Another movie today, it’s JFK, Oliver Stone’s alternative history of the assassination of JFK. I’m not a huge fan of Oliver Stone. His movies feel like being shouted at for three hours, and this one in particular.
But it’s got an all star cast, so let’s see how many famous faces we can spot. First, it’s Ed Asner, so cuddly as Lou Grant, but here railing against Kennedy and spitting racism.
He’s talking to Jack Lemmon.
Kevin Costner stars, as Jim Garrison, the New Orleans DA who tried to prove there was a huge conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy.
Wayne Knight plays one of Garrison’s staff
As does Michael Rooker.
Joe Pesci wasn’t available for filming, so his role was taken by a puppet from Thunderbirds.
Walter Matthau talks about whether Oswald could have got off three shots in the time.
Sissy Spacek plays Garrison’s wife.
Gary Oldman plays Lee Harvey Oswald
Here’s John Candy
And Kevin Bacon
Laurie Metcalf plays another member of Garrison’s staff.
Tommy Lee Jones plays Clay Shaw, the main subject of Garrison’s investigation. suspected of orchestrating the whole assassination conspiracy.
Donald Sutherland plays a deep throat type, who calls himself X.
The weirdest appearance is of the real Jim Garrison, playing Earl Warren, who headed the Warren Commission looking into the assassination, and whom Garrison himself was trying to disprove.
I honestly don’t know if the whole Kennedy conspiracy is bullshit. The film hurls a lot of evidence at us, but I’ve no idea how much of it is real or makes sense. And, although the film seems to try to undercut this criticism, there’s definitely a whiff of homophobia in the prosecution of Clay Shaw, a flamboyant gay man, as the head of the conspiracy.
But it does have a truly great moment near the end, as Costner is summing up his case. The summing up is lengthy, with lots of pacing around, but when he finishes, the camera cranes up slightly, Costner’s gaze flicks to look right down the camera lens, as he delivers the line “Nothing as long as you live will ever be more important. It’s up to you.” Stone is directly addressing the audience, begging them to join him in opposing the conspiracy. Whether you believe it or not, it’s a powerful bit of filmmaking.
After this, the recording stops.
Adverts:
- trail: The Kennedys
- Shell
- Anchor Butter
- Twirl
- President Kennedy in Ireland
- Tetley
VHiStory 