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JFK (R, 1991)

common sense media says

Politician makes case for JFK murder as conspiracy.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that in its attempt to convince the audience (and the world) that President Kennedy was not killed by Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone, this film shows disturbing footage of the actual shooting over and over again, sometimes close-up, sometimes in slow-motion, heightening the effects of the bullets. Other scenes show brutal beatings, dead bodies, and a re-creation of the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald. Language throughout is coarse, filled with sexual expletives and racial and homosexual insults. There are party scenes that show licentious gay behavior. A stripper is briefly seen dancing suggestively while nearly nude.

Positive messages: Some of those in whom we trust (law enforcement, government officials) are shown to be dishonest and self-serving. There are scenes of sordid homosexual behavior without any moderate gay characters to balance that portrayal.
Violence: Footage of President Kennedy's assassination from many angles repeatedly; Lee Harvey Oswald's killing is re-created; woman thrown from car, elderly man being beaten; rough arrests by police officers, dead bodies shown in a variety of poses, quick glimpse of machete used as a weapon; some domestic violence.
Sex: Kissing and playful sexuality between husband and wife; some passionate kissing; suggestively dancing strippers with pasties in club scene, homosexual revelry bordering on deviant in several sequences.
Language: Rough language throughout: continuous use of all forms of "f--k,"" bastard," "hell," "assh---," s--t"; many derogatory terms for homosexual; racial epithets, including the "n" word.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Social drinking throughout; some scenes of heavy drinking, drunkenness, hints of drug use, particularly as part of homosexual partying. Smoking in many scenes as was more prevalent in 1960s: cigarettes, cigars, pipe.
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More on JFK

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about an art form, in this case filmmaking, used as a powerful political tool. Was JFK successful at provoking thought about President Kennedy's assassination? What tools could you use to further verify or invalidate the film's point of view? Have you seen other movies that advocate a particular cause, or present a controversial issue? Other works of art (i.e. music, painting, literature)?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Two monumental questions remain about the death of President John F. Kennedy: Was his assassination the result of a conspiracy involving more than a single gunman positioned in the Texas Book Depository, and if so, who conspired to kill him? Filmmaker Oliver Stone answers the first question with an emphatic "yes" in favor of the conspiracy. For his answer to the "who," Stone turns to the real-life efforts in the late 1960s of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) and his quest to reveal the villains as well as the theory behind the plot.

The movie is filled with Garrison's dizzying assortment of suspects: from angry anti-Castro activists to organized crime figures, hangers-on, political heavyweights, even a cabal of menacing gay power brokers. And to oppose Garrison's crusade, there are the many in office who wanted to shut down the investigation and let the official government explanation (The Warren Report) prevail.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Oliver Stone has tackled such enormous issues and larger-then-life subjects before. He's adept at managing a huge cast, complicated plotting, and weighty topics. JFK is no exception. He presents his case in a clear and decisive manner. He has enlisted an impressive group of supporting players (Tommy Lee Jones, Sissy Spacek, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, Joe Peschi among many), as well as some of the world's greatest actors in cameo appearances (Walter Matthau, Donald Sutherland, Jack Lemmon). Is the theory plausible? Was Garrison a hero or a hack? Courageous or reckless? Whatever the audience comes away with, JFK is a well-made work of suspense, intrigue, and drama, all based on trying to solve one of the greatest mysteries of our time.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek
Genre: Drama
Run time: 206 minutes
Theatrical release: December 20, 1991
DVD release: April 8, 1997
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: for Language
This review was written by Renee Schonfeld
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

agent man
parent
17
 
great movie not for kids
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helped me decide (6) | had useful details (8) | read my mind (6)
Spielberg00
teen, 14 years old
 
Overly long (especially since I watched the director's cut). Too many F bombs (my guess is about 70 in the director's cut; I don't know about the original cut). Otherwise, great movie. I'm surprised I was allowed to see it--not for kids under 16.
My rating: R for a brief violent assassination footage shown throughout, frequent language/drinking/smoking, and for a scene of nudity.
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Lil Booth
teen, 18 years old
16
 
GREAT adult movie
Well to start off, the language is horrible, with almost non-stop use of f--k, a lot of sexual references, but the movie really makes you think about Kennedy, and his assasination.
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helped me decide (5) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (7)

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