Good movie Overall

Rating: 5/10 (12 October 2006)

Thirteen Days narrates the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the United States in the 1960's. Seen through the eyes of John F. Kennedy's special assistant (which never existed), one grasps the seriousness and tension of the situation.
Although one knows the outcome of the movie, it is a still interesting and worth seeing. Seeing the development of each character as time progresses and tensions grow, one feels as if one was there. It truly captures the essence and importance of those thirteen days of world history. It teaches us that we really did come close to WW III.
One thing it portrays very well is the bias of the hawks and the doves. Military men such as General LeMay and Acheson really pushing for a war. In contrast, Stevenson and Rusk try to look for diplomatic alternatives. This contrast was made quite clearly, but at times, very harsh.
Though the movie is an excellent watch, at times it can become too dramatic. One particular scene that was a waste of time was the scene where Kevin Costner shows up at his son's game. It says nothing about the movie and really portrays drama at its highest level.
Overall, this movie does a good job in teaching us how important political decisions can really be and how one simple mistake can cause a catastrophic event. It also shows how intelligently things were carried out in the White House in the time of the Missile Crisis. Even I, who was not alive at the time, can truly say I got a sense of what it must have felt for people at the time to live in such confusion.