JFK: The Final Hours

JFK: The Final Hours (2013)

**** (out of 4)

Bill Paxton narrates this wonderful documentary taking a look at the final day in the life of President John F. Kennedy. The film pretty much traces his actions from the time he landed in Texas until his arrival in Dallas where he would of course be assassinated. The film starts off to a rather shocking, to me anyway, claim and that's the fact that Paxton himself was able to see Kennedy and have a photograph taken of himself in a crowd listening to the President give a speech the day before he was killed. Perhaps this here was known to fans of the actor but I personally never knew this but as the film plays out you see how those directly linked to the President on this day will never forget what happened and probably more than most people. There have been so many documentaries done on the assassination that it's hard to believe a fresh take could be done but that's exactly what JFK: THE FINAL HOURS does. We get to hear from people who were in direct contact with the President over the final hours of his life and this includes people who were in the crowds and got to shake his hands. Many of the people interviewed got to meet the President on the day of his death and it's rather unique to get to hear their stories of what it was like. Another person interviewed is Clint Hill who was on Kennedy's secret service staff so getting to hear from him about the various events in Texas was rather remarkable and especially when it comes to dealing with those final minutes in Dallas. Another unique interview is with a man who drove Lee Harvey Oswald to work that morning just before the assassination. Another rather remarkable thing is how wonderful most of the video footage looks. Most of it appears to have been shot yesterday and not for a second would you believe that the footage was taken fifty-years ago. The documentary really does a terrific job at showing people what Kennedy was doing in Texas and the impact he had on the people there who got to meet him. When people think of these two days in Texas it's always about the assassination but it's refreshing to see what else happened before the tragedy struck.

I knew Tom Paxton at college so I knew he was a JFK admirer; he mentioned once at a party at NYU that he had seen Kennedy in person as a boy. He was very talented and I will never forget his performance of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest " on the top of the Bobst Library in the squash cages up there. One of the best performances of that play I have ever seen. Anyone who saw he work knew he was a talent. I saw the JFK documentary on the National Geographic channel and I found it very moving and very interesting. By focusing on a different angle -his last hours BEFORE the last day- and the impressions of those who him- it was almost all completely fresh. I found it informative and moving. I am going to buy a copy for myself. See this on National Geographic channel or buy a DVD for yourself. This is the best recent JFK documentary. Highly recommended particularly if you are interested in American history or JFK.

Just saw this 2013 documentary that details the last hours of John F. Kennedy's life. So much has been put together and seen on November 22, 1963 at Dealey Plaza in Texas. The Zapruder film, Warren Commission and Kevin Costner "JFK" movie all tell the story ad nauseum. What makes THIS documentary special is that it is told from the perspective of people who were there on those days in the crowds and on the journey including the narrator, Bill Paxton, who saw JFK at age 8 sitting on his dads shoulders. With computer technology, the people who are documented here with their stories are highlighted and given their age on those days before and on his assassination. What is fascinating as well is that every thing from that day predominantly - the car, his plane etc were found and filmed what it looks like today as well as streets and places visited with detailed accuracy. This is a MUST SEE for general audiences who have had any fascination with JFK and Jackie.