Posted on 03/17/2003 9:21:09 AM PST by areafiftyone
SALT LAKE CITY - Hollywood loves a gripping saga, especially one with a happy — and astonishing — ending like the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping. So it's no surprise that in the five days since the kidnapped teen returned home, the family's spokesman has fielded more than 3,000 media calls and received nearly 100 film, book or made-for-TV-movie proposals.
The potential audience for a real-life drama is enormous, if hits to the Smart family Web site are any indication. In the first hours after Elizabeth was found alive and returned home Wednesday, more than 3 million people had visited the site.
Her story, outlined by investigators, is a screenwriter's dream: Kidnapped at knifepoint — allegedly by homeless drifter Brian David Mitchell — Elizabeth lived with the self-proclaimed prophet and his wife Wanda Barzee for nine months.
Family members say she was so brainwashed she didn't try to escape, even when she had the chance.
Sharp-eyed witnesses recognized Mitchell and called police Wednesday. The suspects were arrested, Elizabeth was returned home, and people across the country rejoiced.
Mitchell and Barzee remained in jail Sunday awaiting charges, which could come as early as Monday.
Chris Thomas, a spokesman for parents Ed and Lois Smart, said they will begin to review production offers in the next few weeks.
"It's something that they're going to deal with soon. They're trying to figure this all out — it comes down to let someone else tell the story, or tell it themselves," Thomas said.
USA, ABC, NBC, CBS and Lifetime are all reportedly interested in obtaining rights to the story.
"It really covers the broad spectrum. I haven't looked at all of them, and I don't want to disclose specific names and studios or other entities, but we've been contacted by some really big names," said Thomas.
Rumors that John Walsh, host of the television show "America's Most Wanted," has been pushing Ed Smart for a production deal are false, said Thomas. Walsh has interviewed the father for his show and the two became close after Elizabeth's disappearance.
"It came up in a discussion between Ed and John, when Ed was asking John for advice on a number of things. John said, 'I'm not even going to go there. I've read rumors that I've got the inside source on this. I do have a production company and if you're interested you can talk to me, but I'm not pitching you. That would be a really tacky thing to do in my capacity,'" Thomas said.
Thomas said the family has not begun to consider a price, because they haven't decided yet whether to go along with any production, movie or book.
"Right now, their main focus is on Elizabeth and books and movies and exterior things are secondary," he said. "The family is being very calculated in every action, and weighing the pros and cons of everything with the predominant priority being Elizabeth's well-being."
Got to be a "mini-series" with all those relatives to interview.
sw
Red
From Friday's edition of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Sensitive Politicians
The Washington, D.C., office of Rep. James Sensenbrenner was barraged Thursday with hundreds of calls from people nationwide after Ed Smart publicly called out the Wisconsin Republican and challenged him to stop holding up the Amber Alert measure in a broader bill pending in the House Judiciary Committee. The measure sets up a nationwide child-disappearance alert system among law enforcement agencies.
When we called asking for a response from Sensenbrenner regarding Smart's plea, the congressman's Judiciary Committee press secretary, Terry Shawn, said, "I just want him [Smart] to quit crying [on TV]."
There is going to be books and movies made about this with or without the Smart's approval. If the family exercises a little control of the project they may be able to spare Elizabeth some of the trauma. Also, if the family directs the profits to trust funds for their children and to charitable causes then I see nothing wrong with it. Their children have all suffered because of this ordeal. Everybody who is jumping on the Smarts for this are acting prematurely. One thing is certain on the free republic, there are always plenty of people willing to criticize the Smart Family.
Ahhhhh, shucks, Calce. You mean you're in the scriptwriting biz, and you can't come up with a scenario where Liz might have runaway with some believability? YOU, the person who had all of believing in your imaginary or virtual marriage to Anse? C'mon, now. Maybe you're too sympathetic with your character.
It had failed because of a Democrat Congress, and now it is being held up because of the language. They apparently do not want the sickle to come down on the head of these perps.
James Sensenbrenner on t.v., addressing Ed Smart in a televised conference, said (paraphrased) " We would invite you to work WITH us, not ATTACK us ". I can try to find that, but I don't know right where to look for it. I saw it tho when it happened. I do hope that the language will be adopted and the law is tough on the offender. Don't you ?
As to the spokesman's remark. I have no knowlege about that, but I would take it to mean that what Mr. Smart did in addressing the Congressman and saying "Blood of the children" would be on HIM...was very upsetting to the office of the Congressman.
Jim Sensenbrenner is about as fine a man as you will fine in the Congress. The crying part...maybe what he meant was the fact that Mr. Smart was crying (?) and then all of a sudden looked up and was angry, and started his rant on the Congressman. Maybe that is what he meant. It was pretty disoriented. I thought his anger could have been more understood by being livid that this scum degenerate, homeless, wacko had taken his daughter !
It amazes me how people will blindly believe things without checking them first and pick up a phone and lambast a man who has worked hard for this Bill before checking it out.
Ed needs to apologise to Congressman Sensenbrenner.
I don't. I think she ran away from her goofy as*ed dad and mom.
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