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THE SEEN
PRESIDENT HAS
capied
PAUL
COS
x nice shomo Fyu do
Jer/
Read
Nicole
\
Could we?
Thanks
QUE my
Elena
PRESIDENT
MAS
THE
Actor-Director Focusing on Children
8-6-97
By MARY B. W. TABOR
tor. "Obviously, we got enough good
tante by mobilizing scores of groups
paid for the public service advertise-
LOS ANGELES - The President
to outweigh the bad, but I can cat-
and people interested in children's
ments; I.B.M., which agreed to pay
spoke in his State of the Union Mes-
egorically say that I can trace my
healthy development and helping
for a CD-ROM with information for
sage-nbout the nuturing of children
struggles, and the difficulties I've
them form coalitions. It is a feat that
parents; Johnson & Johnson, which
from the first days of life. The theme
had in functioning and fitting in, to
has cluded many health-care work-
produced a parenting video that fea-
of the National Governors' Associa-
early influences."
crs, political figures and grass-roots
tures Mr. Reiner, and Kaiser Per-
tion convention in July was early
"You've seen 'When Harry Met
organizations.
manente, which is sponsoring a con-
childhood development. It was the
Sally'?" he said by way of explana-
"I now have a power base and a
ference for business leaders next
subject of a special issue of News-
tion, referring to his movie in which
media base and an ability to reach
year.
week, an ABC-TV special and a se-
Billy Crystal plays a man who strug-
out to people and get a message
The next target was Washington.
ries of public-service advertise-
gles with the notion of whether men
across," Mr. Reiner said. "And if 1
Just before the 1996 election, Mr.
ments showing Dad tenderly holding
and women can be both lovers and
don't use those capabilities to dis-
Reiner said, the couple asked to dis-
Baby.
friends. "I rest my case."
seminate this information to the pub-
cuss their campaign ideas with Pres-
Behind the scenes, orchestrating
At a robust 6 foot 2, Mr. Reiner, 50,
lic, then, I think, that is negligent."
ident Clinton.
this collective national visit to the
has aged gracefully since. his
The Reiners' campaign started in
To their surprise, they were grant-
The New York Times
nursery is the actor and director Rob
"Meathead" days on "All in the
1994 when they arranged a meeting
ed 15 minutes alone with the Presi-
Reiner.
Family." his long brown hair and
with Tipper Gore, who they knew had
dent and one of his aides.
interests in protections for children
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1997
So deep is Mr. Reiner's commit-
"We told him all the things we
ment that he put aside movie making
and mental health issues.
were interested in," Mr. Reiner re-
for more than a year to get a national
"I just called her up," Mr. Reiner
called. "And he said, 'What do you
campaign called "I Am Your Child"
Using a
said. "I'd heard she was interested in
want me to do?'
off the ground. Its message Is sim+
mental health issues, and I tell you I
They asked that he make early
ple: the crucial groundwork (or a.-
Hollywood power
was just a babe in the woods. I really
childhood development a priority for
and enriching experiences."
come part of his coalition.
person's emotional and Intellectual
didn't know who to call or what to
his next term and mention it In his
Next February, "I Am Your
"It's a very exciting, positive thing
life is laid between birth and age 3,
base to make gains
do."
next State of the Union Message. And
Child" and Kaiser Permanente are
that's happening." said Anne S. Ar-
and parents should have access to
Mrs. Gore encouraged the Reiners
they asked for a White House confer-
holding a conference for the business
nesen, director 'of the Wisconsin
support services, if they need them,
in a new arena.
to pursue the issue. Then, a few
ence devoted to the topic.
community, to highlight what it can
Council on Children and Families, a
to help their bables develop.
months later, they invited a group
Barry Tolv, a White House spokes-
do to help insure a healthy start for
child care advocacy group based in
"This is something that I've been
representing media, political and
man, said that the President and
children, like offering parenting pro-
Madison. "I Am Your Child" has
thinking about for almost 20 years,"
foundation interests to their home in
First Lady had already been plan-
grams, corporate day care, develop-
"focused attention on something that
Mr. Reiner said recently over lunch
trandlebar mustache giving way to a
the Brentwood section of Los Ange-
ning a conference on children, but
ing company health plans that pro-
good mothers and people in the child
at Maple Drive, a Beverly Hills res-
balding pate and salt-and-pepper
les for an afternoon meeting where
that the Reiner meeting "meant the
mote early childhood development or
care business have known for years,
taurant just his office. "It
beard.
they could exchange Ideas and con-
issue and the conference would get a
working with government agencies
but that hasn't been in the public
is something deep In my core."
His office at Castle Rock Enter-
tacts.
tremendous boost."
He and his wife, Michele Singer
"It started in a very organic way,"
to develop family resource centers.
consciousness."
tainment is classic Hollywood, with
Mr. Reiner said, smiling over a bowl
"The Reiners brought energy,
Senator John Kerry, Democrat of
Reiner, a photographer, sald they
leather screening-room chairs and
Mr. Reiner-plans to return to mov-
of asparagus soup.
Ideas and an ability to draw more
Massachusetts, who is married to
framed posters of his films, among
le making. and has begun working on
began thinking about a national cam-
attention to the effort," Mr. Tolv
Ms. Heinz, cites Mr. Reiner as a key
them "A Few Good Men," "This Is
They became acquainted with
a film about domestic terrorism. But
paign in 1994. They were new parents
endorser of his recent bill that would
and veterans of psychotherapy, a
Ellen Gilbert, an agent at Interna-
said.
Spinal Tap" and "Stand By Me" as
he said his passion is still for the "I
expand programs for at-risk infants
combination that provoked constant
well as "When Harry Met Sally."
tional Creative Management who
The ball was rolling.
Am Your Child" campaign named
and establish a scholarship fund for
discussion about how their behaviors
But the bulk of the paperwork on
had connections in the foundation
Mr. Reiner's status as a heavy
after the Barry Manilow song used
child-care workers, among other
affected their children, and they
his desk these days Is not screen-
world, and they came across a 1994
hitting director has clearly been an
as its theme and has begun talking
things.
found It difficult to find scientific
plays or production schedules. In-
Carnegie Corporation report called
asset. Who else could get Tom
to television executives about Incor-
Perhaps the only Irony has been a
research on the subject.
stead, the telephone messages, pho-
"Starting Points: Meeting the Needs.
Hanks, Robin Williams, Shaquille
porating some of its themes in situa-
personal one for the Reiners. With
But they also suggest that their
tographs and letters are from politi-
of Our Youngest Children."
O'Neal and Gen. Colin L. Powell and
tion comedies like "Mad About You"
the campaign has come long hours at
own childhoods were somewhat lack-
cians and foundation heads, doctors
The report said that If a child
the Clintons to star In the one-hour
and "Friends."
the office and on the road. That has
ing in the kind of nurturing they now
and business leaders the eclectic
received warm and responsive care
ABC special to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spi-
"Movies really hold the ex-
meant time away from their own two
believe is essential.
cast of the "I Am Your Child" cam-
in the form of talking, reading and
der" or read "Good Night Moon?"
citement for that they used to,"
sons, ages 6 and 3.
"I can tell you that both Michele
paign.
playing, his brain could develop to Its
The special was broadcast on April
Mr. Reiner said, almost quietly. "To
"Here we are trying to promote
and I have struggled tremendously
In less than three years, the Rei-
full potential. If a child is abused or
and will be repeated on Aug. 17.
be totally with you, If I could
children's healthy development and
in our lives," sald Mr. Reiner, the son
ners have pushed aside the stereo-
neglected, the problems can com-
In the video for parents, Rob Rel-
make a really good living doing this,
give parent< tools for helping de-
of Carl Reiner, the actor and direc-
type of the liberal Hollywood dilet-
pound over a Ilfetime.
Der appears talking about how
I would not make films, I would
velop their children, and that has
They attracted the Interest of Te-1
resa Heinz, who offered financing
scary" it is to be a new parent and
devote the rest of my life to this."
meant taking time away from our
talks about the need to give children
That would be welcome news, said
kids," Mr. Reiner said. "It's a con-
from her philanthropy, and several
"consistent, predictable, nurturing
child care advocates who have be-
other big name sponsors jumped on!
stant push and pull."
t d, among them AT&T, which