Summary
In 1969, Ted Kennedy was involved in a scandal where a young woman was drowned. What would be the aftermath of this incident, for his family, political aspirations, and the country?
My Thoughts
I've never really understood the fascination so many people have with the Kennedy family. I get why you might be fascinated by the JFK assassination and even some of the conspiracy theories around it, but the rest of the family? It feels like many people used to think of them as some sort of dynasty that could have created some utopian version of America had tragedy not befallen.
I just don't get it.
But I wish I did, so I was hoping that this film might shed some light onto them and why they are so loved by some but, alas, it did not.
For the most part the film just walks down the facts of the incident as most people alive at the time would have heard them reported with a few behind the scenes insights that don't really seem very insightful.
The Incident
The film opens as Ted (Jason Clarke, “Serenity”) and Joe (Ed Helms, “Tag”), Ted's close-as-brother cousin, head to Martha's Vineyard for a regatta. After the race, they throw a party for some of the political workers behind his brother's campaigns.
One of the people at the party, Mary Jo (Kate Mara, “The Martian”), leaves the party with Ted to talk, walk and drive a bit as the evening wanes. As they drive, Ted thinks about the past few difficult years and the future which seems already laid out for him and his car careens off a small bridge and overturns in a pond. Ted is unable to get Mary Jo out so he walks back to the party house to get help from Joe and Markham (Jim Gaffigan, “Away We Go”), another family friend and confidant.
They are unable to free her either and Ted goes back to the mainland. For whatever reason, Ted waits till morning to call the police, and the scandal firestorm begins.
The rest of the movie is backroom machinations with lawyers, PR guys, Police Chiefs, politicians, and newspaper men, all trying to secure Ted's political future.
What Works?
The main thing that this film has going for it is the acting, specifically, Ed Helms. Every so often the film breaks away from the facts of what happened to zoom in on the relationship between Joe and Ted.
Jason Clark's portrayal of Ted borders on impression and as Ted is pretty shell-shocked throughout, Clarke's performance is pretty stoic. Joe on the other hand is the heart of the film. As the political machine grinds ahead, he is the monkey wrench urging his friend to do the right thing and come clean about everything that happened, even if it ends his political career.
This push and pull is what is most interesting in the film and we see the two of them part ways ad Teddy eventually rejects Joe's advice.
What Doesn't Work?
The Kennedy Family. <rimshot>
Just kidding. What doesn't work in the film is the main theme and story. It feels like this film wants you to empathize with Ted and the tough spot he is in. He's supposed to live up to his brother's legacy, run for president, and be this amazing super hero of a person, but he also wants to come clean about what he did, because he has a conscience.
Perhaps this would be more interesting if there were any more scenes with him and Joe debating what to do but even then I don't know if it would work because we all know the end before the movie even starts. This is history, and there is no tension in it.
We know that every argument Joe presents will be shot down and that the march of Machiavelli will be followed lockstep by every Kennedy lackey. There is no new information in the story, no revelation of Kennedy's heart, and no question of what might happen.
At the end of the day, no one will be surprised to find out that some rich politician's from the east coast find a way to avoid any repercussions for killing a young woman and my opinion of the Kennedy's is unchanged. He's a boring protagonist who takes no actions and remains remarkably unchanged by the events of the film.
On the other hand, I do find myself wanting to know more about Joe. I wish he had been the protagonist.
Verdict
In the end it seems this film has forgotten that a historical drama shouldn't be primarily about WHAT happened. We know what happens. The Titanic sinks, The Allies win WW2, and the crew of the Apollo 13 makes it home.
These sorts of films have to be about WHY and HOW an event happens. The motivations of the people involved, the changes of heart they undergo, and the ramifications of the actions they take should be what historical dramas focus on.
This film attempts it at times, but in the end, because the protagonist never really changes or has heart revealing moment, the audience is left wondering why they spend 2 hours watching the film when they could have read a couple paragraphs explaining the Chappaquiddick incident and learned just as many facts and connected just as well to the characters.
Review Written By: