Note from Robert Brent Toplin, Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403:
Criticisms of the CBS Television mini-series, "The Reagans," leveled by Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee, are far off the mark. Gillespie and others claim that CBS's dramatic portrayal of the Reagan family is not completely accurate or balanced. My study of the dramatic form called "docudrama" reveals that all such entertainment is, by its very nature, inaccurate and unbalanced. Docudrama always involves artistic license because the creators of these films must imagine conversations and actions that have not been recorded by historians. Cinematic history is always unbalanced because artists can never represent an entire life in their stories; they must select examples, and those choices reflect opinions. Since the time of Shakespeare's historical plays, virtually all docudramas have offered hard-hitting, opinionated views of the past. Every successful Hollywood movie about history delivers a partisan portrayal of events and people.
The complaints leveled by Gillespie and others do not serve a noble effort to ensure fair treatment of a historical subject. They represent a form of intimidation. These protesters do not agree with the point-of-view offered by CBS Television's drama, and they wish to prevent the film's broadcast. We do not have formal censorship these days, but the actions of Gillespie and his supporters come as close as we get to pursuing the goals of the censor.
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