Kennedy Finally Gets His Due on Film

Rating: 9/10 (30 September 2005)

While the Kennedy administration had its share of scandal and improper behavior, movies about the Kennedys, and JFK in particular, have tended to focus too much on the details of a torrid personal life, and not enough on moments of triumph, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Then "Thirteen Days" came along, and dared to break from the mold. This is Kennedy at his finest, and while critics charge that "Thirteen Days" is just pro-Kennedy propaganda (JFK's nephew even has a role), historical dramas make for more intelligent movie-making than soap operas.
Besides an intelligent topic, we have a well assembled cast, with particularly good performances provided by Bruce Greenwood as JFK (who manages to be convincing in spite of bearing no resemblance to any Kennedy, let alone JFK) and Steven Culp (who is making his second appearance as RFK on film, having previously played him in "Norma Jean & Marilyn" (1997). Unfortunately, I do not have the same feeling about Kevin Costner's performance, and I cannot help but to think of Jim Garrison (his character in "JFK" (1991)) every time his character, Kenneth O'Donnell, appears. It is as if Garrison had jumped into some time machine so as to better fulfill his obsession with Kennedy. That is the problem with using the same actor for two different roles in two different movies dealing with the same man. Nothing against Costner, he just does not seem to quite fit.
Unlike many other films, this movie relies almost entirely on dialogue, with little action or romance, so it is not entertaining in the conventional sense. It is wholly about those conversations that happen behind close doors that shape human history, and much of the drama is played out sitting down.
For those equipped for DVDs, that version of this film is especially desirable, for it includes archival footage and interviews which cast further light on the crisis; thirteen days in which the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. came to the brink of war over the U.S.S.R.'s placement of offensive nuclear weapons on the Cuban island. For those who know the outcome, the movie does not reduce the suspense, while those learning about the crisis for the first time receive a valuable lesson in diplomacy and military self-control.