DieselPwr44 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Anyone here watching this? It stars Greg Kinnear and Katie Homes and is being shown on the Reelz channel (238 directv). Both Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver tried to keep it from being aired. I've been pleasantly surprised with how well Kinnear has portrayed Kennedy. Thoughts? i9BtrLw7x-g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_Edwards_Fan Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Anyone here watching this? It stars Greg Kinnear and Katie Homes and is being shown on the Reelz channel (238 directv).Both Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver tried to keep it from being aired. I've been pleasantly surprised with how well Kinnear has portrayed Kennedy. Thoughts? i9BtrLw7x-g I have been entertained so far... but the fact that Holmes is playing Jackie O with a south boston accent straight out of the fighter is killing me. Also, I think Kinnear is playing a good JFK, but i think that Barry Pepper (61, Private Ryan, True Grit, etc) and Tom Wilkinson are killing it as Bobby and Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselPwr44 Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Also, I think Kinnear is playing a good JFK, but i think that Barry Pepper (61, Private Ryan, True Grit, etc) and Tom Wilkinson are killing it as Bobbie and Joe. Me too. If true, Bobby didn't take crap from anyone and Joe comes off as one scheming son of a *****. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatBuzz Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I have really enjoyed it but I like history stuff. My wife is less entertained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artmonkforHOF Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 This only started to air this past weekend in Canada. Funny, it was produced and filmed in Canada-mostly in Quebec but also in Toronto and Hamilton- mainly for the Canadian version of the history channel, with the intent of selling it to the History Channel USA. History USA backed out which is why it is being shown on Reelz in the US. I really wish this had better US distribution, as this is a side of the Kennedy's that hasn't been shown before. I am not saying this is 100% accurate, but neither are the other more films that portray the Kennedy's as the ideal American family. This is not a flattering portrait of the "Royal American Family", and I think the History Channel backed out in fear of public backlash. I agree with those above, Barry Pepper (very underrated IMO) and Tom Wilkinson are knocking it out of the park with their performances, the lady playing Rose Kennedy is not bad either. Kinnear is doing a good job, but seems to slip in and out of character a bit, sometimes you hear the Boston accent, other times it seems to be missing. Katie is not very good so far. It is being shown as a 4 part series here, 8 part some other places. I have just finished the 1960 election and the next episode is suppose to be the birth of JKF Jr., Bobby's unwillingness to become AG and the Bay of Pigs, plus a teaser of Marilyn Monroe. Things are just starting to get good and I can't wait to watch more of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnhay Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 What's up with the father having a british accent? Did he really speak like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Me too.If true, Bobby didn't take crap from anyone and Joe comes off as one scheming son of a *****. I haven't seen the show yet. Two thoughts. "Killing it" is good right. I mean Katie Holmes "Killing me", south Boston accent is bad, but Tom Wilkinson "killing it" is good, right? On Bobby Kennedy being tough. Bobby made his bones as one of Joe McCarthy's prosecutors for the un American Activities committee. He followed that up by knocking around Union Boss Jimmy Hoffa. Then he took on the segregationists in the south and organized Crime. I think it's very safe to say Bobby Kennedy was a tough SOB with pretty strong ideas on issues... We aren't even mentioning here that Bobby was the point man during the Cuban missile crisis negotiating with the soviets. Bobby was also JFK's campaign manager who got him into the Presidency in the first place. ---------- Post added April-13th-2011 at 11:03 AM ---------- What's up with the father having a british accent? Did he really speak like that? :doh: Irish, Irish accent... whch wasn't all that uncommon in the 30's in South Boston. Joe was the ambassidor to Great Britian in the 30's for a number of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artmonkforHOF Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 :doh: Irish, Irish accent... whch wasn't all that uncommon in the 30's in South Boston. Joe was the ambassidor to Great Britian in the 30's for a number of years. I haven't seen all the episodes yet, so you might be right that he is using an Irish accent, but Wilkinson is a British actor so it is possible that he is slipping out of character and that is what jnhay is hearing. That would surprise me since Tom is a great actor, and I have never noticed him slipping out of an accent in any other role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeman38 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 This only started to air this past weekend in Canada. Funny, it was produced and filmed in Canada-mostly in Quebec but also in Toronto and Hamilton- mainly for the Canadian version of the history channel, with the intent of selling it to the History Channel USA. History USA backed out which is why it is being shown on Reelz in the US. I really wish this had better US distribution, as this is a side of the Kennedy's that hasn't been shown before. I am not saying this is 100% accurate, but neither are the other more films that portray the Kennedy's as the ideal American family. This is not a flattering portrait of the "Royal American Family", and I think the History Channel backed out in fear of public backlash.Well, this mini-series is akin to the Bush movie. It is basically a hit piece. I know that none of the Kennedy's wanted it aired because it reveals them to be a political family more interested in personal gain than public service. Which is the polar opposite of the way the Kennedy's are portrayed. Now that there are no more Kennedy's in national office, it is good that we remove the aura that surrounded them and reveal some of the warts. Of course, it is 50 years removed now, so it doesn't really do any good unlike the Bush movie, which came out 30 seconds after he left office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Joe was a huge schemer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselPwr44 Posted April 13, 2011 Author Share Posted April 13, 2011 I haven't seen the show yet. Two thoughts. "Killing it" is good right. I mean Katie Holmes "Killing me", south Boston accent is bad, but Tom Wilkinson "killing it" is good, right?On Bobby Kennedy being tough. Bobby made his bones as one of Joe McCarthy's prosecutors for the un American Activities committee. He followed that up by knocking around Union Boss Jimmy Hoffa. Then he took on the segregationists in the south and organized Crime. I think it's very safe to say Bobby Kennedy was a tough SOB with pretty strong ideas on issues... We aren't even mentioning here that Bobby was the point man during the Cuban missile crisis negotiating with the soviets. Bobby was also JFK's campaign manager who got him into the Presidency in the first place . What I gathered from all of that is Bobby was really the better candidate for President than Jack was..as far as having a head on his shoulders and the no nonsense attitude to go along with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I haven't seen all the episodes yet, so you might be right that he is using an Irish accent, but Wilkinson is a British actor so it is possible that he is slipping out of character and that is what jnhay is hearing. That would surprise me since Tom is a great actor, and I have never noticed him slipping out of an accent in any other role. Yeah that would be something that would make Joe Kennedy turn over in his grave it's it's true. Joe Kennedy hated the British. He was a political rival of FDR's and a presidential candidate with deep pockets. A powerful combo. So FDR basically out manuvered him. FDR made him Ambassidor to the court of Saint James ( britian)... then bypassed the embassy for all of his important correpsondence. Joe who was pro Nazi leading up to the war and an infamous anti semite was basically put in a box that Winston Churchill was sitting on for FDR. Joe's political and diplomatic career was over when he compared the Nazi Party to Democrats and Republicans... "just a party". That in association with Pearl Harbor put the kebash on the entire anti war movement which Joe was front and center on. Joe then gave up his political life and spent the rest of his life scheming for the advancement of his sons. ---------- Post added April-13th-2011 at 02:59 PM ---------- What I gathered from all of that is Bobby was really the better candidate for President than Jack was..as far as having a head on his shoulders and the no nonsense attitude to go along with it. If that's what you think makes a good president... One gauge of a good President is to keep his cards close to his vest and politically out maneuver his opponnents. FDR, LBJ, Bill Clinton.... Bobby has what Hillary has, maybe Harry Truman too. A black and white view of the world and the willingness to engage and change what he didn't like. Bobby had that probable more so than anybody else in American politics ever. You look at all the windmills Bobby tilted at, and look at how many ultimately crumbled after having stood for decades..... Bobby was Jack's attack dog. Bobby had Jack's full confidence and unleashed him on issues. It's unclear if President RFK would have had the same properties or the same tactics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnhay Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 :doh: Irish, Irish accent... whch wasn't all that uncommon in the 30's in South Boston. Joe was the ambassidor to Great Britian in the 30's for a number of years. Maybe you have a better ability to distinguish accents, but it never sounded Irish to me. I'll have to listen to him again the next episode I watch. Thanks for the insight. EDIT: Oh yeah. You're right about the Irish accent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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