2:27 | Trailer
The triumphs and tragedies of the most popular political family in American history.
Top-Rated Episodes
S1.E8
Bobby blames himself for his brother's death. Five years later, tragedy strikes again.
S1.E6
The Cuban Missile Crisis brings America and Russia to the brink of war. Jackie leaves JFK after one infidelity too many.
S1.E3
When the Bay of Pigs invasion proves disastrous, JFK makes a difficult decision he must later atone for.
We've curated a list of lesser-known films to help you explore the space-time continuum from the comfort of your couch.
Related News
-
Starlings Television Ramps Up Output With ‘Sherlock’s Daughter’, ‘Alexander the Great’ & Romanovs Series, TV Movie Slate
12 January 2021 | Deadline -
Awards spotlight: Brendan Gleeson is tremendous, believe me, as Donald Trump in Showtime’s ‘The Comey Rule’
07 October 2020 | Gold Derby -
Awards spotlight: Showtime’s riveting ‘The Comey Rule’ should propel Jeff Daniels to Golden Globes, SAG and more
06 October 2020 | Gold Derby
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The Kennedys (2011)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Edit
Cast
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (48) »
Storyline
The story of the most fabled political family in American history, told in a manner similar to The Godfather: a manipulative, egocentric father determined to live out his own ambitions through his sons, who in turn spent their lives dancing to his tune while at the same time trying to stand on their own. This is history through personality - the tangled relationships through which paint a picture of one of the most turbulent periods of the modern age. Viewers will be upstairs at the White House, not in the Cabinet Room. Through iconic events in history - the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the civil rights struggle, the mob connection - viewers will learn about the lesser known, yet critical personal stories. Written by History Channel Publicity
Plot Keywords:
year 1963 | john f. kennedy assassination | first family | president | watching television |Taglines:
An Epic 8-part TV Movie Event See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
In Selma (2018), Tom Wilkinson (who plays Joe Kennedy in this mini-series) played Lyndon B. Johnson, who was sworn into presidency immediately following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. See more »Goofs
When "Dr. Feelgood" is injecting Jackie Kennedy the camera shows him withdrawing the needle. As the needle exits her skin, you can see it is a flat spring loaded "Special effects" needle and not a real hypodermic needle. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
See more »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
3 April 2011 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Kennedys See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
I finished watching all 8 episodes which I feel is a must to properly review a production. Trying to do it after only one episode is not fair to it.
That being said, I found this series very interesting and highly enjoyable, yet sad. I grew up in the 50's and well remember everything about the Kennedys, the myths and the truths. It is impossible to cram everything about this large family into just 8 hours, but this did a pretty good job with the main points. I don't feel they played that loose with the historical facts because it is impossible to know everything about what happened in the inner sanctum of that great family.
I do know that Greg Kinnear did a remarkable job as John, to the point where I believed he was truly John and had to remind myself he wasn't at times. Katie Holmes did a very good job with Jackie considering she was a private woman who was rarely seen outside of her official role, so not a lot of info for Katie to help her in her role. All we have is hearsay. The other stars with outstanding performances were Barry Pepper and Tom Wilkinson, with a very big nod to Diana Hardcastle as Rose Kennedy. I have seen Barry before and he is a fine actor and deserves an award for this role as do Greg, Tom and Diana.
This movie was not about conspiracy theories and trying to figure out who assassinated JFK. It hinted at several possibilities and left it at that. What it is about is a family that pulled together in difficult times and took care of each other, which can be a rare thing in these days. It showed their progressive values and the contributions they made to bettering this country and it was so sad that was cut short. I will never forget either of the days those men were assassinated. Watching it all over again was very difficult for me.
My only disappointment was that the only other family member shown briefly was the daughter with the disability. Ted Kennedy was never shown and should have been since it was called The Kennedys and he went on to do great things, but I suppose time restricted that and he was young in the time period this was set.
This movie did it's job of entertaining people and if you don't look at it as "well, history says this or that" then you will enjoy it. It is not meant to retell history but to try to put personality's into public figures and show the difficulties faced by a large political family, the good and the bad. The direction and writing were superb, as well as the cinematography and I liked the way they went back in time to fill in some blanks; made it more interesting to me. I would recommend this to anyone who is not nit picky or highly critical. It is not a documentary, but a mini series about a family, that's all. I found little to criticize about the history element since they skimmed over important events that I lived through and they were pretty accurate. Books can have their own spin on things to sell them, so may not really be accurate either.
I give this an 8/10. This was more like a theatrical production than a TV one.