Kennedy: The Complete Series

Released by NBC in November of 1983 on the 20th anniversary of the assassination; it was at the time the mini-series most talked about around water coolers the next morning. It grabs your attention with Blair Brown's recital of Alan Seeger's "I Have a Rendezvous with Death"; (which according to the JFK Library was one of his favorites, and he would often ask Jackie to read it in the evening,) and keeps it right through to the shots fired. One is caught up in the lives of this family; that even though you know when and where the assassination takes place, it is still a bit of a shock. Martin Sheen brings another dimension to JFK; one which often gets lost in the writings of the media. You see the relationship between Jack and Jackie from a different perspective; one that I believe is correct, she was no mouse, but after Patrick's death it is well known that they were closer than they had ever been, and these two bring that to life. All of the actors rise to the occasion; but it is Sheen and Brown that truly shine. I was thrilled to find it available on DVD. I highly recommend it to anyone who would enjoy watching a very well-known piece of history from a different perspective.

I'd have given this 5 stars-a wonderful look at JFK-his life-his many loves,and of course his death.Starting at the beginning of his political career,this mini series recalls not just his career but his life,and how his choices affect others.Blair Brown shines as Jackie.Sheen is a magnificent and thoroughly believable Kennedy.The attention to detail-the homes the cars-taking those famous pictures of the family playing football-of the last ride through Dallas and bringing them to vivid life-is very very well done.So why 4 stars-Vincent Gardenia as Hoover-his strange facial expressions and speeches are just too weird. Yes Hoover was a creep-but I kept thinking I was in a hammer house of horror flick whenever he had a scene! I was sure he was about to turn into Dracula-or a werewolf! just really really out there weird. It was the only spoiler in a otherwise very well made series.Still-try to overlook that and watch this anyway-I believe it's the best rendition of a very famous clans life

Ok I agree that Gardenia is unsettling as Jedgar Hoover. However Martin Sheen and Blair Brown are superb. I especially enjoyed the speeches given on television. The black and white grainy photography was perfect and Sheen a was a very convincing JFK. A great warm-up for his West Wing characterization of Jed Bartlet. I watched this on YouTube.

The five hour miniseries KENNEDY (UK/USA-1983) stars Martin Sheen as John F. Kennedy.It opens on 11/22/63, with the first reports of a shooting in Dallas and how these news flashes affect various people. After the official word of JFK's death is given, there's a flashback to the 1960 election, and that's the story's actual starting point. By 45 minutes in and with John Kennedy in office a short while, FBI head J. Edgar Hoover (Vincent Gardenia) is introduced as a cartoonish furrow-browed anti-Kennedy family villain.As history this miniseries clearly distorts and has a political axe to grind, yet at least Blair Brown looks and is terrific as wife Jackie.Also with John Shea, who DOESN'T resemble brother Bobby, the zealous Atty. Gen'l, Geraldine Fitzgerald and E.G. Marshall as JFK's parents, Kevin Conroy, another poor choice as Ted Kennedy, and a minor role for Kelsey Grammar as Stephen Smith, JFK's brother-in-law.One example of historic inaccuracy concerns would-be dynamite assassin Richard Paul Pavlick. This film gives his age as 36. Pavlik was actually 73 when he stalked the President-elect in Palm Bch., FL.. Perhaps such an old man wouldn't seem enough of a threat?Most frustrating is the way the Civil Rights struggles of 1961 are handled. We see Freedom Riders beat bloody by gangs of white Alabama thugs. Martin Luther King rightly wants to know just what the Kennedy Administration will do to stop this violence against American citizens both black and white. As matters escalate, Atty. Gen'l. Bobby Kennedy angrily vows to send 400 Federal marshals into Alabama, 50 alone to protect Rev. King.Rioters outside a church service presided over by Dr. King overturn a car and set it afire; they throw rocks through the church's stained glass windows. Everyone in the building are prisoners of a mob. During all this madness, King reaches RFK in Washington and he demands action. We see no resolution to this and nothing more of the Freedom Riders or 400 marshals. It's as if this lengthy section of the story never happened.Seminal events in the thousand days of JFK's presidency are capsulized, also some family tragedies, plus we see J. Edgar's gleeful monitoring of an unnamed woman (Judith Exner), who supposedly consorts with both mobsters and the Commander in Chief. In five hours a lot is covered, yet almost every situation has important details missing, thus this work gets a merely adequate rating.

At the time this was released (1983), Blair Brown was the ultimate in her role as Jacqueline Kennedy. Her looks, accent and carriage were distinct. The head shot sequence was the most horrific, yet realistic scenes to be shown, as it depicted the horror that Mrs. Kennedy went through at that moment. It changed how I thought of her and later in life, when I lost my husband in front of my own eyes, caused me to model myself after this nobel woman during his trip to the ER and ulitmate death. Very historic and true to documentation of facts, "Kennedy" should be watched by all who are interested in knowing anything about JFK's administration and presidency.

In every subtle way, Martin Sheen becomes JFK. I've enjoyed him in West Wing and many movie roles, but in this case, he was cast perfectly. The series dramatizes all the significant events during the Kennedy Presidency, his election victory, his stirring inaugural address, the Bay of Pigs, the steel strike, his advocacy of the space program, and the Cuban missile crisis. The series doesn't ignore, but downplays his affairs. Also, Joseph Kennedy Senior is cast as an appreciate father figure, not as an ambitious paternal tyrant. In this way, it differs greatly from another very good series, The Kennedy's.

I was happy with my purchase. No problems at all!

Sheen is, of course, great and this series is very, very good. Anyone interested in the Kennedys will not be disappointed in this series.

No one plays JFK better than Martin Sheen!

Great series

Great mini-series!