Takes You To the Brink

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2001)

Throughout the Twentieth Century, misjudgment-- the failure of one side to extrapolate the position of the other side-- has resulted in every major war from WWI to the Korean conflict. And no one was more aware of this than President John F. Kennedy, when in October of 1962, photographs taken by an American U-2 spy plane uncovered the existence of Russian surface-to-surface missiles being deployed in Cuba; missiles with a range that encompassed every major city in the U.S., with the exception of Seattle. `Thirteen Days,' directed by Roger Donaldson, is a chronicle of two of the most intense, significant weeks in the history of America, as well as U.S./Soviet relations. Thirteen days that came down to a twelve to twenty-four hour period that could have changed the world as we know it today.
Working from an intelligent, well-researched and accurate screenplay by David Self, Donaldson takes you behind the closed doors of the White House and conference rooms in which the fate of the nation was ultimately decided. The outcome is, of course, a matter of history, but the process which led to the final conclusion is intense, riveting drama that in the end illuminates just how close the world was brought to the brink of nuclear war by the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Much of the tension in the film is derived and enhanced by the fact that it only gives the perspective of the Americans; but rather than making it a stilted, biased account, however, it becomes an objective, thoroughly engrossing presentation, and the fact that the viewer knows only what Kennedy knew puts you in the room with him, so to speak, and allows you to experience the process of assimilating the information, of extrapolating with Kennedy and ultimately making one of the most monumental decisions in history.
The story unfolds through the eyes of Kenny O'Donnell (Kevin Costner), special advisor to the President, long time friend of the family and a trusted member of the Kennedy inner-circle. The film accurately establishes O'Donnell's position without embellishing his role simply for dramatic effect; he serves as something of a `tour guide,' through whom you gain access to the drama playing out behind the curtain. That he is a close friend of the Kennedys is reflected in many scenes in which O'Donnell, Jack and Bobby are alone together. And since the story is told from O'Donnell's point-of-view, naturally his is a significant role; the film very subtly goes to great lengths, however, to establish the fact that within the conference rooms or during the meetings in the Oval Office, O'Donnell is kept at arm's length and, though present, is not a direct participant.
Costner gives what is arguably one of the best performances of his career in this film, successfully capturing the essence of O'Donnell in an understated, subtle way that works extremely well and serves the story effectively. He's clearly the star of the picture, though much of what he does is on the sidelines, which keeps the focus on Kennedy and the magnitude of the situation at hand. Costner has drawn criticism in some quarters with regards to the distinctive New England accent he affects in the film, but the criticism is unwarranted; you have only to hear a tape of the real O'Donnell to realize how accurate Costner's portrayal is, up to and including the accent.
Donaldson and the producers of this film realized that for it to really have an impact, the roles of JFK and RFK, especially, had to be cast with great care; for the film to be believable and to maintain that focus on the story, the Kennedys had to be believable, otherwise the effect would be significant to the point of distraction. And their meticulous efforts and hard work paid off. Bruce Greenwood gives an excellent performance as John Kennedy, from the accent to the body language and mannerisms he affects that so defined him. And Steven Culp is perfect as Bobby, imbuing his performance with nuance and an eye for detail that convincingly brings him to life.
The outstanding supporting cast includes Dylan Baker (McNamara), Henry Strozier (Rusk), Frank Wood (Bundy), Len Cariou (Acheson), Bill Smitrovich (General Taylor), Kevin Conway (General LeMay) and Kelly Connell (Salinger). During the strife of the Civil War, the nation was preserved because the right man, Abraham Lincoln, was in the right place at the right time; and in retrospect, the same can be said of John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. As Kennedy said, if we fail to comprehend the Soviets, and they don't understand us, the result will be tragic; and though the controversy of politics is inescapable, and there will always be two sides with opposing views, this film succinctly demonstrates that in this instance, it all came down to the decision of one man who proved he had the vision and the determination to do the right thing. And anyone who disputes it need only be reminded that, in fact, that is the Sun you see shining through your own window every morning. I rate this one 10/10.