How I Wrote 'Sarah Palin'

I see the movie as an anxiety dream." Game Change director Jay Roach said this to me after we decided to make a movie with HBO about one of the great political stories of our time -- the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate in 2008. This approach perfectly characterized the experience of the film's two main characters: senior campaign strategist Steve Schmidt and Palin. Both were trapped in a high-stakes anxiety dream in which they worked tirelessly to turn the Alaska governor -- practically overnight -- into a credible national candidate under the brutal glare of the international media.