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Republicans Concerned by Reagan Movie
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Monday, November 3, 2003
Fri October 31, 2003 05:54 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) — Worried about how former President Reagan and his wife are portrayed in a CBS TV mini-series “The Reagans,” the Republican Party asked the network Friday to submit the program to historians for review or label it as not historically accurate.
Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie expressed his concerns about the mini-series, to be aired on Nov. 16 and Nov. 18, in a letter to CBS Television president Leslie Moonves. A CBS spokeswoman had no comment on the letter.
The New York Times, which said it obtained a copy of the final script, reported earlier this month that the four-hour, two-part film depicts both Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy in a largely unflattering light while omitting much of what supporters see as his key achievements.
“To avoid any confusion as to what constitutes treating the President, Mrs. Reagan, and the Reagan administrations in an honest sort of way, I respectfully request that you allow a team of historians to review the program for historical accuracy,” Gillespie wrote.
“If you’re unwilling to do so, I respectfully request that you inform your viewers via a crawl every ten minutes that the program is a fictional portrayal of the Reagans and the Reagan Presidency, and they should not consider it to be historically accurate.”
According to The Times, the movie dwells on Reagan’s shortcomings, such as his moments of forgetfulness, painting him as contemptuous of gays and AIDS victims.
Nancy Reagan, meanwhile, is cast as a control freak with considerable sway over White House policies, even setting her husband’s schedule according to the advice of astrologers.
CBS has said that the film is fair and well documented, based in part on Reagan’s authorized biography, the former first lady’s own memoir, and books written by his supporters.
“The mini-series is a compelling and historical account of Mr. and Mrs. Reagan’s remarkable relationship set against the backdrop of the former president’s political career,” the network said in a statement.
“The film has been meticulously researched and offers a respectful and balanced portrayal of the Reagans.”
