Smart Family Fields Book, Movie Offers (Isn't that Special!)

Yahoo News ^ | 3/17/03

[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."

[Jackie-O]

I've been staying off these threads because of the mean-spirited flames being thrown and the bashing of this poor victim, her family, their religion. I had no trouble noticing that the offers weren't solicited according to this article. Until anyone has walked in their shoes, experienced the 9 mos. of grief this family has, and the WHOLE story plays out, maybe people should wait to rip on this poor child! SHAME!!!

[spectre]

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.

It is perfectly clear that the pictures are copyrighted and sold...just look at the captions above EACH picture you see of Elizabeth on TV.

Since when is reporting "the truth" Smart bashing..."Sheesh" yourself!

sw

[Alberta's Child]

My comments might sound harsh, but something about this story didn't sound right even from the beginning. I refrained from all comments in that regard for the last eight months because it would have been in poor taste to do so with a missing child involved.

It's ironic, but the reality is that her safe return has prompted more questions than it has answered.

[dwilli]

Maybe i'm not being fair but something about the Smart
brothers has given me an uneasy feeling about their motivation. I'm not saying I think they are involved in
the crime. but their reactions to questions and developments in the case were sometimes strange to me.

[lady lawyer]

Agreed. Some of the people on this thread are as twisted and delusional as Mitchell/Emmanuel.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Her Dad is already in love with the camera

Daddy has given me the creeps since day one. I've never been able to put my finger on it other than his very soft, feminine and over-enunciated, platitudinous comments.......but something isn't right with that guy or that family. It's also a bit strange that mom is such a background character in this play.

I'm thrilled that Elizabeth is safe and her abductors are horrid, but her family seems noticeably abnormal.

[KneelBeforeZod]

the entire family have been media whores sinces she got back. the adults anyway. I think there are still some cousins that haven't been on tv. probably not though.

[Trust but Verify]

The bill passed the House during the last congress, but failed in the Senate due to lack of action by the Dems. Now, the Senate passed a stand-alone bill this January and it's in Sensenbrenners committee for only about a month. He want's to add stronger penalties for people who abduct children. You would think the Smarts would be all over that, wouldn't you? But maybe not....

[spectre]

Sorry. Lady lawyer. Tom Smart is making big money each time his photo's go public.

Wonder if they would have had to PAY each time her picture appeared on the air, BEFORE she was found? There IS a double standard here.

Not ragging on the kid, poor child...just her opportunistic relatives.

sw

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

It's ironic, but the reality is that her safe return has prompted more questions than it has answered.

Agreed. It's pretty difficult to deny it.

[valkyrieanne]

My 15-year-old daughter (the same age as Elizabeth) brought this up yesterday: "What if the family planned the whole thing in order to make a book and movie about it?"

I'd say your daughter had more brains in her pinky nail than a lot of adults...

[Utah Girl]

That the law hasn't been passed yet. It was passed last summer, and it has been stuck in the House, while Sensenbrenner tinkers with the bill. And no, the Amber Alert may not have helped find Elizabeth, but it has worked for other children being found. Sheesh, Smart get nailed for using the media and ignorning other missing children, he gets nailed for saying something about getting a law passed that will help other children. But I forget, you're the one who thinks the bill is stupid.

[Utah Girl]

I'm cutting them some slack, I don't know how I would react to having a child abducted.

[Jackie-O]

"as twisted and dilusional as Mitchell/Manny"

nuff-said!

[Utah Girl]

Lois Smart cried for 24 solid hours after she learned that her oldest daughter had been abducted. I'll never forget the interview on GMA the morning after the abduction, she and Ed were sitting on a couch, and someone asked her a question. She tried to talk, and couldn't, and just sat on the couch looking down, with her lip quivering the rest of the interview. Plus, Lois had to take care of five other children during this whole ordeal (their youngest child was three at the time of the abduction.) I don't know how any family would hold up under the public scrutiny, imagine having your child abducted, and then the media glare on you.

[george wythe]

Her Dad is already in love with the camera. A few acting lessons on how to cry on camera more convincingly, He might be in the cast.

Oh no! I want Kevin Spacey to play the dad.

KS played a dad in a movie about an American family, and he did such a great job. (I forgot the name of the movie)

[Hila]

The dad is playing so much to the camera, it won't surprise us that he would postulate himself to run for some political office. His demeanor is that of a person who wants others to look up to him, all the camera hogging is probably staged to launch a political campaign. People, do you see that intention?

[Utah Girl]

Smart Move?

How did Salt Lake City's Deseret News get the best family photos of the return of Elizabeth Smart?

Answer: Tom Smart, the 15-year-old's uncle and a family spokesman during her abduction, is a staff photographer. Editor John Hughes sees no problem, saying Smart is on leave and the pictures were made available to news outlets around the world. Photo Editor Ravell Call says that the photos will now be sold by Getty Images but that Smart plans to donate the proceeds to a children's fund.

"It's an odd situation," says Salt Lake Tribune Editor Jay Shelledy. He adds that the rival paper "pulled a lot of punches" last year when police gave Smart a polygraph test as a possible suspect and Smart proclaimed his innocence in the News. Hughes says that the story was fully reported and that the Tribune editors are "petty people" for not crediting Smart's photos to the News.

[Hildy]

Oy vay, one more time. The movie is going to happen. If it were me, I'd want to have some control over it so it doesn't make my poor daughter's life worse. I bet you a year's pay that the Smart's will take no money from this. They will doante it to some lost child charity. Why is it so hard for some of you to believe that these are good people who were thrown into extraordinary circumstances.

[mountaineer]

Kidnapped at knifepoint — allegedly by homeless drifter Brian David Mitchell

When did the gun become a knife? I'm purposely avoiding most of these Smart threads because I'm tired of being called names just because I ask questions, but I've yet to hear when this aspect of the case changed. Just curious.