Clinton to Appear in TV Movie That Touts Family Leave Law

President Clinton played a cameo role in a made-for-television movie Saturday and got a chance to plug one of his favorite accomplishments in the White House: the family emergency leave law.

When it is completed, the film, “A Child’s Wish,” will be aired by CBS, but not before the Nov. 5 election.

“It’s about the emotional and financial catastrophe that befalls a family whose child has come down with terminal cancer and whose father has lost his job because he wanted to spend time with her,” said Larry Horowitz, the film’s producer.

Clinton pushed the Family and Medical Leave Act through Congress during his first year in office. It allows public-sector workers and employees of companies with more than 50 people on the payroll to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, without retribution, for family medical emergencies or for the birth of a child.

Horowitz said the film’s plot is based on the combined stories of two real families, one of which benefited from the law while the other did not.

The film is centered on a dying teenager whose wish is to visit the White House and meet the president. Clinton, playing himself, welcomes the youngster to the White House and wishes her well. The scene is based on an incident in which Clinton returned from a morning jog and met the family while they were touring the White House.

The scene took more than an hour to shoot, but Clinton will appear on the screen for about a minute.

Horowitz said Clinton played the role like a natural. “When you feel something, you’re not acting, and that was the case here.”