Timequest

Direct and writer Robert Dyke shows us a possible world in which John F. Kennedy did not die by an assassin's bullet, but lived to finish his presidency and his natural life. A scientist from (perhaps) our future, in which Kennedy died that day in Dallas, perfects time travel and returns to the Fort Worth, Texas of 1963. His arrival is timed to warn Jacqueline, John and Robert Kennedy of what awaited them in Dallas, and the effect that event would have on our country and the Kennedys. Using an intriguing and effective non-linear story telling technique, Dyke tells the story of that time-traveling scientist, played effectively by Ralph Waite, the Kennedys and a possible—and more promising—future.

I will watch just about any movie that has some element of time travel in it. However, when I saw the cover art work for the Time Quest video I was pretty sure this was not going to be a very good pic. Cheeeeezy. That was maybe a year ago, and this evening was the 3rd or 4th time I have watched Time Quest. So, first thought I have is don't judge this film by its cover.

Time Quest leaves me with a feeling of melancholy for the opportunities lost. This is the film's finest quality. History is changed not only by the fact that the Kennedy's are not assassinated but by John and Bobby's knowledge of future events and their desire to use that knowledge to make a difference. No Vietnam and a space race that actually results in something.

The movie has several other qualities I should mention. It has a sense of humor; it is sensitive; it moves back and forth over time so that the watcher is kept guessing; and most of the acting seems reasonable. I particularly liked the detail given to the time traveler's suit and to the screen he projects his images on, and there is a gripping slow-mo shot of LH Oswald not being assassinated.

In a market where so few good sci-fi, let alone time travel, movies are made it seems a shame that more people aren't seeing this one.

An interesting "what-if" story: a man from the future goes back in time and prevents JFK's assassination. This movie presents an optimistic view of how history turned out. The narration follows three threads; our time, following the death of JFK at 84; the presidency of JFK after Nov 22, 1963; and the Kennedy's involvement in the life of a young artist. Bruce Campbell does parody again, it's nice to see Ralph Waite, and Larry Drake looks like he may explode soon. Like any good time-travel story it leaves you bewildered at the end. It's a bad political history, though, and I found much of it unbelievable. The conservative Republican revolution would have happened anyway. The oil shocks of the 1970s would have happened anyway. Sure, Dan Rather stays in Dallas and the Beatles never break up, but whatever happened to Nixon? What happened to Barry Goldwater? What would have happened to Vietnam?

Every generation has its "I remember exactly where I was" experience. For the living the list of these events runs from the sinking of the Titanic to the destruction of the World Trade Center. For my generation it is a cascade of events that begins with JFK's assassination. Nov 22, 1963 we were in school, heard the news and rushed home to watch events unfold on television.

In this time travel story JFK doesn't die, he learns that his philandering will ruin his image and stops, he turns the Cold War driven space race into an international project and stops the escalation of US involvement in Viet Nam --thus saving 57,000 lives.

I'd have to agree with others that the story telling here needs work. The order in which we see events doesn't convey the story arc all that well. Production values are low, there's gratuitous use of course language which, while all too common now, was alien then. As for the nudity: well, it was something to see Marilyn Monroe reproduce one of her most famous poses for JFK. I won't quibble about that.

My generation has the images of that weekend burned into our consciousness. In this story the Zapruder film, taken on the "Grassy Knoll," doesn't show the top of JFK's head being blown off. In this story Walter Cronkite's first announcement of something going in the President's motorcade doesn't end with him saying that JFK is dead. (Note: those of us in school didn't see it live, but we've lived with the taped images ever since.) And, finally, the event that takes place in Parkland Hospital (just outside Dallas) is joyous. It's not the end of a Presidency that had begun to capture the enthusiasm of a generation with it's New Frontier and Peace Corps, but a celebration of something new.

For it's many flaws this film shows some beautiful healing images.

I have know about this movie since it was in production several years ago, thanks to IMDB, and eagerly awaited it's release. Then I hear it was premiered near where it was filmed, then that it was going directly to video. I finally found a copy at Hollywood video and got to see it.

It is a really good story. A dreamers version of what might have been. I remember the day Kennedy was killed, saw Oswald killed live on TV that Sunday morning. I have visited the Sixth Floor and the grassy knoll and wonder that such a history turning event could have taken place in so small a place. This movie will strike a cord with those who think the world would be far better if JFK had survived. This movie should have had more $ and bigger stars but for what it had it did a REALLY good job of telling the story. I will not buy it, but I am going to watch it again before I take it back and dream of what might have been. It is a combination of the truth, the myth, and this story that will make you like this movie. Ralph Waite was so right for the part. So much more story could have been told, and should have been. Better than 13Days.