A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Thirteen Days

Date Viewed: 1/20/01

Details:

Kevin Costner (Kenny O'Donnell)

Bruce Greenwood (JFK)

Frank Wood (McGeorge Bundy)

Director: Roger Donaldson

Score: +

The Review: Semi-factoid re-enactment of the Cuban missile crisis in the autumn of 1962.

The pace is linear: we are looking over the shoulder of CIA analysts as they discover the secret unloading and erection of short range, nuclear-tipped, ballistic missiles in Cuba, a mere 50 miles from our nation's borders. Costner (as O'Donnell, Presidential chief of staff) is the focal point, through which we watch JFK (Greenwood) deal with these data and interact with family, intelligence agencies, advisors, cabinet officers, the military, ambassadors and premiers -- the stuff of presidents. The tension is built well and carried well throughout the film; even though we all know that this was resolved (even if you were not yet born), it is gripping and continually interesting. The tagline used in marketing the movie was "you'll never believe how close we came," and it's accurate: the details of how the crisis was resolved, even if partially fictionalized, are engaging. Decision making at these stratospheric levels has rarely been so clearly delineated, or so catastrophic if done incorrectly.

The movie recreates its time and the spirit of the early 1960's, and a young, exciting, eager and vital president; this is JFK in action, both the private and the public JFK. Fortunately or unfortunately, it also recreates the glory years of the "Cold War" quite accurately as well.

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