Spotlight on Ted’s dark hour
RUMOR: Ted Kennedy cheated on his wife as did brothers Bobby, JFK and daddy Joe. Rumor: Ted let his nighttime companion Mary Jo Kopechne drown in waters off Chappaquiddick. Being he’s gone, types like me
dassn’t think him an alleged nogoodnik-com. So, keeping a semiopen mind, I report coming at us is the film “Chappaquiddick.”
Jim Gaffigan, who plays inspector Paul Markham: “In ’69, living in the Midwest, I was too young to know about this. But my Irish Catholic family — discussing Teddy never becoming president — for sure talked about it. My parents voted for the Kennedys.
“People tried to film this for years. Factors stopped it. That takes power, but Kennedys always shut it down. I only know today Kennedy’d have gone to jail. The inspector I play even wanted to be part of the cover-up. But this is neither a hit piece nor an apology.
“The Kennedys were brilliant minds. They solved the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. I’d heard many different theories about them but, seeing the family history laid out, I’m surprised that I developed empathy for Ted. His brother died a year before. I also had a tough dad so I understand that — but his was a really tough dad who would not allow his family be defined by failure.
“Immediately after it happened, Joe assembled a roomful of people to work out how to save Ted from this scandal.” Where did you film? “Some in Chappaquiddick. For safety, we shot outside water scenes like the Chappaquiddick bridge in a water tank in Mexico.” Obscured Pictures’ “Chappaquiddick” hits theaters April 6. Jason Clarke plays Ted. Kate Mara’s Mary Jo.