CBS & Reagan
If you read the headlines, the reason CBS canceled the Reagan mini-series would appear to be submission to the censorship demanded by the "right-wing machine". Here is the official reason from CBS:
This decision is based solely on our reaction to seeing the final film, not the controversy that erupted around a draft of the script," CBS said in a news release. "Although the miniseries features impressive production values and acting performances, and although the producers have sources to verify each scene in the script, we believe it does not present a balanced portrayal of the Reagans for CBS and its audience. (emphasis added)
If the executives at CBS (the network of Dan Rather) see this production as unbalanced, then the slant must be greater than originally anticipated. Of course, the cries of censorship continue from the Hollywood elite and others. A few examples:
This is censorship, pure and simple. Well, maybe not all that pure. Censorship never is. Due to their experience with the restrictive English government, the framers of our constitution specifically included a ban on prior restraint in the First Amendment, which is an attempt to stop information from getting out there before the public has a chance to see it at all - exactly what is going on in this case. Of course, CBS as a company has the legal right to make decisions about what they do and do not air. However, these important decisions should be based on artistic integrity rather than an attempt to appease a small group of vocal dissidents. Indeed, today marks a sad day for artistic freedom - one of the most important elements of an open and democratic society.
I believe CBS did base their decision on the "artistic integrity" (or lack thereof) in this telling of the Reagan story. (Their own words: "we believe it does not present a balanced portrayal.")
But here are the parts that should be depressing to everyone. All of this happened before anyone saw the miniseries. Scripts change, clips get dropped, films improve or worsen. We can understand caution, how do you get so angry and so vicious over something you haven't seen?
Scripts change and clips do get dropped, but the executives who pulled the plug did see the final cut. They didn't seem angry or vicious. They just decided that they did not want this product to play on their network.
Whether the movie is unfair to the Reagans, I don't know, because I haven't seen it — and neither has anyone leading the charge against it. To believe you can judge a movie's ultimate impact by some out-of-context lines from a script is an insult to the contribution by actors, directors and editors.
If the media were consistent, it could raise the issue of judging and opposing an unreleased movie. However, outside of conservative sources, the news organizations have said very little regarding the attempts to stop Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ.
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