A Perfect Candidate (1996)

Directors:

R.J. Cutler
David Van Taylor

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

Oliver North for Senate? You don't know the half of it...

Plot:

The filmmakers follow Oliver North's unsuccessful 1994 bid for a Virginia Senate seat, focusing on North's campaign strategist...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Virginia | Politics | Political Primary | Ideologue

Cast

Don Baker	...	Himself - Washington Post
Mark Goodin	...	Himself - North Campaign Senior Strategist
Mark Merritt	...	Himself - Communications Director
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Clinton	...	Himself
J. Marshall Coleman	...	Himself (as Marshall Coleman)
David Jacobsen	...	Himself - Former Hostage
G. Gordon Liddy	...	Himself
Oliver North	...	Himself
Susan Platt	...	Herself - Robb Campaign Manager
Chuck Robb	...	Himself
Mark Walpole	...	Himself
Douglas Wilder	...	Himself

Directed by
R.J. Cutler
David Van Taylor

Produced by
R.J. Cutler	....	producer
Dan Partland	....	co-producer
Ted Skillman	....	co-producer
David Van Taylor	....	producer

Cinematography by
Nick Doob		(as Nicholas Doob)

Film Editing by
Mona Davis

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mona Davis	....	associate director

Sound Department
Ron S. Herbes	....	dialog & adr editor
Peter Reale	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Van Taylor	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Jonathan Mednick	....	additional camera
Dan Partland	....	additional camera
Peter Reniers	....	additional camera
Steve Schecter	....	additional camera (as Steven Schecter)

Editorial Department
Syndi Pilar	....	first assistant editor
Maia Wechsler	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Susan Emerling	....	researcher
Michael Luisi	....	legal services

Production Companies

• Arpie Films

Distributors

• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
• Seventh Art Releasing

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Filming Locations:

Key Theatre - 1222 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Arpie Films

Quotes:

Minority voter:You gotta decide what you wanta vote for, the flu or the measles.

Soundtrack:

Democracy

A Look Back At What Was

The filmmakers follow Oliver North's unsuccessful 1994 bid for a Virginia Senate seat, focusing on North's campaign strategist, Mark Goodin, and a Washington Post reporter. Mudslinging ensues.

The election was 1994, the film was made in 1996, and I watched it in 2013. As I could not vote until 1999 and am not from Virginia, this story is a little bit foreign to me. Of course I know who Oliver North is. Even those who do not know what Iran-Contra was have at least heard of it. The scandal has haunted and will continue to haunt North, and was a good part of why he did not make it to the Senate (though he did better than you might think).

The film works as a look back at politics and campaigns in the 1990s, and how they have changed. Even more interesting is how since this setback, North went on to reinvent himself (again) as a news commentator.