Parkland (***)
Directed
by: Peter Landesman
Starring:
James Badge Dale, Zac Efron, Jackie Earle Haley, Colin Hanks, Marcia Gay
Harden, Ron Livingston, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Welling, Paul Giamatti, Gil
Bellows, Glenn Morshower, Jacki Weaver
Seen:
April 29th 2014
***
Out of ****
Parkland
is a historical and dramatic retelling of the events surrounding the
assassination of John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1963, as well as the few days
following the event. After the shot that resounded through the American nation
and culture for decades, Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Hospital in a last gasp
attempt to save his life, but the Doctors were not able to save him. The movie
is based on a book by Vincent Bugliosi, Four Days in November: The
Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the movie is praised as being
relatively accurate in its portrayal of those few days in November.
When
Kennedy arrived in Dallas on 22 November 1963, his motorcade drove through the
streets with the citizens of the city being given off work to attend. At 12:30
that afternoon, Kennedy’s motorcade was travelling through Dealey Plaza in
Dallas when he was shot three times, part of his skull effectively exploding,
and he was rushed to Parkland Hospital. One of the spectators, Abraham Zapruder
(Giamatti) had an 8mm camera with him, and was responsible for recording some
of the only footage of the assassination, and definitely the best quality
footage, with others being further away than Zapruder. The movie follows the investigation into
events at the hospital, with Doctors Jim Carrico (Efron) and Malcolm O. Perry
(Hanks) featured prominently. Small details like Jackie Kennedy handing a part
of her husband’s skull to head nurse Doris Nelson (Harden) and Dr. Carrico’s
desperate attempts to keep Kennedy alive past reason is faithfully recreated.
Parkland
also focusses on the Oswalds, with Lee Harvey Oswald’s brother Robert (Dale)
being prominently featured alongside his mother Marguerite (Weaver) in their
attempts to give Lee some dignity in death (his brother Robert) and to
exonerate him out of ridiculously stern and terribly misguided belief in his
innocence (his mother Marguerite). In the midst of all the investigation and
attempts to find Oswald and his possible co-conspirators, the movie tells of
Zapruder’s negotiations with both the FBI and the press (LIFE Magazine)
regarding his home movie capturing the assassination.
The
movie features some deft visual flourishes, with one in particular standing out
in my mind – when the home movie is played for the first time the camera is
focussed on Zapruder’s bespectacled eye; showing both his reaction to seeing
what he filmed and the faded reflection of the movie in his glasses – a
magnificent little moment in a movie that is stylishly filmed and wonderfully
produced. The time is recreated to perfection, with nothing seeming out of
place. Paul Giamatti gives a grand portrayal of a normal man, and he is joined
by great performances from everyone. The involvement of some of the actors in
this movie feels like little more than cameo appearances, and it is interesting
to recognise a relatively famous actor every now and then in a small part: Tom
Welling shows up as a Secret Service Agent and Jackie Earle Haley is a priest
in bit-parts, while Billy Bob Thornton as Secret Service Agent Forrest Sorrels
and Ron Livingston as FBI Agent James Hosty are given more substance to deal
with.
The
movie returns to a 50-year old event and manages to bring some relevance back
to it. This was a very significant point in American and to a certain extent
global history, and the movie displays the relevant respect. All around,
Parkland is an interesting movie to watch with some great visual flourishes,
and if you’re interested in that little part of American history, you’ll be
hard pressed to find a better and more engaging telling of the story within
close reach.
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