Glad I’m not a Kennedy
Donald Sutherland and Hilary Swank star in this 10-part adaptation of the events surrounding the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III by the Italian mafia. ‘‘ Trust often feels made up, and that’s intentional. Beaufoy and fellow executive producer Danny Boyle, who directed the first three episodes, adopt a slyly sardonic tone throughout the story as it unfolds through shifting time periods. The performances are captivating,’’ wrote San Francisco Chronicle’s David Wiegand. and others for a party, which doubled as a way of trying to persuade them to join his campaign.
Tragedy struck late on the Friday night, when Edward was driving Kopechne away from the party.
The car ended up in the water off a one-lane bridge, trapping Kopechne.
Edward swam free, but the incident wasn’t reported to the police for at least 10 hours, leading to much speculation when the media finally got hold of the story.
Director John Curran’s ( Tracks, The Painted Veil) excellent and engrossing drama fabulously recounts the events and fallout from that fateful weekend, as well as speculating on the conversations that might have taken place in those first few hours.
Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan’s script does a great job of keeping the Kennedy clan and their reactions front and centre, while also making Mara’s (Netflix’s House of Cards) Kopechne a haunting, ethereal presence (both in life and death) and being at pains to treat Edward as both a potential villain and victim.
‘‘This isn’t about opportunity, it’s about integrity,’’ the politician says, as his advisors suggest that ‘‘doing this right way’’ might even improve his electability.
Of course, it helps Curran immensely that he’s assembled a terrific, if somewhat surprisingly eclectic, cast to tell his story.
Imbuing this latest character with same kind of heart as Everest’s Rob Hall, Australian actor Jason Clarke delivers a superb performance as Edward, doing much to leave the viewer in a conundrum over his actions or inactions.
He’s ably supported by a deep bench of normally comedic, character actors, who include The Hangover‘ s Ed Helms and Jim Gaffigan. However, the true scene-stealer is Bruce Dern ( Nebraska), who says so much with only three lines, as the family patriarch Joseph Kennedy Snr.
Coming out during a time when the US President faces allegations of criminal behaviour and the #MeToo movement is on the rise, Chappaquiddick is a fascinating look at an under-examined, key moment in American history. — James Croot