May 22 (Bloomberg) -- Prominent Democrats have already panned HBO's ``Recount,'' claiming the film distorts the Florida ballot battle that gave George W. Bush the presidency over Al Gore in 2000. I doubt Republicans will give it a thumbs-up, either.

``Recount,'' which airs Sunday at 9 p.m. New York time, portrays the Bush camp as a bunch of goons and loons who nevertheless prevailed in the 36-day, post-election slugfest that ended in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The film focuses on attempts by Gore's team, led by lawyer Ron Klain (Kevin Spacey), to recount the vote in Florida, whose electoral votes would determine the national winner.

Klain starts out as a kitten but evolves into a tiger. He has no choice because he's up against the Republican attack machine, led by Bush family pal James Baker III. Baker is played by Tom Wilkinson, recently seen as a scheming Benjamin Franklin in HBO's ``John Adams'' miniseries.

Baker is Franklin on steroids: a cocky, aggressive political operator hellbent on victory. He's assisted by Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, (Laura Dern), a ditzy witch with messianic delusions.

``Ten years ago I was teaching the chicken dance to seniors,'' she cackles, and now the ``eyes of the world have landed on me.''

Her worst inclinations are stoked by GOP lobbyist ``Mac the Knife'' Stipanovich (Bruce McGill), a political reptile with a killer streak.

``You're about to pick the leader of the free world,'' he counsels the bony-faced, big-haired Harris. ``You need to bring this election in for a landing'' with ``George W. Bush in the cockpit.''

Clinton's `Stain'

Republicans in the movie are portrayed as dragons or drones. Lead counsel Ben Ginsberg (Bob Balaban) revs up his troops by promising that ``the stains of Bill Clinton will be washed away. Honor and dignity will finally be restored to the White House.''

The young Republicans applaud vigorously, as if their trust funds had just doubled in value.

The Democrats, by contrast, are simply trying to make every vote count. Warren Christopher (John Hurt), the former secretary of state who was Gore's chief spokesman during the recount, delivers majestic platitudes such as, ``There is no shame in placing country above party.'' And Gore attorney David Boies (Ed Begley Jr.) earnestly argues that voter intent is clearly present in those hanging chads.

The edgiest Democrat is chief strategist Michael Whouley (Denis Leary), a street fighter who mockingly says that Christopher ``probably eats his M&Ms with a knife and fork.'' Christopher, who does come across as wimpish, has called the film ``pure fiction,'' and William M. Daley, Gore's 2000 campaign chairman, has also disputed the movie's version of events.

Rather, Lieberman

The film features news footage from the major networks, including this gem of analysis by Dan Rather: ``Call a doctor, call the police, call a psychic.'' We also get a glimpse of Joe Lieberman, who you may recall was Gore's running mate before rejecting his party and becoming an independent.

Gore and Bush are rarely seen or heard from, though there is a dramatization of the famous conversation when Gore called Bush back to say he was not, after all, conceding the election. After Bush freaks out, Gore responds, ``Excuse me, but you don't have to get snippy about it.''

In the end, however, Gore is forced to call Klain with the bad news: ``I have to end this war when I know I can't win. Even if I win I can't win.''

Switching Parties

Baker seems almost human near the end while explaining why he switched parties at age 40. After his wife died of cancer, he tells Ginsberg, a Republican badgered him into joining his 1970 Senate campaign as a way to overcome the grief. That candidate was Bush's dad and future president, George H.W. Bush.

Baker also assures his victorious troops that they've been on the side of the angels.

``The system worked,'' he says, noting that power was transferred with ``no tanks on the streets.''

True, but picking the leader of the free world by analyzing punched paper holes and then relying on a ruling by old men and women in black robes probably wasn't what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

(Dave Shiflett is a critic for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Dave Shiflett at dshifl@aol.com.

Last Updated: May 22, 2008 00:01 EDT