joined by filmmaker Adam McKay,

a veteran of the comedy world.

McKay's credits include Saturday Night Live, Funny or Die, and The Big Short.

Today we'll be talking to him about his latest film, Vice, which he wrote and directed,

and has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director,

and Best Original Screenplay.

Vice tells the story of Dick Cheney, as played by Christian Bale, during his journey from college dropout to becoming the most powerful and probably the most controversial

vice president in American history. We'll discuss why he chose to tell this story now, and Cheney's

legacy, 10 years after the end of the George W. Bush administration. Adam, thanks very much for

joining us today.

Welcome to the podcast.

Thanks, Emerson.

Very good to be here.

The question I wanted to start off with is, how did you decide to tell this story now?

What drew you to the story of Dick Cheney?

You know, I had finished up doing the big short, and we had done all the publicity tour and the award shows.

And that thing happened that our bodies tend to do where all of a sudden I just got really sick for like two and a half weeks.

I had a nasty flu.

And I started looking at bookshelves.

You know, people give you books through the years and some of them.

...