When the book was thrown back at them

An agitated man, bald and goateed, appears at the beginning of “Horns and Halos.” “There’s not a day goes by that I don’t regret this book,” he says, his voice cracking. “It’s been nothing but a nightmare.”

The book is “Fortunate Son,” a 1999 unauthorized biography of then-presidential-hopeful George W. Bush, and author J.H. Hatfield’s publication “nightmare” is the subject of a compelling documentary by filmmakers Suki Hawley and Michael Galinsky.

The film’s title comes from Hatfield’s self-revealing defense of his book, when the author tells an attendee of Chicago’s Book Expo of America that he was not attacking Bush and that a thorough biography of anyone will yield both the bad and the good -- “horns and halos.”

First proposed following Bush’s sweeping reelection as Texas governor in 1998, “Fortunate Son” was commissioned by St. Martin’s Press and published in October 1999 amid a swirl of controversy. The initial storm of contention surrounded Hatfield’s afterword, which included an unattributed allegation that Bush had arranged to have a 1972 cocaine arrest expunged from his record through his father’s political influence.

The book leaped onto several bestseller lists, reaching No. 8 at online retailer Amazon.com. But the attention shifted to the author when it emerged that he was a convicted felon. St. Martin’s recalled the book within three days of its release, and Hatfield, the book and the cocaine story faded from the national radar as quickly as they had appeared.

Although the term cinema verite is overused as a descriptor for documentaries, it applies here. The makers of “Horns and Halos” eschew the Michael Moore “poke ‘em with a stick, let’s watch ‘em squirm” approach and wisely let the cameras roll, interspersing news footage with their own interviews. There are no scenes of Hawley and Galinsky stalking Bush for a response or ambushing Dick Cheney. They remain observers rather than trying to journalistically vet Hatfield’s work, and “Horns” ultimately is a story of two men in way over their heads. But it’s not necessarily the two you might expect. In fact, George W. Bush appears in the film only briefly, in campaign footage addressing the flap over the book.

The other focal point and the film’s true protagonist turns out to be Sander Hicks, a 29-year-old New York publisher whose Soft Skull Press secured the rights to “Fortunate Son” after St. Martin’s backed out. Hicks and Hatfield offer a study in contrasts. While Hatfield, the enigmatic good ol’ boy from Arkansas whose surname conjures up Appalachian feuds, could be guarded, paranoid and edgy, Hicks was a born showman, a mass of big-city contradictions trumpeting his scribe’s right to be published.

Hatfield had turned his life around after serving five years for conspiracy in the attempted murder of a business associate. He married, become a father and established himself as an author or co-author of science-fiction trivia books and biographies of celebrities such as Patrick Stewart and Ewan McGregor. “Fortunate Son” was supposed to take his career to another level.

Hawley and Galinsky astutely focus on the human side of Hatfield’s and Hicks’ stories, choosing to emphasize character where a more conventional approach may have stressed the episodic nature of the various lawsuits and entanglements. When chance hands the filmmakers a shocking dramatic event, they build it into their story in a non-exploitative manner that has maximum effect. Even viewers familiar with the least-publicized details will appreciate the skill in which they are presented.

*

‘Horns and Halos’

MPAA rating: Unrated

Times guidelines: Salty language, adult dramatic situations.

Released by Rumur Inc., in association with HBO/Cinemax Documentary Films. Directors Suki Hawley, Michael Galinsky. Producers Suki Hawley, Michael Galinsky. Co-producer David Beilinson. Executive producer Sheila Nevins. Cinematographer Michael Galinsky. Editor Suki Hawley. Running time: 1 hour, 19 minutes.

Exclusively at the Laemmle Fairfax Cinemas, 7907 Beverly Blvd., L.A. (323) 655-4010.