THIRTEEN DAYS

2000

I remember sitting in my graduate-school dorm-room at the University of Oklahoma, sweating out those stressful days in October of 1962, trying to decide whether or not to fly back to my family in New York, to await the impending nuclear war. The film "Thirteen Days" shows, in what appears to be an accurate depiction, the decisions made by the Kennedy brothers, and those around them, that helped to prevent this devastation. Although the facts of the events are known to anyone who lived through them or studied history, this movie is so well-written, well-directed, and well-acted that it all plays out as a new, and unbearably tense suspense thriller. It was a wise decision to cast relatively unknown actors to play John and Bobby Kennedy(Bruce Greenwood and Steven Culp;) they're both outstanding. Kevin Costner is the heart of the film as Kennedy friend and adviser Kenny O'Donnell. For once, he pulls it off and brings the whole film together. Although the film is 2-1/2 hours long, it flies by with unnerving speed. This one is as good as it gets.

5 Stars

NJB

Slow, thoughtful and extremely chilling, THIRTEEN DAYS chronicles the two week period in October of 1962 when the United States just narrowly avoided going to war with the Soviet Union over the Cuban missile crisis. Kevin Costner's character is special aid to JFK and was supposedly involved in most of the meetings JFK had with the joint chiefs, with his cabinet, and with brother Bobby. Let me say that while Costner gave a great performance (the Bahston accent was a little jarring), there need to be Oscar nominations for Bruce Greenwood as JFK and Steven Culp as Bobby (who looks the part so well that it's a tad unsettling). The film does a good job getting across the feeling of dread, pride and anguish that JFK must have gone through. Director Roger Donaldson seems to have stolen a few tricks of Oliver Stone's with his flashes between scenes of color and scenes shot in an aged-looking blue and white that does a good job setting the tone for the period. Did I say slow? Yes, it is, but there is so much to keep track of that it has to be. Look for this one to be on a lot of 10 best lists- it'll be on mine!

5 Stars

CDF