The filmmakers also avoided the other too-obvious plotline by not focusing exclusively on the iconic Kennedys. Instead, the story is told through the eyes of Kenneth O’Donnell, a Boston pol and confidant of Jack and Bobby. O’Donnell, portrayed by Kevin Costner, becomes a sort of Everyman narrative device, floating through the public and private worlds of the Kennedys.
The result is no documentary. Historians will object to some of the dialogue, particularly O’Donnell’s, whose voice is never heard on tapes of the strategy meetings. But after an exclusive early peek, NEWSWEEK can report that, contrary to early buzz, Costner’s O’Donnell does not end up saving the world.
Too often Hollywood has depicted the White House in sentimental terms (“The American President”) or as the center of a sinister plot (“Absolute Power”). TV’s “The West Wing” feels too slick; “Thirteen Days” eludes that trap. It’s a glimpse of what those difficult weeks were really like, chronicling in part Bobby Kennedy’s journey from impetuous hawk to mature leader. When an official argues for airstrikes, RFK’s character retorts, “No. There is more than one option here, and if one hasn’t occurred to us, it’s because we haven’t thought hard enough.” This is a movie that will make people think hard.
