WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Howard Dean Documentary Preview
Heath EidenMontpelier, Vermont - January 26, 2008
It was in 2004 that former Vermont Governor Howard Dean made his rise and fall in the presidential campaign. Now an independent film maker is putting the finishing touches on a movie that gives an inside look at Dean's political roller coaster ride.
The Savoy Theater in Montpelier drew a crowd for an unusual morning showing of Heath Eiden's movie, "Dean and Me." Eiden says this is his first film. Ten dollar donations at the door helped cover the expenses of final editing.
"I think we have something that as Vermonters we can really be proud of here," Eiden told the audience before the 90 minute film rolled. He said the movie still needs to be put into its final shape before it heads for distribution. He said he hopes it will propel him into a second project focusing on television's impact on politics.
He told Channel 3 he first got interested in Dean's presidential bid on a fluke. "Really, how I got involved is because the man up the street from me was painting Howard Dean's portrait for the State House," he said. "And if you recall, it was called the L.L. Bean, canoe paddle in hand, Howard Dean is off to some great adventure somewhere. And I jumped in the boat with him."
The movie captures the excitement of Dean's campaign and at the time, surprise among seasoned political reporters at his status as front runner.
The movie also documents Dean's downfall, not at the hands of President Bush, but his own fellow Democrats. Eiden said, "You know, you'd think that it was just the Republican party that saw this guy was such a winner and such a populist, that the people were really about to propel him into this contest against George Bush. But in fact, what happened was, it was his own party that took him out."
"Dean and Me" delivers on its billing as an inside look at Howard Dean's presidential campaign, which at least until the scream, changed the face of American politics.
Andy Potter - WCAX News
