A Perfect Candidate (1996)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: varies (limited) Running Length: 1:45 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Featuring Mark Goodin, Mark Merritt, Don Baker, Oliver North, Chuck Robb, and others Directors: R.J. Cutler and David Van Taylor Producers: R.J. Cutler and David Van Taylor Cinematography: Nicholas Dobb U.S. Distributor: Seventh Arts Releasing
"It's a choice between a devil and a demon... Which would you rather get, the flu or the mumps?" That's the way one disillusioned voter describes the 1994 Virginia Senate campaign between incumbent Democrat Chuck Robb (the son-in-law of Lyndon Johnson) and Republican Oliver North (the former lieutenant colonel best known for his involvement in Iran-Contra). A PERFECT CANDIDATE, directed and produced by documentarians R.J. Cutler and David Van Taylor, chronicles this race from the North camp's perspective, showing in frightening detail the insignificance of substance when it comes to getting someone elected. This is something that political cynics have long suspected. A PERFECT CANDIDATE (like the similarly-themed THE WAR ROOM, also produced by Cutler) demonstrates it.
A PERFECT CANDIDATE is fascinating, if more than a little depressing. And, coming in the midst of a Presidential campaign, its relevance is undeniable. The behind-the-scenes events of the Robb/North war aren't isolated incidents. They happen again and again, whether the election is local or national. The same kind of strategy meetings are going on right now, in both the Dole and the Clinton camps, as campaign managers and spin doctors fight to put the best face on their candidate's performance in the latest debate or poll. Elections are won on image, not facts.
In 1987, Oliver North became America's most infamous figure, attracting huge television ratings as he testified that he "intentionally misled" Congress. At the time, it was unthinkable that North could get elected to a local school board, never mind compete neck-and-neck for a U.S. Senate seat. But time has a way of rehabilitating everyone (look at what it did for President Nixon), and, by 1994, Oliver North was no longer a villain. In fact, if you believe his supporters, he arrived as a breath of fresh air -- a needed contrast to a Washington insider like Chuck Robb.
And Robb was vulnerable. A well-publicized liaison with a 19-year old named Tai Collins and a reputation for attending parties where guests engaged in drug abuse had marred his image. North, whose campaign was based on family values and fueled by the (white) religious right, chose to battle Robb on moral ground. Suddenly, Iran-Contra wasn't about lying to Congress and breaking the law, it was about saving the lives of American hostages held in Iran. Former captive David Jacobsen went to bat for North, making a moving TV commercial and stumping for him on the campaign trail. Polls showed the two candidates in a dead heat. The very real possibility existed that North might unseat Robb. The fact that he didn't in no way diminishes the importance of this film or what it has to say about American politics. Even those who disdain stepping into the voting booth will find much to mull over in Cutler and Taylor's film.
As Clinton isn't the main character in THE WAR ROOM, so neither North nor Robb take center stage in A PERFECT CANDIDATE. This film is about North's campaign strategist, Mark Goodin, a slick mover who manipulates the public to the point where North surges ahead in the polls. Goodin doesn't have the personality of a James Carville (Clinton's campaign manager in 1992), but he's just as intelligent. As the election approaches, he confides to the film makers that, in his opinion, all anyone cares about is the entertainment value of politics. Elections are about division, but governing is about consensus. Candidates are obsessed with the "show" of elections, not the presentation of serious solutions to important issues.
Other characters given significant screen time are campaign aide Mark Merritt and Washington Post reporter Don Baker. Baker's comments are especially noteworthy. He's a hard-bitten cynic who can't remember the last elected official he respected. Nevertheless, he finds North to be a compelling figure and a surprisingly skilled politician. He acknowledges North's charisma, while remaining convinced that he's a demagogue. Baker's indecision about North (he never reveals who he votes for) is indicative of the entire state's feelings, and the reason why Ollie's candidacy became viable.
I don't normally comment on the technical limitations of documentaries, but a problem with A PERFECT CANDIDATE deserves mention, because it is distracting. The movie was originally shot on video, then transferred to 35 mm film. As a result, the tops and bottoms of the 4:3 image have been cropped to fit a 1.85:1 screen. Unfortunately, this frequently causes the heads of speakers to be cut off. It's not a major problem, but it does create moments of consternation. Perhaps A PERFECT CANDIDATE will look better on TV (provided the original image is properly restored).
Framing problems aside, A PERFECT CANDIDATE is a startling, sad commentary about American politics. If nothing else, this film will bring an entirely new perspective to every move and countermove of the current election. I may not be allowed behind the scenes of Clinton/Dole (yet), but movies like A PERFECT CANDIDATE offer enough information to allow me to make some depressingly informed guesses.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
"We go away from our parents in youth and then we gradually come back to them; and in that moment, we have grown up." -- Ingmar Bergman
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