BobHarris.com - HBO's "Recount" — a Somewhat Behind the Scenes View

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Who Hates Whom:
Well-Armed Fanatics, Intractable Conflicts,
and Various Things Blowing Up —
A Woefully Incomplete Guide™

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HBO's "Recount" — a Somewhat Behind the Scenes View

Tag it now -

Friday, 23 May 2008

As HBO's publicity campaign has carefully ensured, you're already aware of the movie "Recount," written by Danny Strong.

I've been looking forward to this for something like two years now. And I couldn't be prouder of Danny.

Danny has been a good friend since shortly after I moved to L.A. twelve years ago. (If you've read Prisoner of Trebekistan, he's the "Danny" guy who helps lead me to the unspecified "Jane" character.) I've been watching this project develop since the idea first started dancing around in Danny's head.

If you'd like to share my sense of pride and amazement right now, consider what Danny's starting line looked like: in addition to his acting, Danny has been writing almost as long as I've known him, but he'd never been an investigative journalist, and prior to "Recount," he'd gotten just as many scripts produced as you have. And how many production companies would be willing to pile tons of money into a political film where the ending is already known? There was only one any of us could even imagine doing this thing — HBO. Talk about your long shots.

A lot of people, including friends and professionals around him, tried to talk him out of even trying.

All Danny had to do was: (a) fly all over the country for months, interviewing dozens of principals, doing a good deal of original work investigative reporters should have done years ago; (b) structure and distill a mountain of info into a compelling story with elements of classic tragedy, thriller, and farce; and (c) write the script of his life, something so good that the one damn place that might make it would, while attracting a flock of top acting, directing, and producing talent. That's all.

Next thing you know, you can watch Kevin Spacey, John Hurt, Laura Dern, Denis Leary, and Tom Wilkinson in the result, which premieres Sunday night.

How the hell did Danny pull this off? By working his ass off, that's how. And as to why, I can tell you this with 100% certainty: because he gave a damn about it, that's why. Possibly more than anyone else I've ever met. And along the way, Danny was so shocked and driven by what he kept learning that he just kept wanting everybody else in this country to see and hear what he was finding out.

It's not a perfect historical document, and it's not a perfect film. (Salon's review hits the highs and lows pretty fairly.) But it's by far the best visual retelling ever devised of this pivotal moment of U.S. history.

Danny, if you see this, I am so proud to know you.

But for the work you put in, and the reasons you did it, I would be just as proud to know you if the film had never been made.