A Perfect Candidate (1996)

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 ... See full summary »

Directors:

R.J. Cutler, David Van Taylor

Stars:

Don Baker, Mark Goodin, Mark Merritt

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Don Baker	...	Himself - Washington Post
Mark Goodin	...	Himself - North Campaign Senior Strategist
Mark Merritt	...	Himself - Communications Director
Peter Baker	...	Himself
Glen Bolger	...	Himself
Floyd Brown	...	Himself
Tim Carpenter	...	Himself
Bill Clinton	...	Himself
J. Marshall Coleman	...	Himself (as Marshall Coleman)
David Demasters	...	Himself (as Dr. David Demasters)
Warren Fiske	...	Himself
Mike Gooding	...	Himself - Reporter
David Jacobsen	...	Himself - Former Hostage
Laurie Kellman	...	Herself
David Lerman	...	Himself

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

senate | virginia | reporter | campaign bus | u.s. senate | 

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Taglines:

In the voting booth, no one can hear you scream.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

PBS [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1996 (USA)

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Gross USA:

$48,522, 14 July 1996

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arpie Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

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

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Absolute Power/That Darn Cat/Fools Rush In/Johns (1997)

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Soundtracks

Democracy
Written and Performed by Leonard Cohen

User Reviews

Contract with America

A Perfect Candidate looks at the 1994 Virginia Senate race between Democratic incumbent Chuck Robb and Republican Oliver North of Iran-Contra fame. Robb was plagued by alleged incidents about his past involving a Playboy model, cocaine, New York hotel rooms, wild parties, etc... and in addition his fellow Democrat and (at the time) political enemy, ex-Governor Douglas Wilder, was also running for the seat. And also under the surface was the national surge of the Republican party which was about to take control of the House of Representatives for the first time since the 1950's. So, Robb should have lost, and why and how he didn't is what this documentary shows us. The fight between Robb's and North's campaigns focused mainly on who could better destroy the other one. Robb's personal lapses contrasted against Norths' lying to Congress and his dealings with numerous questionable figures. He cloaked it all in a patriotic fight against communism, and became a favorite of the extreme right, while alienating more moderate possible supporters. In this documentary, with plenty of footage of the campaign, neither candidate seemed worthy of anyone's vote, with it's footage of Robb dancing around direct questions and claiming he had never told a lie in his life, and North courting the hard right.