Recount is an 2008 made-for-TV movie about the 2000 Presidential election in the United States. This film is a political drama written by Danny Strong, directed by Jay Roach, and produced by Kevin Spacey (who also stars in the film).
Recount premiered on HBO on May 25, 2008. The DVD was released on August 19, 2008.[1]
Plot
Recount chronicles the 2000 United States Presidential Election Bush v. Gore case between Governor of Texas George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore. It begins with the election on November 7 and ends with the Supreme Court ruling which stopped the Florida election recount on December 12. Key points depicted include Gore's retraction of his personal telephone concession to Bush in the early hours of November 8; the decision by the Gore campaign to sue for hand recounts in Democratic strongholds where voting irregularities were alleged, especially in light of the statistical dead heat revealed by the reported machine recount; Republican pressure on Florida’s Secretary of State Katherine Harris in light of her legally mandated responsibilities; the attention focused on the hand recounts by media, parties, and the public; the two major announcements by Florida Supreme Court spokesman Craig Waters extending the deadline for returns in the initial recount (November 21, 2000) and ordering a statewide recount of votes (December 8, 2000), and later overturned by the United States Supreme Court; and finally the adversarial postures of the Supreme Courts of Florida and the United States, as well as the dissenting opinions amongst the justices of the higher court.
Production
Director
In April 2007, it was announced that Sydney Pollack was going to be the film's director;[2] by August, weeks away from the start of principal photography, Pollack withdrew from the project due to a then-undisclosed illness.[3] Pollack died of cancer on May 26, 2008, one day after Recount premiered on HBO.[4] Director Jay Roach replaced Pollack.
Filming
The film was filmed mostly in Tallahassee, Florida. Many scenes were shot in city hall, the federal courthouse, and in front of the Florida Capitol building. Other scenes were shot on location on November 3 and 4, 2007, inside the actual courtroom of the Florida Supreme Court Building and outside its front exterior in Tallahassee, Florida. Some scenes were filmed in Jacksonville, Florida This was the first time a Chief Justice of Florida, in this case R. Fred Lewis at the request of Craig Waters, granted permission for the filming of a major motion picture on the Court's property.[5]
Cast
Reception
Awards and nominations
2008 Emmy Awards:
- Won: Outstanding Made-For-Television Movie
- Won: Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Jay Roach)
- Won: Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie
- Nominated: Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie
- Nominated: Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
- Nominated: Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie [Spacey, Wilkinson]
- Nominated: Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie [Balaban, Leary]
- Nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
- Nominated: Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
2008 American Film Institute Awards
- Won: Best television programs[6]
2009 66th Golden Globe Awards:
- Won: Laura Dern - Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Film
- Nominated: Denis Leary- Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Film
- Nominated: Tom Wilkinson- Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Film
- Nominated: Kevin Spacey- Best Actor in Mini-Series or TV Film
- Nominated: Best Mini Series or TV Film
2009 Directors Guild of America Award:
- Won: Jay Roach - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television/Miniseries
2009 Writers Guild of America Award:
Reviews
Recount received an 80% rating from Top Critics at Rotten Tomatoes (8 fresh and 2 rotten reviews)[7] and an overall rating of 76% from all critics (13 fresh and 4 rotten reviews).[8] Mark Moorman of Het Parool, gave the film a rating of four stars on a scale of five, calling Recount an "amazing and funny reconstruction".[9]
Response to fictionalization
Some criticized the movie for its mixture of fact with fiction. In an interview with CNN's Reliable Sources, director Jay Roach stated in response that the film, "wasn't 100 percent accurate, but it was very true to what went on. . . . That's what dramatizations do: stitch together the big ideas with, sometimes, constructs that have to stand for a larger truth." Roach cited All the President's Men as an example.[10] Jake Tapper, an ABC newscaster who was a consultant for the film also stated in response that the film is "a fictional version of what happened" and "tilts to the left because it's generally told from the point of view of the Democrats."[10] The Washington Post further stated that Tapper noted that "while some scenes and language are manufactured, 'a lot of dialogue is not invented, a lot of dialogue is taken from my book, other books and real life.' "[10]
Warren Christopher, who was sent by Gore to supervise the recount, has objected to his portrayal in the film. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Christopher:
| “ |
...has not seen the film, but he read transcripts of scenes featuring his character, who is portrayed as a high-minded but naive statesman. In one scene, Christopher, played by John Hurt, suggests to former Secretary of State James Baker - who was spearheading Bush's Florida legal team - that they try to resolve the recount through 'diplomacy and compromise.' 'That's absurd,' Christopher says. 'Both Baker and I knew this would be a fight to the end that only one side could win.' |
” |
Baker agreed that the film exaggerated his rival's stance: 'He's not that much of a wuss.' said Matea Gold of the San Jose Mercury News[11]
Democratic strategist Michael Whouley has objected to the amount of swearing he does in the film, and was also uncomfortable with a scene involving a broken chair.
In contrast, Bush legal advisers James Baker and Benjamin Ginsberg have largely given the film good reviews; Baker even hosted his own screening of it, though he does refer to the film as a "Hollywood rendition" of what happened.[11]
Gallery
Craig Waters talks with reporters before oral arguments, December 7 2000
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| Photo of actor Alex Staggs taken during filming on location for HBO Movie "Recount", November 3 2007, portraying Craig Waters
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The actual Florida Supreme Court listens to December 7 2000, arguments
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HBO reenacts the December 7 argument during filming November 4 2007
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References
External links
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