compelling dramatization of the events of the Cuban Missile crisis

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2001)

A compelling dramatization of the events of the Cuban Missile crisis told thru the eyes of JFK's advisor Kenneth O'Donnell (Kevin Costner, making an attempt at a Boston Irish accent that doesn't always work). Bruce Greenwood as JFK and Steven Culp as RFK really steal the show here with stellar performances that get you inside these two complicated men. Director Ronald Donaldson keeps the pace moving and the tension high and you can feel what it must have been like inside the white house at this crucial juncture of history. Minor quibble, a few unnecessary scenes of Kevin Costner with his family don't work and only serve to slow the story down. That's just a minor flaw though, the film is very effective. GRADE: A-