Kennedy

Movies about the Kennedy family (miniseries as well) lets face it they are a dime a dozen. People have a never-ending fascination with them and filmakers have always done their best to exploit this said fascination. I remember watching this miniseries in 1983 (it was released on the 20th anniversary of Kennedy's death). I saw it again recently when I was home on leave from Germany. It is the best Kennedy show ever. Martin Sheen is an amazing actor and Blair Brown is equally good as Jackie. The thing I liked best is that Sheen did an amazing job copying Kennedy's accent. Some of the actors who play him don't even bother putting on a Boston accent but Sheen's is flawless. If you had just closed your eyes you would have really thought that was Kennedy talking! He is that good. I particularly liked it when he re-created Kennedy's inagural address (he said many other eloquent things besides ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country). What was chilling was Vincent Gardenia's portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover. He portrays him as evil as an almost Shakespeare llke villan. They always show him in dark lighting and he speaks in a sinister voice. I remember because he was in a Walt Disney movie I liked called The Last Flight Of Noah's Ark. The other thing that I wanted to mention is the reenactment of the assassination. It is also chilling and makes you realize how horrible it really was. It was like darkness at noon.

This three part, six hour mini series was originally released in November of 1983, which was the 20th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Martin Sheen plays JFK and Blair Brown plays Jackie, both do great jobs. I remember seeing the entire film many, many years ago; it use to come on every November, but I have not honestly seen it from start to finish in a couple years on TV. As I recall, the series starts out on November 22, 1963, showing Rose Kennedy sitting in her living room and hearing about the assassination of her son on the news, then it cuts into 1960 when JFK was running for the presidency. The series then covers the very important personal and historical events of Kennedy's life and administration in the two years he was in the White House. Of course it ends with that dark day in Dallas. The scene of the assassination is very brutal but also very real and shows how quick it really happened and how fast history changed.

Luxurious American-British TV miniseries produced in 1983, written by Reg Gadney, who spent almost twenty years researching the Kennedys, and directed by the veteran English film and TV director, Jim Goddard, "Kennedy" was broadcast in the 20th anniversary year of the assassination of JFK and became one of the most successful miniseries ever aired, being sold to over 50 countries, including my homeland, Portugal.

It covers all the most important parts and decisions of the Kennedys' Administration from the Bay of Pigs' failed invasion, the Civil Rights Movement and their support to Martin Luther King, the Cuba missile crisis, to the early stages of the Vietnam war, and also their own personal lifes, including JFK close relationship with his father, the dominant Joseph P. Kennedy & his younger brother, the incorruptible 'boy scout', Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and his beautiful wife and iconic First Lady, Jacqueline, which became a model to the Modern Woman of the 60's. Some facts were put aside, like the Mob help on the JFK's rise to power, which he abandoned after his election and his several extra-marital affairs, including the legendary blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe, whose name is never mentioned here, but a clever viewer knows it's her.

"Kennedy" is well paced (where the 311 minutes went?) and dramatically well staged, especially during the family gatherings and their relationships and the tension in the cabinet during the crisis. Some sloppy editing here and there and cheaply looking directed exterior scenes (such as the racial brawls which looked a bit flimsy and poorly staged) were redeeming by the power of the narrative and the attention to details, the well written dialogues perfectly delivered by an all-star cast and the haunting sequence of the assassination itself which ressonates into a viewer's mind long time after.

Long life democrat, Martin Sheen as JFK, captured his voice, accent and mannerisms to perfection, even if they weren't exactly look-a-likes. Sheen smiles a lot thoroughly and even his teeth were pristine as Kennedy's. Other curious fact is that Sheen was exactly the same age at the time of filming as Jack Kennedy's was during the events depicted in the film.

Great support from John Shea as Bobby Kennedy (even less look-a-like to his real life counterpart than Sheen, but equally memorable in his acting); Geraldine Fitzgerald & E. G. Marshall as Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy and a special kudos to Blair Brown, whose uncanny resemblance to the real Jackie Bouvier Kennedy was only surpassed by the brilliance of her exuberant performance. Vincent Gardenia is also very good and a scene-stealer as the sinister head of the F.B.I., J. Edgar Hoover. Catch up for early screen appearances from John Glover, Kelsey Grammer and Trey Wilson, among others.

This miniseries makes a perfect raining Sunday afternoon at the movies, followed by the earlier TV movie, "The Missiles of October" ('74), starring William Devane as JFK and also with a younger Martin Sheen playing Bobby Kennedy; Roger Donaldson's "Thirteen Days" ('00), which covered the same missiles' crisis, starring Bruce Greenwood as JFK, Steven Culp as Bobby Kennedy and Kevin Costner as the Administration's consultant, Kenny O'Donnell; Oliver Stone's own conspiracy theory opus, "JFK" ('91) starring Kevin Costner as the District Attorney Jim Garrison, leading a star studded ensemble cast and Emilio Estevez's "Bobby" ('06) about Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1968 in which his father Martin Sheen also had a minor role.

This mini-series more than earned its BAFTA award. It was well acted, true to the facts recorded in most books on the Kennedys, and very emotive. I was particularly impressed by Blair Brown as Jackie, and Nesbitt Blaisdell as an eerily convincing LBJ. Martin Sheen was Martin Sheen in the look-a-like stakes, but he put across the personality, temperament, and accent of Kennedy superbly, which is a lot harder than merely resembling a person. (Although, when watching the original footage of the inaugural address on the DVD version, I had to wonder if Sheen had maybe overdone the famous Boston accent slightly). The tension of the Cuban Missile Crisis was well captured, and the dramatisation of the assassination was the right balance of effect and imagination. Blair Brown's portrayal of Jackie's shock and grief stood up to the raw emotion of the opening scenes, perfectly bookending this amazing series.

Whenever I read books about the Kennedys and their Washington contemporaries I sometimes visualize each one as they were portrayed in this excellent mini series.

The casting was ideal. Martin Sheen, in particular, as JFK ... the voice, the look, the mannerisms ... there were times when the archival footage of the man himself and Sheen the actor almost became one.

The story never ceased to be anything other than utterly compelling.

Strong support from the likes of Vincent Gardenia and E.G Marshall ensured success.

Period detail was occasionally allowed to lapse (for example, cars from a much later period could be clearly seen on the roads in several exterior scenes). But generally quite riveting.