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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Renee Schonfeld

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?

4

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.

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