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Hoover vs. the Kennedys: The Second Civil War

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1987
  • 3h 20m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
38
YOUR RATING
Hoover vs. the Kennedys: The Second Civil War (1987)
Drama

This is the story of feud between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and the Kennedys. It shows how much Hoover hated them and how they tried to stand up to him. From the day John Kennedy was elec... Read allThis is the story of feud between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and the Kennedys. It shows how much Hoover hated them and how they tried to stand up to him. From the day John Kennedy was elected President until Bobby was assassinated.This is the story of feud between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and the Kennedys. It shows how much Hoover hated them and how they tried to stand up to him. From the day John Kennedy was elected President until Bobby was assassinated.

  • Stars
    • Robert Pine
    • Heather Thomas
    • Jack Warden
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    38
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Robert Pine
      • Heather Thomas
      • Jack Warden
    • 1User review
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 8 nominations

    Episodes2

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    1 Season1987

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    Top cast

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    Robert Pine
    Robert Pine
    • John Kennedy
    Heather Thomas
    Heather Thomas
    • Marilyn Monroe
    Jack Warden
    Jack Warden
    • J. Edgar Hoover
    Richard Anderson
    Richard Anderson
    • Lyndon Johnson
    Nicholas Campbell
    Nicholas Campbell
    • Bobby Kennedy
    Jennifer Dale
    Jennifer Dale
    • Jacqueline Kennedy
    Barry Morse
    Barry Morse
    • Joseph Kennedy
    Brioni Farrell
    Brioni Farrell
    • Judith Campbell Exner
    Marcia Bennett
    Marcia Bennett
    • Angie Novello
    Marc Strange
    Richard Alden
    Richard Alden
    Linda Goranson
    Linda Goranson
    • Ethel Kennedy
    Charles Woods Gray
    Charles Woods Gray
    • Ralph Abernathy
    Leland Gantt
    • Martin Luther King
    Robert Church
    • Newscaster
    Carlton Watson
    • James Baldwin
    Ashleigh Ann Wood
    Ashleigh Ann Wood
    • Bobby Kennedy's daughter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Goofs
      The movie opens with a Cadillac car heading into the camera. The caption states that it is "July 1960" but the car is a 1963 Cadillac.

    User reviews1

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Has some merit despite being totally mis-cast
    Being someone who grew up in the wake the JFK assassination, I think my generation was taken to believe that JFK was some sort of martyred saint. Because of that, I was intrigued by the title of this movie. Even as late as 1987, when this movie was released, I still couldn't grasp the concept that there could be anyone who would have been a foe to the martyred Kennedys. Despite the fact that this movie is totally mis-cast from top to bottom (Robert Pine as JFK? Leland Gantt as Martin Luther King? C'mon...) and has cheesy sound track music, there is a lot to learn from it. Many facts on JFK, RFK and Hoover's methods and their interaction are featured in this picture. Also good information (the information is good, the portrayals are lousy) regarding the civil rights struggle during the Kennedy administration. This movie, as most TV movies do, falls short in the historical detail aspects but most shortcomings are insignificant. Example, when JFK was elected, Jackie Kennedy was pregnant. In this movie, when Bobby and Ethel arrive to congratulate JFK, Jackie stands up to hug them and she is clearly NOT pregnant. A scene that takes place a few months after JFK's inauguration shows Caroline and John Jr. coming to JFK's office for a visit. JFK Jr., who would've been just a few months old, is portrayed by a 2-3 year old actor. Two years later when JFK is assassinated, neither of his children had aged one bit! The movie also alludes to the notion that JFK's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, was a friend of J. Edgar Hoover. I found no sources to back this up and, in fact, what I did find was quite the opposite. All of this set aside, what this movie did for me was spark my curiosity and inspire me to research and learn more about the events that took place. Upon further research, I found that when it comes to facts, the movie is quite accurate, however, when it comes to the context in which those facts are presented, it is certainly questionable. It is still difficult to see Robert Pine's portrayal of JFK as appropriate. It would be hard to fathom Pine's JFK as the WW2 hero or the Harvard scholar JFK was. Regarding RFK, Nicholas Campbell's phoney Boston accent doesn't cut it either. For a better cast TV Mini-Series, I recommend "Kennedy" from 1983 starring Martin Sheen as JFK. Still, I wouldn't write this one off.
    helpful•9
    0
    • fivefids
    • Mar 19, 2002

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 18, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hoover Versus the Kennedys
    • Filming locations
      • Oshawa, Ontario, Canada(Church and car burning)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      3 hours 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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