Another reason why Kevin Costner is underrated.

Rating: 10/10 (31 December 2004)

Kevin Costner as an actor is thought of far too negatively by the public. Movies like "Thirteen Days" and "Open Range" show that he hasn't lost his touch after disasters like "Waterworld". "Thirteen Days" tells the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, with Costner as Kenny O'Donnell, an aide to President Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood, in an uncanny performance); O'Donnell was the old university roommate of Attorney General Robert Kennedy (Steven Culp, also fabulous). Costner's character has been beefed up, both to further the drama and to give Costner a bigger part, but it works well. O'Donnell functions as the normal man amongst extraordinary figures. JFK, RFK, and O'Donnell are the lead players on the American side, and come into conflict with the hawkish Joint Chiefs, led my General Taylor (Bill Smitrovich, who plays a lot of military roles). Another notable performance is that of Michael Fairman as Adlai Stevenson. Even though the conclusion is well known, the film manages to keep the audience guessing about what happens next. I give "Thirteen Days" a 10.