HBO’s upcoming film, Game Change has been getting a lot of buzz lately. The film is under repeated attack by many disgruntled Palin and McCain aids who don’t approve of how they are portrayed in the new film. In a letter to Politico HBO’s Executive Vice President for Corporate Communications, Quentin Schaffer defended the film saying:
“There has been some noise about the film … Much of it has come from several Palin aides trying to discredit it even though they haven’t yet seen it. HBO has a long track record of producing fact-based dramas, going to great lengths to get the story right. I want you to know about the efforts taken on this film.
“It is based on the acclaimed book by well-respected veteral political reporters Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, both of whom served as consultants, checking every draft of the script to ensure its historical accuracy and thoroughness. When their book came out in 2010, it went unchallenged and unrefuted by the Palin camp. The script for Game Change was written by Danny Strong who also wrote the HBO Film Recount which was praised by both sides for its accurate portraits.
“In the process of writing Game Change, Strong spoke to 25 people intimately involved in the campaign, including the most senior advisors. He also reached out to Governor Palin and Senator McCain who declined to talk to him. They were also offered a chance to see the finished film but again declined. Secondary sources included Palin’s own memoir ‘Going Rogue,’ a beat-by-beat account of how she felt throughout the race, as well as other books on the campaign and many newspaper and magazine articles.
“In addition, the film’s director Jay Roach participated in many of the interviews, read most of the books available about the campaign, including Sarah Palin’s two books, and absorbed hundreds of hours of news reports and archival footage of Palin, McCain and Schmidt. Chris Edwards, Sarah Palin’s deputy chief of staff during the 2008 presidential election, served as a technical adviser and was there for many of the scenes to ensure its accuracy,” Schaffer added.
“The result is a balanced portrayal of the McCain-Palin campaign. We hope you enjoy the film and we are here to answer any questions you may have.”
We invite all who might be prematurely offended by the film to watch Game Change on HBO, March 10th at 9PM. HBOWatch has been given the opportunity to view the film at a special screening in Seattle tomorrow night and will follow up with a full review of the film shortly after. Until then check out the latest promotional video!
