Genre:
History
Release Date: 01/01/2001
Distributor/Studio: First Run Features
A Perfect Candidate documents the 1994 Virginia senate campaign of
Oliver North. Filmmakers
R.J. Cutler (
The War Room) and
David Van Taylor (
Dream Deceivers) take a look at
North and his main opponent,
Chuck Robb, but focus most of their attention on
North's ruthless campaign strategists,
Mark Goodin and
Mark Merritt, and on
Don Baker, a cynical
Washington Post reporter who covers the campaign.
North runs as a right-wing Christian candidate, and makes his professed faith a major campaign issue. While his handlers compare
North to
Elvis, and the candidate compares himself to Jesus on one occasion,
Baker refers to
North as a demagogue.
North constantly faces tough questions about his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. On the one hand, he claims to want to set the record straight, and his campaign recruits former hostage
David Jacobsen to vouch for
North's good intentions. On the other hand,
North constantly prevaricates about lying to Congress, for which he was convicted of perjury.
Robb, meanwhile, deals with a political scandal caused by his personal indiscretions, and can't seem to take a stand on any particular issue. His campaign seems based entirely on what an awful choice his opponent would be. The film follows the campaign as independent candidate (and former Democratic governor of Virginia)
Doug Wilder first challenges his long-time rival,
Robb, then gives in to the will of the party (manifested by a visit from
Bill Clinton) and drops out of the race to help defeat
North.
Goodin, who faced a political scandal of his own while working for the
Reagan White House, is surprisingly forthright with the filmmakers about the political process, at one point admitting, "We provide entertainment, not solutions."
~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
;)
