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A Perfect Candidate

  • 19961996
  • 1h 45min
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
271
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
271
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
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos3

    A Perfect Candidate (1996)
    A Perfect Candidate (1996)
    Add image

    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
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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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>
    senatevirginiareportercampaign busu.s. senate15 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
    5/10
    "Blue Skies" shining at me nothing but "Blue Skies" do I see
    Documentary of the 1994 senatorial campaign for the Virginia senate seat with a resurgent, from the Iran-Contra hearings, Ollie North running on the both Republican as well as Family Value ticket against former governor Chuck Robb the man as he called himself who never told a lie in his entire life. Both candidates had enough skeletons in their closets to fill Arlington Cementery but it was North who was the front runner in this race in his being involved in sending money as well as a birthday cake to the Ayatolla Khomeini regime in Iran-In return for arms to the Nicaraguan "Freedom Fighting" Contras- that at the time held dozens of US citizens,mostly working for the CIA,hostage. North was the point man in this sleazy undercover operation with the US practically in a state of war with Iran and that had him dubbed not as Ollie but "Muhammad Ollie" North by many Americans in and out of the US media.

    Now seven years later Ollie seemed to have cleaned up his act with all charges of lying to the US Congress dropped , on a minor technicality, from his record he seemed to be well on his way to become a members of the US Senate with only the dull as dishwater Chuck Robb blocking him. Robb himself was anything but a perfect candidate he was accused of being involved in both sex and drug parties with former Playmate & beauty queen Tai Collins who he claimed he had no knowledge of, he said he was drunk or high on pot at the time, and that Tai only gave him, while completely undressed ,just an innocent massage.

    As the campaign went into it's final week Robb well behind Ollie got the support of the former Afracan/American-Who looks even whiter then Robert Redford-Virginia governor Douglas "Wild Man" Wilder who up until then had nothing but sheer contempt for him. The death blow on Ollie North's run for the senate was when former President Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy not only came out to endorse Robb but calling the All-American & Family Value Ollie a bold face liar. That's what finally turned the tide in Robb's favor. As the vote came in Robb took the lead and held it getting 45.6% of the vote to Ollie's 42.9%. It wasn't Robb's sparkling personality family values and honesty, no one really believed a word that he said, that got him elected but Ollie's checkered past. in his involvement in the drug and gun running between Iran and the Nicaraguan Contra "Freedom Fighters" that in the end finally finished him off.
    helpful•2
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    • kapelusznik18
    • Nov 15, 2016

    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
      • 1h 45min
    • 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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