Vice (2018) Plot Summary Explained

Bush selected Cheney because he needed an experienced political operator who could handle "mundane" executive duties like energy and foreign policy. Bush intended to focus on continuing his father's legacy, leaving the actual governance to Cheney. This arrangement gave Cheney unprecedented power as Vice President, allowing him to shape major policy decisions while appearing to operate behind the scenes.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Cheney's rise through the Nixon and Ford administrations established his talent for operating in the background while gaining influence.

• cheney
• bush
• running mate
• vice president
• 2000 election
• political deal

Cheney dropped out of Yale due to alcoholism and poor academic performance in 1963. His girlfriend Lynne pushed him to turn his life around, and he eventually found steady work as a lineman in Wyoming. This transformation planted the seeds for his later ambition, Lynne's intelligence and drive directly motivated Cheney to pursue politics, giving him the discipline and drive that propelled him from a White House intern to one of the most powerful Vice Presidents in American history.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Lynne's ambitions and intellect were instrumental in pushing Cheney toward success.

• alcoholism
• yale
• cheney
• lynn cheney
• wyoming
• career change

In 1969, as a White House intern, Cheney overheard Henry Kissinger and Nixon discussing the secret bombing of Cambodia. This moment revealed to Cheney the enormous power of the executive branch to make consequential decisions without public oversight. It fundamentally shaped his belief in strong presidential authority and set the ideological foundation for his later advocacy of the unitary executive theory.

Foreshadowing: This early exposure to covert presidential power foreshadows Cheney's later support for expansive executive powers during the War on Terror.

• cambodia
• bombing
• kissinger
• nixon
• white house
• secret
• executive power

Cheney negotiated unprecedented control over executive duties when accepting the VP role, specifically taking charge of energy policy and foreign policy. Rather than a ceremonial position, he used this arrangement to wield substantial influence over the Bush administration's most consequential decisions, particularly the War on Terror. His experience as Secretary of Defense and his relationships with figures like Donald Rumsfeld allowed him to shape military and intelligence operations.

Foreshadowing: The 2000 campaign negotiation explicitly established that Cheney would handle substantive policy areas, not typical VP duties.

• vice president
• power
• cheney
• bush administration
• executive authority
• war on terror

After the September 11 attacks, Cheney and Rumsfeld aggressively advocated for invading both Afghanistan and Iraq. They argued that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and had ties to terrorist organizations. Cheney framed the invasions as necessary for American security, though the film portrays their push as partly driven by longstanding political ambitions and ideological goals rather than purely security concerns.

Foreshadowing: Cheney's earlier experience as Secretary of Defense during the Gulf War and his hawkish foreign policy stance under Reagan established his predisposition toward military intervention.

• iraq war
• afghanistan
• rumsfeld
• cheney
• weapons of mass destruction
• 9/11
• invasion

The Plame affair was a 2003 scandal where Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame to journalists. The leak was an act of retaliation against Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, who had criticized the Bush administration's justifications for the Iraq War. The scandal raised questions about the administration's ethics and accountability.

Foreshadowing: The film's portrayal of Libby and Cheney's close working relationship establishes the context for how this leak occurred.

• plame
• cia
• libby
• scooter libby
• leak
• whistleblower
• cheney administration

In 2006, while quail hunting in Texas, Cheney accidentally shot Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old attorney, during a shooting accident. The incident became controversial because the White House delayed publicly disclosing it for nearly 24 hours. Whittington survived but suffered a heart attack from the injury. The accident highlighted questions about Cheney's conduct and transparency.

• shooting
• hunting
• accident
• whittington
• texas
• cheney

When Mary Cheney came out as a lesbian in the 1990s, Cheney reconsidered his political future to protect her from media scrutiny. This personal moment influenced his decision to leave politics temporarily and become CEO of Halliburton. Later, his daughter Liz's political campaign against same-sex marriage created a significant family divide, particularly as Liz pursued a Senate seat while advocating positions contrary to Mary's rights.

Foreshadowing: The film shows Cheney's protective instinct toward Mary, which temporarily altered his career trajectory.

• mary cheney
• coming out
• lesbian
• same sex marriage
• liz cheney
• family
• daughter

The film presents a false epilogue showing Cheney enjoying a healthy, happy retirement with his family, suggesting he lived a long, peaceful life. This is suddenly interrupted when the narrative resumes, revealing this was misleading, Cheney actually dies in a traffic accident while jogging after another health crisis. This narrative trick underscores the film's theme of how political figures' legacies are often presented in overly favorable light.

• false epilogue
• death
• cheney
• jogging
• accident
• deception
• legacy

Despite her sister Mary being a lesbian, Liz Cheney launched a political campaign that included opposing same-sex marriage while running for Senate in Wyoming. This created a major family rift, with Liz publicly advocating against the rights of her own sister. The film portrays this as a cynical political move to appeal to conservative voters, highlighting the tension between Cheney's protective instinct toward Mary and Liz's political ambitions.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene of Mary coming out creates dramatic irony when Liz's political positions are revealed.

• liz cheney
• same sex marriage
• wyoming
• senate
• family rift
• political campaign
• mary cheney

In the film, Cheney dies in a traffic accident while jogging after experiencing another health crisis. His transplanted heart then goes to another person by March 2012. The film uses this dark irony to suggest that even in death, Cheney's legacy lives on in others, though the scene is presented with the film's characteristic satirical tone, questioning whether he deserved such a second chance.

Foreshadowing: Cheney's recurring health problems throughout the film build toward this final moment.

• heart transplant
• death
• accident
• jogging
• health
• cheney

In the film's defiant final moment, Cheney breaks the fourth wall and asserts he holds no regrets over his decisions as Vice President. This chilling conclusion suggests either genuine lack of remorse or deliberate refusal to acknowledge the consequences of his actions. The statement encompasses the Iraq War, the torture program, the Plame affair, and other controversial decisions, leaving viewers with an unsettling portrait of unapologetic political power.

• ending
• fourth wall
• no regrets
• cheney
• iraq war
• torture
• accountability

The chaotic mid-credits scene shows a focus group in turmoil as people debate the film they just watched and discuss the latest Fast and Furious movie. This absurd, comedic conclusion reinforces the film's satirical tone, suggesting that audiences may engage more passionately with action entertainment than with serious political criticism, and that the real Cheney remains difficult to pin down or judge definitively.

• mid credits
• focus group
• fast and furious
• satire
• audience
• confusion