CBS Movie of the Weak: "Schindlers Dissed"

WorldNetDaily ^ | 4-4-05 | Doug Powers

[WrightOnTarget]

It had to happen. CBS (and probably everybody else) is planning a movie on the life and execution of Terri Schiavo. The movie will need to be put together quick, dirty ... and without much time for research. Fortunately for CBS, they've got recent experience in doing just that. The network hopes to have the film finished in time for airing during the May sweeps.

My first thought was: "Here we go again." TV network movies that address the political or spiritual are often embarrassing at best, sacrilegious at worst, insultingly compromising at medium.

There have been attempts at "made for television" movies which tackle biblical stories, such as Noah's Ark. What may begin as an honest attempt at retelling a story from the Bible often turns into a ratings quest complete with a boatload of ancillary characters exploring their sexualities, getting their shirts wet a lot, and, most importantly, making shallow and mindless social statements in a cheap attempt to forward a liberal Hollywood political agenda. Combine that with some cute animals and you end up with a promo along the lines of "Climb aboard for the excitement!"

To most high-level network TV movie producers, the only difference between "Noah's Ark" and "The Love Boat" is that wardrobe needs to come up with some sandals and sackcloth robes for Gopher and Doc, and Charo needs to learn to say "coochie coochie" in Hebrew.

A few years ago, CBS aired "Jesus: The Miniseries." There are three things for certain whenever a TV network does a movie about Jesus: 1) It will probably get high ratings due to sheer curiosity, 2) It will contain more factual errors than Willie Nelson's tax return, and, 3) Jesus will look like he fell off a Lynyrd Skynyrd album cover.

Not too long after "Jesus: The Miniseries," CBS tried their hand at the political, attempting to tell the story of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It was an unmitigated disaster that – due to public outcry and sponsor pullouts – didn't end up on the network, but was instead sold to, and aired on, Showtime. The script for the Reagan movie was pulled from the same liberal bilge tank that will soon belch out the Schiavo script.

Starring as Ronald Reagan was the spouse of the woman suffering from terminal political dysplasia – the man who is otherwise known as Mr. Barbra Streisand – James Brolin. The CBS portrayal of Reagan and his presidency made "Rainman" look Churchillian by comparison, while Reagan's face resembled a teenage Boy George who found out where mom's been hiding the rouge.

While the movie was in production, CBS insisted it would be "from a very fair point of view." In addition to the actors being from the left side of the aisle, the producers were confessed liberals, and CBS Chairman Les Moonves is a Democrat. Just think what they would say if Roger Ailes announced that he'd hired Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity to write a movie about the life of Bill Clinton. Would they believe a statement from Ailes that the movie would be from a "very fair point of view"?

The Reagan movie – much of it bashing what they portrayed as an aloof president and his puppeteer wife – was set to air during November sweeps. That way, CBS could have raked in the most money belittling the "decade of greed."

The same, or at least very similar, people who made the aforementioned examples will, in some way or another, be involved in the movie about the Terri Schiavo tragedy. Given the makeup of the mainstream media backing the movie, and the Hollywood types who will be writing and shooting the movie, even with input from "both sides," does anybody really expect a "pro-Schindler" position to get a fair shake?

As for the cast, the toughest thing for an actor will be portraying "right to murder" attorney, George Felos – a role that will require plenty of preparation. An actor playing Felos will have to constantly practice delivering cold and ridiculous lines, such as describing someone who's been starving and dehydrating for two weeks as "never more beautiful" and "peaceful." If this is a method actor, he'll probably have to undergo compunction bypass surgery to prepare for the role, along with dehumanizing himself by looking at pictures of liberated concentration camp victims and describing them as "svelte."

The truth surrounding this tragedy must be told, but, as history shows, the odds that it will be told by a network television "Movie of the Week" are slim to none.

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[writer33]

It's all art. We must explore the boundaries of art.

:) Denote sarcasm.