Return of the hanging chads

Political insiders believe that at least part of Hillary Clinton's determination not to concede the Democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama, despite the overwhelming odds against her, comes from the trauma many Democrats still feel about their disputed loss of the 2000 presidential election. In 2000, with Al Gore and George W. Bush virtually deadlocked nationwide, all hung on a recount - and the disposition of so-called 'hanging chads' on voting cards ­ in Florida.

That epic 36-day political struggle, which ended when the US Supreme Court stopped the Florida recount, effectively giving the presidency to George W. Bush even though Gore had won the national popular vote, is now the subject of a controversial HBO television docudrama, Recount, to be broadcast in the US on Sunday.

The film is receiving excellent advance notices - Entertainment Weekly described it as "a gorgeous bit of political theatre" - but is being denounced by some of the major figures involved in the recount battle, especially ex-secretary of state Warren Christopher, who is played by John Hurt, for distorting their roles.

Christopher, a top Gore advisor during the recount, is portrayed as a patrician wimp who was never prepared for the nastiness of the battle the Republicans waged.

The film shows James Baker, Bush's top advisor, played by Tom Wilkinson, marshalling his troops, many of them lawyers, by saying: "Now listen, people. This is a street fight for the presidency of the United States." Christopher, meanwhile, is shown nervously suggesting to Baker that they should try to resolve the recount through "diplomacy and compromise".

Christopher has attacked his portrayal as "pure fiction. It contains events that never occurred, words I never spoke and decisions attributed to me that I never made". He says he only learned about the film from his tailor who had been asked to supply one of his suits for John Hurt. Even Baker agrees Christopher "is not that much of a wuss".

Screenwriter Danny Strong admits that almost all the dialogue in Recount and many of the scenes were invented. But he insists, "We feel that the film is accurate, but we're very clear to say that it's a movie. It's not a documentary."

He says the film is based on extensive research, including the best-selling book Too Close to Call by Jeffrey Toobin, and more than 40 interviews. It is directed, with a light hand, by Jay Roach, best known for the Austin Powers movies and Meet the Fockers.

Recount also stars Kevin Spacey as a Democratic political operative, and Laura Dern as Katherine Harris, the exotic Republican Florida secretary of state and Bush family friend who tried to stop the recount. Gore and Bush themselves only appear as distant figures or on newsreel clips.

Surprisingly, given the anger of Christopher and some other Democrats about their portrayal, the filmmakers admit they are Democrats, although they were keen not to make the film seem overly partisan.

"The film is not about who should have won," says screenwriter Strong. "This movie is about our electoral process and gives us an intimate look at how this process went down in one particular state. It asks the American people: Is this how you want to elect a president?"

But on the eve of the broadcast some Democrats fear that Recount might adversely affect Barack Obama's chances of beating the Republicans this November. They worry the film will steel Clinton's resolve to fight for the nomination through a series of damaging legal challenges, which could undermine Obama's candidacy, in the coming months.

Clinton is demanding delegates from Florida, who have been disqualified under party rules because the state voted too early in the primary season, should be seated at the convention, which could give her the edge she needs to beat Obama.

So perhaps the question should be: What do the Dems want to learn from history? ·