Felix Gillette reports in the New York Observer that "a team of Hollywood insiders is currently working on a screen adaptation of Truth and Duty: The Press, The President, and The Privilege of Power – the 2005 book by former CBS News producer Mary Mapes, in which she defends the 60 Minutes II story by Dan Rather about President George W. Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, which ran on CBS in September 2004 and eventually led to her ouster from the network."
Insert jokes here about how fiction can build on fiction. More from Gillette:
Who would want to turn "Rathergate" into a feature-length film?
According to sources familiar with the situation, Producer Mikkel Bondesen, (his credits include serving as executive producer on the USA Network series "Burn Notice") is actively working on the adaptation with screenwriter James Vanderbilt.
Mr. Vanderbilt wrote the screenplay for the 2007 serial killer movie Zodiac – based on the nonfiction book by Robert Graysmith – and is currently writing the screenplay for Spider-Man 4....
It remains to be seen how much of the screenplay will be dedicated to the alleged bungling of the story and its aftermath at CBS versus the broader story of the President's military service.
When reached by phone on Monday afternoon, Ms. Mapes declined to comment. The Media Mob has a phone call in to Mr. Bondesen. We'll update if we hear back.
Gillette is already wondering who would play Dan Rather. If this is a faithful adaptation of Mapes and her infidelity with the truth, perhaps Rather could star as himself. He had enough free time to do a cameo on ABC's trashy drama Dirty Sexy Money.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center















Editor at Large

Comments Policy
Sheesh
July 21, 2008 - 16:57 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsYou'd think they would see what makes money and use that formula.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
go ahead...
July 21, 2008 - 17:06 ET by stormin1961and bring in Michael Moore and Oliver Stone to make this as factual as possible
Starring...
July 21, 2008 - 17:24 ET by heldmywJim Carrey as Dan Rather, and Ronald McDonald as Mary Mapes...
So, isn't this a good thing?
July 21, 2008 - 17:25 ET by DEVILDOCMOMAnother LOSER Hollywood movie? Won't their banks eventually tire of them losing money and perhaps stop funding these ultra left wing movies? Even they cannot have a bottomless pit of money.
They already are losing
July 21, 2008 - 19:18 ET by CrimsonfistedThey already are losing money.
WhatAMaroon
Thanks
July 21, 2008 - 23:06 ET by DEVILDOCMOMCrimson, good link.
Nah, they'll just
July 21, 2008 - 19:21 ET by fitzfongNah, they'll just nationalize the Hollywood Studios so we can further subsidize this garbage with our tax money.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
No question, it's gotta be
July 21, 2008 - 18:14 ET by SickofLibsNo question, it's gotta be Alec Baldwin to play Rather. As he is an accomplished, unrepentant, pathological liar in his own right, like Rather, he won't even have to fall back on method acting.
Truth and Duty pooh
July 21, 2008 - 18:20 ET by GoodieNot sure whom quoted this long ago,
"Nothing Here, Moving On"
Can we get a Truth and Duty Rap song? a new Starbucks drink? How about Truth and Duty Cereal?
Please CA, carve Hollywood and San Francisco out of the State and float it to Guam...
CBS tries to use fake
July 21, 2008 - 18:24 ET by nythatesusaCBS tries to use fake documents to bring down the president (a week before the election) and THEY get a movie?!!! From Manhattan and Hollywood, it's just relentless left-wing agitation.
I'm going to keep an eye
July 21, 2008 - 19:15 ET by fitzfongI'm going to keep an eye out at my local Blockbuster when this comes out on video. Presumably it will be on the Fiction/Fantasy shelf.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
A blockbuster!
July 21, 2008 - 20:47 ET by needleOh Boy, this sounds like a blockbuster! I hope Hollywood spends at least $100M on this one, maybe casting Robert Redford as Dan Rather (snicker), and Barbara Streisand as Mary Mapes (snicker-snicker).
I just can’t wait to miss this movie.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
It's gettin' weirder
July 22, 2008 - 00:55 ET by rammingspeedRather and Mapes and CBS News were crucified for this scam story. How the hell can the American left and their Hollywood sycophants rationalize that the American public doesn't know better? I can only guess that Bush's election in 2000 and the subsequent 8 years of being out of power has driven them absolutely freakin' bananas.
Let them speak (and make movies) so we know them for the madmen and women that they are.
Does Fiction + Fiction =
July 22, 2008 - 13:03 ET by danboDoes
Fiction + Fiction = Truth?
Like a double negative.
Or does
Fiction + Fiction = really bad fiction?
Limited Disclosure: I used to belong to the Sierra Club untill they went crazier. Worse of all, I was bribed by Exxon with free New Orleans Saints glasses with fill ups in the 70's.
I understand the working
July 22, 2008 - 16:08 ET by fitzfongI understand the working title is "Forged Documentary".
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com