Clinton's 'review' thrills producer
Foster awakens to presidential approval
Foster, who produced "The Mask of Zorro" along with Doug Claybourne, was up at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday in his Century City condo for his daily ritual -- steaming decaf and the New York Times -- when he came across an item that put a smile on his face.
In a story about the President's fundraising trip to the West Coast, reporter Katharine Seelye wrote that during a latenight flight Monday aboard Air Force One, as the press corps was watching "Deep Impact," Clinton cast himself "in the role of movie reviewer."
"Mr. Clinton, roaming by in his bluejeans like a college student pacing the dorm during finals, said 'Armageddon' was better," Seelye reported. "But really, he said, 'Zorro' was the best movie of the summer."
Foster was so pleased he woke up his wife, Jackie, to tell her. At 7:30 a.m., actress Nancy Livingstone was on the phone. "Have you seen the paper?" she asked.
After that, Foster said, the calls came thick and fast.
"It's nice for the movie biz to get a pat on the back from someone in Washington," he said, "instead of hitting us over the head with a baseball bat about violence."
Clinton is known to be a movie fan, holding screenings at the White House for arthouse pics like "Enchanted April" and "Shine."
Then again, he also liked "Naked Gun."
