First Lady Says She Admires Clinton
By
, Media General News Service
Published: Tue, May 13, 2008 - 10:41 am
Last Updated: Tue, May 13, 2008 - 10:44 am
Last Updated: Tue, May 13, 2008 - 10:44 am
The upcoming flick is billed as a behind-the-scenes ride along the twists and turns of the controversial presidential vote recount that landed George W. Bush in the White House over Al Gore.
The movie opens with voters confused on Election Day — Nov. 7, 2000 — about which hole to punch because of the ballot's two-page "butterfly" design.
The plot, which mixes fact with fiction, winds through 36 days of American drama ending with the U.S. Supreme Court effectively stopping the recount in its tracks.
HBO says the film is a fascinating look at "larger than life personalities" and the "human drama of characters involved in the chain of events that would determine the leadership of the country." And quite a cast of characters they are:…
Laura Dern as Katherine Harris
The actress known for her roles in "Blue Velvet" and "Jurassic Park" takes on the role of the oft-lampooned former Florida secretary of state who tried to call the state's presidential primary for Bush. Her portrayal comes complete with the eye-popping wardrobes and makeup that helped Harris get the most out the intense national exposure she seemed to savor. Harris went on to be elected to two terms in Congress but then lost a 2006 bid to unseat Florida's Democratic senator, Bill Nelson.John Hurt as Warren Christopher
Hurt got a Best Actor Oscar nomination for "The Elephant Man," a guy who occasionally had to play docile to avoid being beaten up by bullies. But in portraying former Secretary of State Christopher, who supervised Gore's team in Florida, Hurt shows someone who really was — at least in this matter — too often hesitant and overly diplomatic. Christopher returned to California, where he remains a senior partner at a Los Angeles area law firm.Tom Wilkinson as James Baker III
Wilkinson seems to be everywhere nowadays, portraying Benjamin Adams in the recent HBO miniseries "John Adams" and getting an Oscar nomination as a lawyer-gone-awry in "Michael Clayton." Baker, the chief legal adviser for Bush's campaign, is portrayed as a political brawler whose loud and frequent message to the media was that Bush had won in Florida, clear and simple. Behind closed doors, however, Baker fretted over what would happen if the Supreme Court did not intervene to stop the recount. Today, Baker is a senior partner in a law firm.Matt Miller as Gov. Jeb Bush
Miller's list of screen credits is not long, and his personal blog details struggles to land parts in films, TV shows and ads, and industrial videos. But he is a ringer for President Bush's little brother. "Even though it's small, I am still very excited. Every job is a huge victory!" Miller wrote when he landed the bit role, requiring just one day of shooting. On Election Eve 2000, George Bush famously told Gore his governor-brother had advised that the networks were correctly calling Florida for him. "Your little brother," Gore replied prophetically, "is not the ultimate authority on this." Jeb Bush left office Jan. 2, 2007, because of term limits.
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