Made for TV

Rating: 5/10 (26 August 2001)

This movie reeked of an amateurish quality that began with Costner's accent and was constantly reinforced by a heavy-handed soundtrack. Screenwriting 101 says show, don't tell the drama. "Apollo 13" did a good job of showing the drama even though we already knew the outcome. Regrettably, "Thirteen Days" kept telling us over and over, mostly with reaction shots of Mushmouth (Costner). The footage of him looking concerned, worried, etc. put this film so far beyond two hours, you'll wonder if Thirteen Days is how long it takes to see this film.