Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Taking on the Kennedys

  • TV Movie
  • 19961996
  • 52m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
39
YOUR RATING
Taking on the Kennedys (1996)
Documentary
What would it be like to run against one of the most powerful political families in America? Enter the backrooms of American politics as a doctor named Kevin Vigilante takes on the Kennedys.... Read allWhat would it be like to run against one of the most powerful political families in America? Enter the backrooms of American politics as a doctor named Kevin Vigilante takes on the Kennedys. In his first race for public office, Kevin Vigilante challenges Ted Kennedy's youngest so... Read allWhat would it be like to run against one of the most powerful political families in America? Enter the backrooms of American politics as a doctor named Kevin Vigilante takes on the Kennedys. In his first race for public office, Kevin Vigilante challenges Ted Kennedy's youngest son, Patrick, and gets the political education of a lifetime. Dedicated to running a clean f... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
39
YOUR RATING
    • Joshua Seftel
    • Joshua Seftel
  • Stars
    • Tom Kemp(voice)
    • Patrick Joseph Kennedy II
    • John Kennedy Jr.
    • Joshua Seftel
    • Joshua Seftel
  • Stars
    • Tom Kemp(voice)
    • Patrick Joseph Kennedy II
    • John Kennedy Jr.
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Photos

    Best Boy (1979)
    Taking on the Kennedys (1996)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tom Kemp
    Tom Kemp
    • Narrator
    • (voice)
    Patrick Joseph Kennedy II
    Patrick Joseph Kennedy II
    • Self
    • (as Patrick Kennedy)
    John Kennedy Jr.
    John Kennedy Jr.
    • Self
    Caroline Kennedy
    Caroline Kennedy
    • Self
    Robert F. Kennedy
    Robert F. Kennedy
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Ted Kennedy
    Ted Kennedy
    • Self
    Kevin Vigilante
    • Self
      • Joshua Seftel
      • Joshua Seftel
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    War, Inc.
    5.5
    War, Inc.

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The song played over the opening credits is "Rhode Island is Famous For You", performed by Blossom Dearie.
    • Connections
      References Rocky (1976)

    User reviews2

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Little TV documentary that moves more like an Oscar-worthy motion picture
    The situation is not made up and the characters are very real, but "Taking on the Kennedys", a gripping documentary that covers a congressional election and its effects on two candidates, features enough drama and plot twists to make it just as good as any motion picture. The drama begins as viewers meet the two candidates: Kevin Vigilante, a hard working doctor facing his first election, and the incumbent, Patrick Kennedy, who just happens to have one of the most famous last names in politics. At first, nobody seems to think twice about Kennedy winning the election, but Vigilante makes a wonderful "underdog", who ends up being more of a threat than Kennedy might have thought. Much of the film follows the Vigilante campaign, with the occasional shots of Kennedy at work. When we see Kennedy, we see the glamour and riches that he put behind his campaign with money from various donors, including actors, lawyers and doctors. We also see such family members as cousins John and Caroline and father Ted saying some nice words on Pat's behalf. Family members are present in the Vigilante campaign, but they're simply Rhode Islanders, nobody "special" like the Kennedy's. Much of Vigilante's campaign seems to consist of phone calls and little else. Hardly any of the town members know his name, and even his fellow doctors have thrown their support behind Kennedy, who, needless to say, is leading in the polls. The Vigilante campaign does not give up, though, even after Kennedy suddenly airs a string of negative and somewhat dishonest ads about Vigilante. Vigilante continues to work and he gains support in the form of a talk show host who happens to loathe Kennedy. He also manages to hold his own against Kennedy in a debate. Kennedy fights back with another string of negative ads, where he is basically accusing Vigilante of being a liar and a criminal. Vigilante then goes and confronts Patrick at an important campaign meeting, demanding that he pull the ads. When Patrick refuses, Vigilante is faced with a great moral choice...should he ignore that ads (as he chose to do before) and face jeopardizing his reputation, or should he fight back? While Patrick faces his moral dilemma, his campaign is able to unearth a skeleton in Patrick's closet, and just two weeks before the election, they make an ad of their own. The ad is of course a major success and now Kennedy and Vigilante are literally neck-in-neck in the polls. Vigilante now faces a chance of winning, but is he happy? As he comes to the emotional revelation that he has become just like his running mate, a great moral lesson is learned. Suddenly the election matters little to Kevin, for he's had enough of an experience to last a long time. As viewers, we are fortunate to be "along" with Kevin during all of his experiences as a struggling, but happy candidate, who is unfortunately roped into the world of dishonesty that gives politics its bad name. As it is, "Taking on the Kennedy's" is in a class by itself for "educational" documentaries for it's honest, yet fascinating coverage. I can only hope that some Hollywood producer will one day view it, because I would love to see this done as a motion picture. Excellent film!
    helpful•3
    1
    • Goon-2
    • Feb 17, 1999

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 28, 1996 (United States)
      • United States
      • PBS (United States)
      • Seftel Productions
      • English
    • Production company
      • ITVS International
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 52 minutes
      • Color

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.