Randall
Wallace is not only the man behind the "Pearl
Harbor" movie, he's the same man who was behind "Braveheart"--having
written both the bestseller book and the script--but he's also
the man behind "The Man Behind the Iron Mask," as
the writer, producer and director. First and foremost, Randall
is a dramatist, always in search of the broader story, the
essence of the tale, as it were. Though he's been accused of
distorting Scottish, English and French history, no one can
argue that he doesn't tell compelling stories that make people
think. Who but the Scots cared about William Wallace before
"Braveheart"? How many young people had even heard
of Alexandre Dumas until Wallace presented them with Leonardo
DiCaprio in the dual role of King Louis XIV and his twin
brother?
When I sat down with Randall at his Sherman Oaks, Calif.
office recently, he commented that to most 15 to 20 year olds,
Pearl Harbor is ancient history, and if seeing the movie
"Pearl Harbor" causes them to seek out information
about who the participants actually were--rather than his
fictional characters--and what actually took place more than
50 years ago, then he has accomplished his role as the
dramatist.
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