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RFK

  • TV Movie
  • 2002
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
464
YOUR RATING
RFK (2002)
DramaHistory

Following the death of his brother John, Robert Kennedy is forced to rise to the challenge of leading his country and carrying on his brother's vision of what America could be.Following the death of his brother John, Robert Kennedy is forced to rise to the challenge of leading his country and carrying on his brother's vision of what America could be.Following the death of his brother John, Robert Kennedy is forced to rise to the challenge of leading his country and carrying on his brother's vision of what America could be.

  • Director
    • Robert Dornhelm
  • Writer
    • Hank Steinberg
  • Stars
    • Linus Roache
    • James Cromwell
    • David Paymer
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    464
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Dornhelm
    • Writer
      • Hank Steinberg
    • Stars
      • Linus Roache
      • James Cromwell
      • David Paymer
    • 13User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Photos4

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    Top cast31

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    Linus Roache
    Linus Roache
    • Robert F. Kennedy
    James Cromwell
    James Cromwell
    • President Lyndon Baines Johnson
    David Paymer
    David Paymer
    • Dick Goodwin
    Martin Donovan
    Martin Donovan
    • John F. Kennedy
    Ving Rhames
    Ving Rhames
    • Judge Jones
    Sean Sullivan
    Sean Sullivan
    • Steve Smith
    Sergio Di Zio
    Sergio Di Zio
    • Adam Walinsky
    Marnie McPhail
    Marnie McPhail
    • Ethel Kennedy
    Jacob Vargas
    Jacob Vargas
    • Cesar Chavez
    Judith Goodwin
    • Evelyn Lincoln
    Dwight McFee
    Dwight McFee
    • Painter
    Phil Craig
    • John McCone
    David Gardner
    • Joe Kennedy, Sr.
    Corinne Conley
    Corinne Conley
    • Rose Kennedy
    Kevin Hare
    Kevin Hare
    • Ted Kennedy
    Sheila Shotton
    • Speech Therapist
    Jonathan Higgins
    Jonathan Higgins
    • Peter Edelman
    Jordan Fennell
    • Jordan
    • Director
      • Robert Dornhelm
    • Writer
      • Hank Steinberg
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    6.3464
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    Featured reviews

    3drg6024

    A weak telling of the story of Robert F. Kennedy

    As someone who grew up in the 1960s, remembers Robert F. Kennedy and admires the things he stood for, I looked forward to FX's "RFK" only to be thoroughly disappointed. While the lead actor was acceptable in his portrayal, the script itself was disappointing and shallow. It may be asking too much to expect a two-hour production (minus commercials) to do justice to the life of an extraordinary man. But if someone attempts to do precisely that, he needs to narrow his focus better. None of the major events received the in-depth attention they deserved, and some important events were overlooked entirely. Kennedy's speech to the Democratic National Convention less than a year after his brother's assassination was a poignant and extremely significant moment in his life and career, yet it received no attention in the film. With JFK's ghostly presence occupying such an important role in the film, shouldn't this event have been included -- even if it meant deleting an obviously fictitious event, like the scene in which Bobby leaps into the water to rescue his brother's jacket? Young viewers who want to learn more about this great American should not waste their time watching this film. There are better options out there!
    lord_slinky

    This movie sucks

    After using IMDb for over 7 years, this is my first comment... I'm a huge RFK fan (even though I'm only 25). I think he's the greatest democrat of the last century, and the world would be a vastly different place had his life not been abruptly ended.

    That said, I thought this movie was horrible. There were a few good moments, but overall it was terrible. It portrayed RFK as someone who hallucinated about his brother all the time, and as someone who needed to be pressured into doing the right thing.

    The man gave some of the greatest speeches ever written, and the actor did not do most of those speeches justice. If you really want to know who RFK was, I'd suggest watching documentaries on the history channel. The real footage is so much better than this movie, and its more entertaining.
    7Onthethreshold

    Could've been better...

    This depiction of the life and times of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy is a good effort at capturing the essence of the man who might have been the 37th president, however I do believe that the overuse of John Kennedy's shadow throughout this film detracted somewhat from the story. Robert Kennedy did indeed feel the weight of his late brother's legacy after 1963, and the film is correct in showing this, however I would suggest that by 1966-1967, RFK had truly become his own person and the extensive use of JFK's shadow really serves no purpose other than to distract and even annoy. Performances are good overall, but I would agree with others that this film would've been better had it come out shortly after the 1968 assassination.
    6michaelRokeefe

    A legacy continues.

    A whole lot better than most made-for-TV projects. This bio-pic focuses on the life of Robert Kennedy as Senator and Presidential candidate. The story line covers a time span from the 1963 assassination of brother President John F. Kennedy to RFK's own assassination by a mad gunman on the 1968 Presidential campaign trail. The old newsreel footage and current footage could have been blended a lot better. The whole presentation is pretty bland compared to the high energy JFK by Oliver Stone. Linus Roache worked hard on getting down Bobby's mannerisms, but falls short on duplicating that Kennedy accent. James Cromwell does a remarkable portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson. Also in the cast are: Ving Rhames, Sergio Di Zio and Marnie McPhail. Not so impressive is the numberous scenes of Robert talking to the ghost of his dead brother John played poorly by Martin Donovan. The essence of RFK's vision for a new and better America is there. Politically inclined or not, it is worth your while to watch this version of history.
    bertieclem

    Well Done Telling of a Familiar Story

    In today's world the words of Bobby Kennedy could not be more prescient. This movie plays around 4 major speeches and is bookended by the death of JFK and RFK's himself. There are a few clunker moments (Martin Donovan as an uninspired JFK), but Linus Roache's portrayal of RFK is remarkable and James Cromwell's LBJ so much more of the essence than Gambon's in the HBO film, A Path To War. Roache received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. See this movie for that alone.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      This marks the second time David Paymer is involved in a film where Richard Goodwin is a major character. While in this film he plays Goodwin (RFK speech-writer) Paymer interacts with lawyer/congress investigator Goodwin in Quiz Show (1994), this time played by Rob Morrow.
    • Quotes

      President Lyndon Baines Johnson: Even so, I gotta have you inside the tent pissin' out than outside pissin' in.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      It's All Right
      Written by Curtis Mayfield

      Performed by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 25, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Little Brother
    • Filming locations
      • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • 20th Century Fox Television
      • Artisan Television
      • Fox Television Network
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo

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    RFK (2002)
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