Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 9, 1994 TAG: 9403100029
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Actually, you don't need Oliver Stone's (or the National Inquirer's) insight to recognize an intriguing tale:
Two dashing ex-Marine officers. Two national celebrities - one by virtue of a White House ritual (an exchange of oaths with a president's daughter, later allegedly betrayed); the other, by virtue of a congressional ritual (testimony under oath about oaths of office allegedly betrayed).
One who's under a cloud of controversy over past social behavior, what he calls "peccadillos." One who has been called "an accomplished liar."
One whose rallying cry is: Accused, but not indicted. The other whose rallying cry is: Convicted, but freed on a technicality.
The filmmakers, R. J. Cutler and David Van Taylor, predict a movie featuring Robb and North as themselves might make for another surprise hit like "The War Room," which chronicled behind-the-scenes plotting in President Clinton's '92 campaign. (``The War Room," of which Cutler was a producer, has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.)
Says Van Taylor: A Robb-North race "is going to represent a struggle for the moral identity of Virginia. This is a particularly cogent example of how the culture wars get worked out in the electorate ... . Constitutional and moral implications will be tossed around. People will be articulating what they think about America and why, and the relationship among family and nation and government."
Not to dampen the creative spirit and enthusiasm, of course. But Robb, the incumbent, still has to get past Democratic challenger Sylvia Clute in the June primary for their party's nomination. And Jim Miller seems to be doing better than most expected in the GOP nomination contest.
Would a Clute-Miller Senate race have any box-office appeal? Don't be silly. They're too clean. What kind of classic morality play could there be between good and good? They'd probably even run clean campaigns, on the issues. Who'd pay $5 to $10 (depending on the price of popcorn) to watch that?
No, a Robb-North showdown is clearly Virginia's best shot to go Hollywood this year.
When the flick hits the theaters, just make sure to leave the kids at home.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB