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JFK (1991) 8.0
Ratings:
8.0/10 from 82,380 users
Metascore: 71/100
Reviews: 409 user | 97 critic | 23 from Metacritic.com A New Orleans DA discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story. Director:Oliver Stone |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Sally Kirkland | ... | ||
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Anthony Ramirez | ... | |
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Ray LePere | ... | |
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Steve Reed | ... | |
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Jodie Farber | ... |
Jackie Kennedy - Double
(as Jodi Farber)
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Columbia Dubose | ... | |
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Randy Means | ... | |
| Kevin Costner | ... | ||
| Jay O. Sanders | ... | ||
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E.J. Morris | ... |
Plaza Witness #1
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Cheryl Penland | ... |
Plaza Witness #2
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Jim Gough | ... |
Plaza Witness #3
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Perry R. Russo | ... |
Angry Bar Patron
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Mike Longman | ... |
TV Newsman #1
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| Edward Asner | ... | ||
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See more »
Storyline
Details the actions of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who takes it upon himself to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in 1963. Garrison is extremely suspicious of the official story presented by the FBI, and what he already knows and what he subsequently learns lead him to suspect that there is more to the story than the public is being told. Written by Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>
Plot Keywords:
kennedy | president | jim garrison | assassination of president | conspiracy |Taglines:
The Story That Won't Go Away See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Release Date:
20 December 1991 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Project X See more »Box Office
Budget:
$40,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
$70,405,498 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (director's cut)Sound Mix:
Dolby SRAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
title card: "To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards of men." - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
President Eisenhower: ...We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. And to do this three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishement. We annually spend on military security alone...
Narrator: January, 1961. President Dwight D. Eisenhowers's Farewell Address to the Nation.
President Eisenhower: ...This conjunction of an immense military establishment and arms industry ...
[...]
See more »
Written by Leonard Eto
Performed by Kodo
Courtesy of Sony Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
Garrison tells his staff that "nothing was done" when William Walter, an FBI security clerk, claimed that he received a Teletype from FBI headquarters, warning of a possible assassination attempt against Kennedy 5 days before he was assassinated. In reality, the FBI instituted an investigation at each of its 59 offices, which yielded no evidence indicating the existence of such a Teletype. See more »Quotes
[first lines]title card: "To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards of men." - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
President Eisenhower: ...We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. And to do this three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishement. We annually spend on military security alone...
Narrator: January, 1961. President Dwight D. Eisenhowers's Farewell Address to the Nation.
President Eisenhower: ...This conjunction of an immense military establishment and arms industry ...
[...]
See more »
Crazy Credits
Closing statement: What Is Past Is Prologue See more »Soundtracks
"Kokyo"Written by Leonard Eto
Performed by Kodo
Courtesy of Sony Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
See more »
I have stated many times that Oliver Stone is an incredible film maker whose films sizzle with excellent cinematography, good acting, and original storyline. He makes controversial films that are sometimes unappreciated by the public and the critics. I said and believed all this even before I watched "JFK".
"JFK" is a film that stars many A-list actors in major and minor roles, but they give deep imprints nonetheless. Tommy Lee Jones, the Oscar nominated actor of the film, gives a performance that I almost missed due to my not recognizing him. Jones plays Clay Shaw, a powerful figure in New Orleans and a secret homosexual who knew about the plot to kill the president. Gary Oldman is fantastic as the widely publicized murderer, Lee Harvey Oswald. Joe Pesci, fresh from his Oscar in "Goodfellas", as Dave Ferrie, a man who is struggling to cope with the heavy accusations and mysteries of the JFK murder. Donald Sutherland in an Oscar-worthy performance, as an informant that talks to Jim Garrison, played wonderfully by Kevin Costner. Other great appearances include Kevin Bacon, Sissy Spacek, Michael Rooker, and even Walter Matthau in a bit appearance.
Many of these fine performances were worthy of Oscars, but if there is one man that deserved an Oscar more than anyone else, it would have to be Oliver Stone, who did not win Best Director OR Best Picture. Who did he lose to? "Silence of the Lambs". While I do consider the film to be an excellent thriller featuring one of Anthony Hopkins' greatest performances, I must say that in terms of scope and daring, "JFK" was a far superior film. The cinematography was far more varied and ambitious, as well as the subject matter itself. I can understand why "JFK" was passed over, but the reasons are not fair to the extraordinary film given to us.
The appearance of "JFK" is astounding. You are taken to a time of much distrust, horror, confusion, corruption, and cover-up. The murders of JFK, Martin Luther King, and RFK all influenced the time periods and the peoples. Many people tried not to think about it, or else they were scared into silence. Some, like Jim Garrison, tried to present the truth of "JFK", and their efforts are being felt even now.
Before I saw this film, I had seen Oliver comment that "JFK" was a movie in which he got all the crazy theories and presented them. He was not implying that everything was true, and some of it isn't true. But after seeing this film, I am convinced there was definitely more to the story than was originally told, as I believed even before I saw "JFK". This gave me a knowledge of the period, and awareness of the people participating in the drama of the time.
The point of the film is not entirely based on the story of the JFK assassination. It is an outcry from Oliver Stone to remind us that truth is never simple, nor is it always presented by the government. People must struggle to find the truth sometimes, and if it is covered up, it could be lost forever. The film is an attempt to show us that the murder of President Kennedy was a time of much confusion and mix-up. So what was true and what was not? Many eye-witnesses gave conflicted views, while other circumstances were strange in their origins and happening. And while he gave us this, Oliver Stone also presented us with the best film that he has yet made, and his resume is incredible as it is.
I have seen the films "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July": films that Oliver Stone won Best Director for. Why did he not win for "JFK"? Why did it only win 2 Oscars? For me, it is another example of how disappointing the Oscar results can be. I urge all to see this epic film of mystery and deceit, of truth and lies, the work of a master film director known as Oliver Stone.