MovieChat Forums > Parkland (2013) Discussion > The "Jackie" scenes killed this movie, n...

The "Jackie" scenes killed this movie, no pun intended.

posted 10 years ago by hoyo-mont
6 replies | jump to latest

Kennedy was alive in Dallas for about an hour, and his casket flown out of Dallas just a couple hours after that. Nearly every cop, secret service agent, witness in the plaza and people in the hospital have been identified and interviewed. This could have made for a very interesting witness testimony-based film along the lines of Downfall (2004). They practically could have done it in real-time. I suppose that's what I expected with Parkland.

I was really turned off by the drama and overacting in the trauma room sections – Mrs. Kennedy wailing, everyone calling her "Jackie", the teenage doctor trying be taken seriously as an actor, etc. I laughed when I saw them place the pink pillbox hat on Kennedy's chest as they roll the stretcher down the hall.

The other scenes & actors were nowhere near as bad, and I knew nothing about Oswald's family, but after a little too much Jackie drama I didn't even make it to the end.

[–] SteveResin 10 years ago

Also, couldn't they have found at least ONE actress who was prepared to cut her hair like Jackie had it in 63, rather than have that actress wear that ridiculous wig?

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Duty Now For The Future

[–] morganmf 10 years ago

As well as the wig, facially she didn't look at all like Jackie. Very poor casting of such an important figure, second only to Kennedy himself (I mean, who cares what Mrs. Oswald looks like?) - Lee Harvey was pretty good though.

[–] SaliceMcD 9 years ago

In addition to Governor Connally's disappearance after being seen in the Zapruder film, Jackie *was* done a disservice - I'm almost certain she didn't stay in the OR, as I seem to recall reports of her (stoic) demeanor in replays of TV coverage I watched a few years ago - the reporter was certainly not in the OR. I wanted to see more of the Johnsons. And there were, quite famously, two priests who administered last rites.

And the pink hat sitting on Kennedy's chest - ridiculous! Also ridiculous was that his underwear alone would have concealed his back brace.

[–] Scorpion_Deathlock 9 years ago

You wanted to see more Johnsons in the movie? Pun intended?

[–] Drazerken 8 years ago

Jackie did stay on the OR. I'm currently listening and reading the oral history recordings she did for Arthur Schlesinger and they talk a little about it.

[–] KBiker (1105) 4 years ago

I suspect this was ancient history to you, much like Lincoln's assassination. To me it's still living history and much of it is still fresh in my mind. The most shocking event I have ever witnessed. So, learn some facts before trying to mock them.

The "teenaged doctor" was Dr. Charles Carrico, who was a two-year resident, which would have made him around 27. He was the first doctor in the room when they wheeled Kennedy in, and he did play a large role in trying to save Kennedy. He was played by Zac Efron, who was 30 years old.

Mrs. Kennedy was in the room and was indeed wailing and crying and alternately praying, as she loved Jack deeply. Her loss was incalculable. After the earlier death of their son Patrick, who had died only a few days after being born, she was bereft with grief. But she later admitted to JFK that the only thing she could never endure was if she ever lost Jack. And her Pink Pillbox hat was actually placed on Kennedy's chest as they wheeled him into the hospital.