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A Perfect Candidate

  • 19961996
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
275
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
A Perfect Candidate (1996)
  • Documentary
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 ensue... Read allThe 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 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.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
275
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • R.J. Cutler
    • David Van Taylor
  • Stars
    • Don Baker
    • Mark Goodin
    • Mark Merritt
Top credits
  • Directors
    • R.J. Cutler
    • David Van Taylor
  • Stars
    • Don Baker
    • Mark Goodin
    • Mark Merritt
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos

    A Perfect Candidate (1996)
    A Perfect Candidate (1996)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Don Baker
    • Self - Washington Postas Self - Washington Post
    Mark Goodin
    • Self - North Campaign Senior Strategistas Self - North Campaign Senior Strategist
    Mark Merritt
    • Self - Communications Directoras Self - Communications Director
    Peter Baker
    Peter Baker
    • Selfas Self
    Glen Bolger
    • Selfas Self
    Floyd Brown
    • Selfas Self
    Tim Carpenter
    • Selfas Self
    Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton
    • Selfas Self
    J. Marshall Coleman
    • Selfas Self
    • (as Marshall Coleman)
    David Demasters
    • Selfas Self
    • (as Dr. David Demasters)
    Warren Fiske
    • Selfas Self
    Mike Gooding
    • Self - Reporteras Self - Reporter
    David Jacobsen
    • Self - Former Hostageas Self - Former Hostage
    Laurie Kellman
    • Selfas Self
    David Lerman
    • Selfas Self
    G. Gordon Liddy
    G. Gordon Liddy
    • Selfas Self
    Mike Murphy
    • Self - Consultantas Self - Consultant
    Oliver North
    Oliver North
    • Selfas Self
    • Directors
      • R.J. Cutler
      • David Van Taylor
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Mike D'Angelo <mqd8478@is2.nyu.edu>
    • senate
    • virginia
    • reporter
    • campaign bus
    • u.s. senate
    • 15 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • In the voting booth, no one can hear you scream.
    • Genre
      • Documentary
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

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

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Striptease/Cold Fever/The Nutty Professor/A Perfect Candidate/Maybe, Maybe Not (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Democracy
      Written and Performed by Leonard Cohen

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    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.
    helpful•0
    0
    • gavin6942
    • Mar 12, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 19, 1996 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • PBS (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Key Theatre - 1222 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
    • Production company
      • Arpie Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $134,485
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $11,448
      • Jun 23, 1996
    • Gross worldwide
      • $134,485
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR

    Related news

    The 20 Best American Political Films of the Last 20 Years
    The 20 Best American Political Films of the Last 20 Years
    Jun 29Indiewire
    R.J. Cutler Inks First-Look Deal At Showtime, Will Produce Marlon Brando Documentary
    Apr 26Deadline TV

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