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I for one would love to read James Vanderbilt's forthcoming screen adaptation of "Truth And Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power," the 2005 book by former CBS News producer Mary Mapes about the big 60 Minutes II brouhaha that hurt CBS news anchor Dan Rather when he and Mapes produced a story four years ago about President George W. Bush's...er, activities in the Texas Air National Guard. It eventually led to Mapes getting bounced from the network and Rather taking an early retirement.
"This was a corporate, political, and public relations operation," Mapes has been quoted saying by the N.Y. Observer, "designed to take the heat off and allow Viacom to walk away unscathed, unencumbered by lingering anger from the White House or the various Republican-dominated committees that the corporation lobbied constantly."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 22, 2008 at 2:11 PM
comment #1
BurmaShave says ...
Jesus, a TV movie if I've ever heard of one. Vanderbilt is obviously talented, but I dont' see cinematic potential in this at all, especially when Dan Rather is about the least appealing character of all time.
Posted by BurmaShave at July 22, 2008 2:23 PM
comment #2
4th grade army says ...
What ever happened to Vanderbilt's Against All Enemies? Is that still happening? A phenomenal script...
Posted by 4th grade army at July 22, 2008 2:46 PM
comment #3
Richardson says ...
"but I dont' see cinematic potential in this at all"
I assume they think it's just like 'The Insider'.
Posted by Richardson at July 22, 2008 2:50 PM
comment #4
SaveFarris says ...
Who's going to play Lucy Ramirez?
Posted by SaveFarris at July 22, 2008 2:53 PM
comment #5
LYT says ...
They should get Steven Seagal to play Little Green Footballs blogger Charles Johnson.
Posted by LYT at July 22, 2008 2:59 PM
comment #6
Mgmax says ...
Who's going to play Microsoft Word in 1974?
Posted by Mgmax at July 22, 2008 3:13 PM
comment #7
nemo says ...
Who's going to play the guy who purged all of Bush's Air National Guard records?
Posted by nemo at July 22, 2008 4:20 PM
comment #8
Michael says ...
@ nemo:
Presumably, himself...or his son, maybe. Of course, they have the benefit of actually existing.
Unlike Lucy Ramirez, or Microsoft Word in 1974.
Posted by Michael at July 22, 2008 4:42 PM
comment #9
nemo says ...
Better yet, who's going to play Ben Barnes and General James Rose?
General Rose moved Bush to the front of the waiting list at the request of Barnes (former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and Lieutenant Governor of Texas), even though Bush received the minimum passing score on on the pilot entrance aptitude test and had no other qualifications (well, none beyond being a son of the Texas aristocracy).
Posted by nemo at July 22, 2008 4:44 PM
comment #10
Josh Massey says ...
Whose going to play the $14.50 this would make at the box office?
Posted by Josh Massey at July 22, 2008 5:00 PM
comment #11
Josh Massey says ...
Goddamnit, "who's." That's what I get for trying to be snarky.
Posted by Josh Massey at July 22, 2008 5:01 PM
comment #12
Mgmax says ...
Oh my God, the young George W. Bush was a slacker! My faith in him is destroyed.
Fortunately I had none in CBS, so none of their absurd partisan credulity surprised me.
Posted by Mgmax at July 22, 2008 5:45 PM
comment #13
Count Thread says ...
The only way this would be a good (and accurate) film is if they took Mapes book, and proceeded to do everything the exact opposite.
Seriously, the "story" here *is* an interesting one-- it's the story of how a bunch of over-the-hill insulated and incestuous journalists decided in their own hubris to stop doing reporting and start accepting a B.S. tale simply because it fit their preconceived narrative. Bush is a rich-boy idiot, ergo, he must have gotten special treatment from the TANG.
Alas, as Mgmax reminds us all, there was no Microsoft Word back then.
The only enjoyable part of the film will be the actor playing Dan Rather realizing he just got played for a fool. . . and still not giving a damn about it, and instead digging his own grave ever deeper. THAT'S a great story.
Too bad it's not in Mapes book, and it won't be in the movie.
Posted by Count Thread at July 22, 2008 8:56 PM
comment #14
D.Z. says ...
Count: "Seriously, the "story" here *is* an interesting one-- it's the story of how a bunch of over-the-hill insulated and incestuous journalists decided in their own hubris to stop doing reporting and start accepting a B.S. tale simply because it fit their preconceived narrative."
But when it's about uranium, it's fine and dandy.
"Bush is a rich-boy idiot, ergo, he must have gotten special treatment from the TANG."
Well, he actually did get special treatment, given that he got a honorable discharge, even though he'd been gone from service for a year to help his campaign, even though war in which he could get drafted was still going on at the time....
Posted by D.Z. at July 22, 2008 10:05 PM
comment #15
Mgmax says ...
"Well, he actually did get special treatment, given that he got a honorable discharge, even though he'd been gone from service for a year to help his campaign, even though war in which he could get drafted was still going on at the time...."
Do you have any documents to back up this claim?
Posted by Mgmax at July 23, 2008 4:33 AM
comment #16
D.Z. says ...
http://www.hermes-press.com/dishonorable.htm
http://archive.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=326
Posted by D.Z. at July 23, 2008 1:07 PM
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