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."
I don't know about anyone else, but I began to question this guy's motives the moment he used the occasion of his daughter's recovery to launch an idiotic rant against U.S. Congressman Sensenbrenner, criticizing him for failing to enact a nationwide Amber Alert system. Which was particularly bizarre in light of the fact that his daughter was found very close to her home, and had spent months walking around in public with a veil over her face.
I honestly don't care if they make a movie or write a book or not. It has no bearing on what has happened up to this point.
Although I have my severe doubts about an "abduction", I do not think this is the case. If so, they are incredibly stupid. Here's why: First, it would be eventually found out. Secondly, Emmanuel wouldn't fit in with a "planned" story. He would be going down for kidnapping and who knows what else. And lastly, the Smarts would face criminal charges for it, not to mention the fury of the American people.
Maybe not. The story I heard last week (which was confirmed by someone here on FR) was that none of the photos you see of Elizabeth were taken by media photographers -- they were taken by the family and sold to the media.
Well, if one of the Smart bashers here on FR said it, it must be true. Sheesh.
Neither would I. And even if I did, I would have at least taken the time to get the facts straight. My understanding is that the nationwide Amber Alert bill was passed in the House of Representative but has been held up in the Senate.
I think he thought he could help other missing children, and he realized he's never have another moment like that one to do it.
Funny how he neglected to mention the most relevant piece of advice he could have given in this regard -- Don't invite strangers into your home, ESPECIALLY FREAKS LIKE THIS MITCHELL GUY WHOSE VERY APPEARANCE IS NOTHING SHORT OF A "WARNING FLAG" TO ANYONE WITH AN I.Q. OVER 40.
I took the report seriously because the Freeper who confirmed it wasn't a "Smart basher" at all. In fact, he/she was trying to explain why they were doing this.
What I am worried about is the Smarts and their extended family being on camera, and letting slip something important about the abduction that would jeopardize the prosecution. I saw some interview the other night with Chris Smart, Ed's brother, and the interviewer asked him what he thought of Mitchell. Smart started to say Well...and then caught himself, and said he couldn't say anything on national TV. It was pretty evident what Chris Smart thought of Mitchell by the expression on his face.
My daughters are in college and they often wear braids. Elizabeth Smart is a really pretty girl and I do hope that her parents protect her from media manipulation. The new revelations about the jerk that kidnapped her is really giving me the creeps. She has been through horrors and I hope she can recover her peace of mind. Mitchell and Barzee are sickos. While I am not pleased with the parents for allowing lowlifes near their home and children they are not the bad guys in this story. They are to be praised for never giving up on their daughter's safe return.
And Smart's problem with this is . . . ?
And a nationwide Amber Alert system would have helped find a missing child who walked around in public and was found close to home by . . . ?
Someone get these people off the stage. They've had their 15 minutes and were lucky enough to get their daughter back in good physical condition.
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