Growing up in the 60's, and a fan of JFK, I recall reading about this event as an unfortunate driving accident involving Kennedy's younger brother Ted and his secretary Mary Jo, who had been drinking at a party, and were probably having an affair. Seeing this movie, I can't help but think it should have been made a long time ago, as so much is revealed about what really happened. But, I still think this is an important film for my generation and younger people who tend to hero worship without uncovering the tragic flaws. It's also a dramatic eye-opener about the political machinations used to retain power. The actors are good, the story is compelling, but more time spent on Ted before and after would have made it better. And I came away sad about Mary Jo and her family in view of her dedication to a worthy cause.
160 Reviews
The truth is out there, not here
pietclausen5 July 2018
This film disappoints. I remember the event quite well and most of the true happenings were covered up and this movie does nothing to add to the truth.
We will never know the complete truth, but money talks and happened in the cover up, but this was not even included in this film. It appears that even 50 odd years later, it is still impossible to get the whole truth, so the Kennedy power still reigns.
A sad day. I feel this movie should not have been released as the speculation will continue, yet a person lost her life and the culprit got away with it.
We will never know the complete truth, but money talks and happened in the cover up, but this was not even included in this film. It appears that even 50 odd years later, it is still impossible to get the whole truth, so the Kennedy power still reigns.
A sad day. I feel this movie should not have been released as the speculation will continue, yet a person lost her life and the culprit got away with it.
Politics and the reason why I hate it.
deloudelouvain31 July 2018
Let's just say Chappaquiddick is not the kind of movie I'm normally interested in. Politics, is there anything more boring than politics? They are all corrupted and the only thing that drives them is greed and power. In Chappaquiddick they show what happened with Ted Kennedy, the fourth brother, the only one still alive, the one who murdered a secretary. And yes I say murdered because she could have been saved. The good thing about the movie is the acting, that's good and you can't deny that. The story is what it is, the exact thing that would happen when a powerful rich person gets involved in the death of somebody, he just gets away with it and nobody cares. That's how our society works, there is a law for the rich and a law for the poor. Disgusting but nothing new. All in all the movie is worth a watch but don't expect a masterpiece.
An objective look at a dark moment in history
Mike_Devine13 May 2018
The Kennedy family has a long litany of triumphs and tragedies. One story that has largely gone untold is the accident involving the late Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy that resulted in the death of the young Mary Jo Kopechne.
While the Kennedys have been the center of multiple films in the past, this is the first time the summertime scandal from 1969 has hit the big screen. Directed by John Curran, 'Chappaquiddick' looks at the events immediately leading up to and following the accident. The film has all the elements that could make for an interesting drama - politics, lies, power, sex - and it really digs into the backstory of what happened, far beyond what the public was aware of at the time.
Of course, 'Chappaquiddick' is accused of being a film that looks to exploit the Kennedys, but it's clear that the truth of what happened is more interesting than fiction. In terms of acting, Jason Clarke plays the late senator spot on, with an accent that is halfway decent. While Kopechne does not have a ton of screen time, given the nature of the history behind the film, Kate Mara plays the role believably. While Ed Helms does his best job in a serious role as Kennedy cousin Joe Gargan, and Jim Gaffigan plays the bumbling, corrupt district attorney, it's Bruce Dern who perhaps delivers the best performance as the cold, incapacitated Kennedy patriarch, Joe.
While this film is so character-driven, there are other things that should be noted. The cinematography is impressive, as the spirit of 1960s Massachusetts comes through effectively. The soundtrack is also simple but fits the tone of the film well.
Political films by nature are divisive, and will sometimes turn off one half of the audience from the start. 'Chappaquiddick' is an example of a film that can take a close look at a tense moment in history with a level head and letting audiences to form their own opinions without the usual preaching.
While the Kennedys have been the center of multiple films in the past, this is the first time the summertime scandal from 1969 has hit the big screen. Directed by John Curran, 'Chappaquiddick' looks at the events immediately leading up to and following the accident. The film has all the elements that could make for an interesting drama - politics, lies, power, sex - and it really digs into the backstory of what happened, far beyond what the public was aware of at the time.
Of course, 'Chappaquiddick' is accused of being a film that looks to exploit the Kennedys, but it's clear that the truth of what happened is more interesting than fiction. In terms of acting, Jason Clarke plays the late senator spot on, with an accent that is halfway decent. While Kopechne does not have a ton of screen time, given the nature of the history behind the film, Kate Mara plays the role believably. While Ed Helms does his best job in a serious role as Kennedy cousin Joe Gargan, and Jim Gaffigan plays the bumbling, corrupt district attorney, it's Bruce Dern who perhaps delivers the best performance as the cold, incapacitated Kennedy patriarch, Joe.
While this film is so character-driven, there are other things that should be noted. The cinematography is impressive, as the spirit of 1960s Massachusetts comes through effectively. The soundtrack is also simple but fits the tone of the film well.
Political films by nature are divisive, and will sometimes turn off one half of the audience from the start. 'Chappaquiddick' is an example of a film that can take a close look at a tense moment in history with a level head and letting audiences to form their own opinions without the usual preaching.
The overlapping of Kennedy fame and shame, a moon landing and a drowning.
TxMike15 July 2018
My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from a Redbox rental. We both were young adults when the depicted events happened and as such enjoyed the visual story and depictions of what all transpired.
The movie covers just one week in the life of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, younger brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy. The story is an irony of sorts, JFK may be best known for his early 1960s declaration that we would land on the moon before the end of the decade, and we did in July 1969, the same week that younger brother Ted was involved in the accident that resulted in his losing his chance to become President. Fame and shame for the Kennedy family in the same week in 1969.
Jason Clarke is really effective as Ted Kennedy, portrayed as a somewhat spoiled man of a rich family, when he needed something done he expected others to do it for him, promptly. From my own perspective, as a citizen watching Ted Kennedy, I believe it was in the best interests of our country that he did not become president.
Kate Mara is effective as Mary Jo Kopechne, although her role is rather brief. The filmmakers claim their research and input from those in the know resulted in a very accurate depiction of that week, and it comes across that way. A rather large political machine spinning the events in a way to reduce the political impact on Kennedy. A quick inquest and arraignment was followed by Kennedy pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, he served no jail time, was on parole for a year, and was reelected as Senator.
The movie covers just one week in the life of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, younger brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy. The story is an irony of sorts, JFK may be best known for his early 1960s declaration that we would land on the moon before the end of the decade, and we did in July 1969, the same week that younger brother Ted was involved in the accident that resulted in his losing his chance to become President. Fame and shame for the Kennedy family in the same week in 1969.
Jason Clarke is really effective as Ted Kennedy, portrayed as a somewhat spoiled man of a rich family, when he needed something done he expected others to do it for him, promptly. From my own perspective, as a citizen watching Ted Kennedy, I believe it was in the best interests of our country that he did not become president.
Kate Mara is effective as Mary Jo Kopechne, although her role is rather brief. The filmmakers claim their research and input from those in the know resulted in a very accurate depiction of that week, and it comes across that way. A rather large political machine spinning the events in a way to reduce the political impact on Kennedy. A quick inquest and arraignment was followed by Kennedy pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, he served no jail time, was on parole for a year, and was reelected as Senator.
Political history retold
jeffyoung17 April 2018
Chappaquiddick is something that means anything to any American over the age of 55. Or else this is an interesting, little-remembered but not forgotten incident from the political history of the United States back in the sixth decade of the 20th century that has interest for college students of American History or Political Science.
Chappaquiddick marked the practical end of the Kennedy family political dynasty that was marked by the tragic assassinations of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 in Dallas, Texas, and in 1968 that of his younger brother, the aspiring Presidential candidate, Robert Kennedy, the former, formidable U.S. Attorney General. Robert Kennedy enjoyed such a tremendous margin of popular support that his election as next U.S. president in November 1968 was considered a sure-thing, a shoo-in. It wasn't even considered necessary that Robert Kennedy even bother to campaign but campaign he did and was assassinated in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in the summer of 1968. This is one of those seminal events that U.S. historians call a change in the course of history of the nation. It led to a change of American history in the November election of Republican Richard Nixon instead of the expected President Robert Kennedy. The Democrat Party and the Democrat sympathetic national mass media, Hollywood, national celebrities, et al, desperately looked to Ted Kennedy to carry on the Kennedy tradition, romanticized as, American Camelot, and become the de facto President Robert Kennedy that should have been. Their faith and trust proved misplaced. Ted Kennedy was not of the right stuff his elder brothers had been, leading credence to the family rumors that Ted was the family black sheep. Ted Kennedy avoided legal liability for breaking the law of leaving the site of an accident that he was directly involved in and also not contacting the authorities immediately after an accident. The American people were treated first hand to the reality of how family political power and wealth can cirmumvent legal justice. They would not witness something similar until the criminal trial of OJ Simpson almost three decades later.
Yet in the ensuing decades, Ted Kennedy not only avoided political oblivion but succeeded beyond all imagination of becoming one of the most powerful U.S. senators in Congress. Ted appeased everyone by embracing any and all liberal causes and with the Kennedy family name and still formidable political power and wealth became an unbeatable U.S. senator that could never be realistically challenged by any fellow Massachusetts Democrat let alone any Republican foolhardy enough to try. Ted Kennedy became above all political reproach in Massachusetts as a congressional senator and only his death ended his political career once and for all. Yet the incident of Chappaquiddick would stain Ted forever and preclude any hope of attaining the U.S. presidency, which many regarded a good thing as any U.S. president must be a man or woman with unquestionable personal courage, judgment under stress, and appropriate judgment.
After senator Ted Kennedy's death in 2010, Republican Scott Brown successfully campaigned to take Kennedy's vacated senate seat for the last two years of the late senator's term. During the abbreviated senatorial campaign, Scott Brown felt it necessary to lionize Ted Kennedy in all his campaign speeches to avoid antagonizing Massachusetts voters.
Chappaquiddick the movie will prove how unnecessary it was Scott Brown to do so. Ted Kennedy was the last man to deserve it.
engaging, enlightening and entertaining
dave-mcclain22 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Chappaquiddick" (PG-13, 1:47): This biopic presents a mostly unflattering, but sympathetic picture of the late Senator Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) who, in the wake of the assassinations of his brothers, is intent on continuing their legacy, hoping to be elected president himself in 1972. His plans are derailed when he's involved in a deadly traffic accident in the titular town during the summer of 1969 - and tries, with the help of his aging father's cronies, to cover up the true nature of his involvement. As the youngest Kennedy brother struggles to balance the correct courses of action for his political career, his family and the accident victim (Kate Mara), he gets no shortage of advice from his paralyzed and frail, but overbearing father (Bruce Dern) and many others. Engaging, enlightening, and entertaining. "B+"
Left for dead by Ed
Lejink20 July 2018
This retelling of the death of young Kennedy entourage "Boiler Room" secretary Mary Jo Kopechne and the involvement therein (or lack of same, arguably) of rising US senator and last surviving brother of the Kennedy family dynasty, Edward Kennedy, holds back little as it nails its accusatory colours to the mast.
I re-read as much background as I could on the tragic incident and it's difficult not to come to the same conclusion as the writer and director of this movie, that Kennedy firstly failed to attempt to rescue the stricken girl immediately after he escaped the sinking car, then got two of his slavishly obedient underlings to repeatedly dive into the river to try to save the girl, didn't report the matter immediately to the authorities where we learn that if he had, Mary Jo might even have made it out alive, before most shamefully of all, he played down and indeed lied about his role in the matter to go along with the abhorrent advice of the supporting Kennedy machine, a phalanx of important Democrats, including former Secretary of State Robert MacNamara, to cover up his part and so keep alive his future eligibility for the presidency.
As usual in dramatisations of real life happenings, some dramatic licence appears to be taken with events. For example was Ted Kennedy really so scared of his elderly, paralysed father, the family patriarch Joseph (played by an unrecognisable Bruce Dern) and so ashamed of himself as the underperforming last son of the family to justify acting in this deplorable spineless way? Then, was there anything sexual between Kennedy and Kopechne on the night - there are cryptic but inconclusive flashbacks shown hinting at something and Kennedy, whose wife hadn't made the trip, was a known womaniser. Did he really contemplate resigning the Senate right up to the last minute before caving into the surrounding peer pressure and instead turn his live TV broadcast into the contemptible self-serving speech it turned out to be, including his horrendous assertion that this was the infamous "Kennedy Curse" working on him - this just in Senator Kennedy, you didn't die, Miss Kopechne did - and in so saying, trying to bathe in the reflected glory of his two slain brothers? I also thought it was a major mistake to fail to mention the substantial payment that was made to the dead girl's parents, presumably to hush them up.
Only one person knows what happened on that fateful night and I concur with the film-makers' assertion here that Kennedy not only acted in a selfish, cowardly way at the scene - he even tried to weasel out of this by faking a medical report that he was concussed in the crash which affected his actions and then compounded the felony by "wearing" a neck brace for effect at the funeral.
This as I said is a brave film, justifiably, I believe, taking a side and having the courage of its convictions to stick to it. Jason Clarke is excellent as Kennedy while the rest of the lesser known cast give him credible support. The direction could have done with less of the voguish drone shots which seemed at odds with the realistic approach adopted elsewhere plus I found the soundtrack dull and again lacking affinity with the era portrayed.
I doubt this film will gain wide distribution but hope it does. It's an excellent drama, the tragedy of which is how realistically it depicted a tragically avoidable real life accident.
I re-read as much background as I could on the tragic incident and it's difficult not to come to the same conclusion as the writer and director of this movie, that Kennedy firstly failed to attempt to rescue the stricken girl immediately after he escaped the sinking car, then got two of his slavishly obedient underlings to repeatedly dive into the river to try to save the girl, didn't report the matter immediately to the authorities where we learn that if he had, Mary Jo might even have made it out alive, before most shamefully of all, he played down and indeed lied about his role in the matter to go along with the abhorrent advice of the supporting Kennedy machine, a phalanx of important Democrats, including former Secretary of State Robert MacNamara, to cover up his part and so keep alive his future eligibility for the presidency.
As usual in dramatisations of real life happenings, some dramatic licence appears to be taken with events. For example was Ted Kennedy really so scared of his elderly, paralysed father, the family patriarch Joseph (played by an unrecognisable Bruce Dern) and so ashamed of himself as the underperforming last son of the family to justify acting in this deplorable spineless way? Then, was there anything sexual between Kennedy and Kopechne on the night - there are cryptic but inconclusive flashbacks shown hinting at something and Kennedy, whose wife hadn't made the trip, was a known womaniser. Did he really contemplate resigning the Senate right up to the last minute before caving into the surrounding peer pressure and instead turn his live TV broadcast into the contemptible self-serving speech it turned out to be, including his horrendous assertion that this was the infamous "Kennedy Curse" working on him - this just in Senator Kennedy, you didn't die, Miss Kopechne did - and in so saying, trying to bathe in the reflected glory of his two slain brothers? I also thought it was a major mistake to fail to mention the substantial payment that was made to the dead girl's parents, presumably to hush them up.
Only one person knows what happened on that fateful night and I concur with the film-makers' assertion here that Kennedy not only acted in a selfish, cowardly way at the scene - he even tried to weasel out of this by faking a medical report that he was concussed in the crash which affected his actions and then compounded the felony by "wearing" a neck brace for effect at the funeral.
This as I said is a brave film, justifiably, I believe, taking a side and having the courage of its convictions to stick to it. Jason Clarke is excellent as Kennedy while the rest of the lesser known cast give him credible support. The direction could have done with less of the voguish drone shots which seemed at odds with the realistic approach adopted elsewhere plus I found the soundtrack dull and again lacking affinity with the era portrayed.
I doubt this film will gain wide distribution but hope it does. It's an excellent drama, the tragedy of which is how realistically it depicted a tragically avoidable real life accident.
American Sin
aciessi11 May 2019
The shame of an American, or in this case, one of the most significant Americans of all time. Ted Kennedy. a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Brother of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Known to many as "The Lion of the Senate" for his unabashed, outspoken advocacy for progressive policy. All of this seemed to cover for the fact that in 1969, he involuntarily killed Mary Joe Kopechne in a car crash off of the Dike Bridge of Chappaquiddick Island. What would any honest man do but report the incident to the police and deal with the tragedy, hard is may be, by resigning from congress. That is not what Ted Kennedy did. He neglected to report the incident and initially lied about what happened to the press, his friends, his family and the family of Kopechne. In essence, he placed his political future above basic human dignity. But because of his stature and his privilege, he managed to skate by and continue a life-long and prosperous career as a U.S. Senator. The times he lived in where on his side. He could have never gotten away with it today, nor should he.
Im impressed by how good this film is. There was a solid chance they could have bungled and over-dramatized the real events, resulting in an embarrassing flop, but Chappaquiddick turns out to be as honest and true as the history itself. Jason Clarke portrays Ted Kennedy in earnest. He doesn't shy away from how slimy and calculative his demeanor was in the aftermath of the tragedy. Spellbinding is Bruce Dern as Joseph Kennedy Sr., the Kennedy patriarch, who never forgave Ted. I would say if you are a political junkie or a fan of biographies, this is worth your time in watching.
Im impressed by how good this film is. There was a solid chance they could have bungled and over-dramatized the real events, resulting in an embarrassing flop, but Chappaquiddick turns out to be as honest and true as the history itself. Jason Clarke portrays Ted Kennedy in earnest. He doesn't shy away from how slimy and calculative his demeanor was in the aftermath of the tragedy. Spellbinding is Bruce Dern as Joseph Kennedy Sr., the Kennedy patriarch, who never forgave Ted. I would say if you are a political junkie or a fan of biographies, this is worth your time in watching.
A solid meh.
valarik56419 April 2018
Finding the right words to describe my experience with this movie is difficult. It isn't a bad movie, but it suffers from, for want of a better phrase, almost an unwitting weightlessness. It's an odd thing to say considering the topic of the movie, but it genuinely felt, not so much monotone as playing against the line of atonal.
Ed Helms did a fantastic job, and plays the only character that I felt had any depth and humanity. I would love to say that this was the point, that the movie intended to highlight the sociopathic dissection and handling of this scandal, but it misses the mark of giving the story that kind of weight. There isn't enough of an exploration of the polarity between Helms and everyone else, just a series of one off exhibitions of it, each of which then naturally falls flat. No disrespect to Jim Gaffigan, but his character was more or less irrelevant. He did absolutely nothing the entire time, had minimal dialogue, and went along with whatever was happening with as little a sense of existence as possible while still being one of the most seen characters in the film.
I wouldn't recommend investing in seeing this movie, as much as I hate to say something like that. I saw it in theaters with a movie pass ticket, going in with the mindset "eh, why not?", and that seems about the best way to experience it. The actors all did a great job, and the script seemed perfectly fine, but the direction did not give enough definition or weight to the story.
Ed Helms did a fantastic job, and plays the only character that I felt had any depth and humanity. I would love to say that this was the point, that the movie intended to highlight the sociopathic dissection and handling of this scandal, but it misses the mark of giving the story that kind of weight. There isn't enough of an exploration of the polarity between Helms and everyone else, just a series of one off exhibitions of it, each of which then naturally falls flat. No disrespect to Jim Gaffigan, but his character was more or less irrelevant. He did absolutely nothing the entire time, had minimal dialogue, and went along with whatever was happening with as little a sense of existence as possible while still being one of the most seen characters in the film.
I wouldn't recommend investing in seeing this movie, as much as I hate to say something like that. I saw it in theaters with a movie pass ticket, going in with the mindset "eh, why not?", and that seems about the best way to experience it. The actors all did a great job, and the script seemed perfectly fine, but the direction did not give enough definition or weight to the story.
A Competent Film on a Serious Event
dan-21997 April 2018
The movie is well made, moves a little slowly but is compelling due to it's subject. The actors do a superb job. Even Ed Helms and Jim Gaffigan manage to make you forget who they are.
Kennedy and his handlers do not come off well, of course. It's a not a documentary and I do not trust Hollywood or the media to portray anyone historical character completely accurately.
For me, there are 2 take aways from the movie:
1. This was a sincere young lady whose life was cut much too short. It was difficult for me to watch her on screen knowing what was about to happen to her. She deserved better. Sadly, she is a footnote in history. We should refer to it as the Mary Jo Kopechne scandal, not Chappaquidick.
2. The end of the film featured "person on the street" interviews from 1969. It was amazing to listen to the ones who dismissed his short-comings and continued to support him. Seeing those interviews in the Trump era makes for an interesting perspective. Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton or Donald Trump, the American voter on both sides of the aisle will look past a man's sins if they think that person will advance their political agenda. The opposite is also true: People will mercilessly and unflinchingly condemn a person for his shortcomings if they don't agree politically. This was true during the 2016 election cycle. It was never about Hillary or Trump's demons, it was always politics. Until that is understood, people will never get why Trump has support.
The biggest unanswered question for me is: how did Kennedy get out of the car. If the doors were jammed shut and the windows unbroken, which kept anyone from getting Mary Jo out of the car, then how did he get out?
Kennedy and his handlers do not come off well, of course. It's a not a documentary and I do not trust Hollywood or the media to portray anyone historical character completely accurately.
For me, there are 2 take aways from the movie:
1. This was a sincere young lady whose life was cut much too short. It was difficult for me to watch her on screen knowing what was about to happen to her. She deserved better. Sadly, she is a footnote in history. We should refer to it as the Mary Jo Kopechne scandal, not Chappaquidick.
2. The end of the film featured "person on the street" interviews from 1969. It was amazing to listen to the ones who dismissed his short-comings and continued to support him. Seeing those interviews in the Trump era makes for an interesting perspective. Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton or Donald Trump, the American voter on both sides of the aisle will look past a man's sins if they think that person will advance their political agenda. The opposite is also true: People will mercilessly and unflinchingly condemn a person for his shortcomings if they don't agree politically. This was true during the 2016 election cycle. It was never about Hillary or Trump's demons, it was always politics. Until that is understood, people will never get why Trump has support.
The biggest unanswered question for me is: how did Kennedy get out of the car. If the doors were jammed shut and the windows unbroken, which kept anyone from getting Mary Jo out of the car, then how did he get out?
Accident or murder?
josephmcpike16 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
An interesting but depressing movie about corruption at high levels in our government. This is a well made film that doesn't pretend to answer the lingering questions following the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. Did she drown or was she already dead when the car went in the water? The -inside the submerged car- flashbacks suggest she drowned. The fill-in coroner pushed air from her lungs, not water, suggesting she didn't. If Kennedy was in the car with her when it went over the bridge and he got out, then how is it she was trapped? It could be that he murdered her and staged the drowning.
Were they having an affair or not? He strongly denied it but his wife was portrayed as very angry about something.
The movie showed Ted Kennedy to be of such low moral character and so self-absorbed as to be capable of murder. If it was an accident, why did he behave so ridiculously guilty in the aftermath?
This movie played it down the middle, we were able to sympathize with Ted because of his snake of a father, but in the end, he still tuned out to be a slimy self-serving politician. Good acting throughout.
The "Boiler Room" girls
WVfilmfem30 June 2018
This film presents a very soft example of why all those single girls were invited to an evening with powerful politicians. To discuss political strategy? Give me a break. Doesn't matter much about the aftermath. This was typical Kennedy behavior, except this time it ended in tragedy.
Competent but unremarkable history pic
NORDIC-28 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Released 48 years after the events it depicts, 'Chappaquiddick' (2017) will not garner a audience much beyond Baby Boomers now in their 60s and 70s who remember Ted Kennedy's scandalous downfall in the summer of 1969. Bruce Dern is great as stroke-paralyzed Joe Kennedy but the film has him speaking and writing--activities he incapable of after 1962. Jason Clarke kind of looks like Ted and is good in the lead role but the film remains vaguely unsatisfying, probably because it can't or won't answer questions about the incident that still remain utterly baffling. How did Kennedy get out of the submerged vehicle? Did he really try to save Mary Jo Kopechne, as he claimed he did? Why the hell did he wait 8 or 9 hours to report the accident? Authorities later estimated that Mary Jo remained alive in an air pocket for perhaps two hours before drowning--ample time to be rescued if Ted has sought help immediately. One can only imagine what she was going through, trapped in that car in those agonizingly long and desperate moments (the film glosses over this hideous reality a bit too quickly). One thing that does come through in the movie is Ted Kennedy's enormous and almost instinctual sense of entitlement--a taken-for-granted asset of the rich, famous, and powerful that is really an enormous liability, at least in Ted's case, because it renders him an abject fool and a pitiable coward. Some commentators have accused the film of being an anti-Liberal hit piece. I don't think so. In the final analysis, 'Chappaquiddick' is a parable about the existential rot that accrues around social class privilege, political affiliation notwithstanding. Because he was a Kennedy, Ted was slapped on the wrist with just two months probation for what should have been deemed vehicular manslaughter (had he been an ordinary working-class shmoe, Ted would likely have served time in prison). Yes, he was forgiven by Massachusetts voters and served another 40 years in the Senate, but Ted Kennedy will always be known as "The Chappaquiddick Kid": a far cry from his brother, Jack, who performed well in a crisis at sea. The film's best line is uttered by Andria Blackman, who plays Ted's long-suffering wife, Joan. On the way to Mary Jo's funeral, Ted thanks her for sticking by him. But Joan isn't in the mood for Ted's smarminess. She retorts, "Go f**k yourself!"--a sentiment probably approved by most viewers.
Scary truth of absolute power corrupts, a lie that becomes a web of lies
trimblair19 April 2018
The Kennedys were before my time but I see the Clintons taking up that role in modern day. This movie is the story how a drunk Ted crashed his car in the Chappaquidick with his lover in the passenger seat and then he left her there to die over the next few hours. Was she pregnant? Was it intentional? There was a fraud course a few years ago where the instructor was teaching how to tell if someone is lying in their statement to the police. There are three statements Ted made, right after the crash, a few days later when he was sober, and even later with a lawyer. Three pages of different lies about the same murder. The other example the instructor used was Bill Clinton talking to Congress and the American people about Monica. Lies upon lies that form a web of lies. When politicians think they are above the law, it gets messy. Democrats tried to stop this movie from getting made. I am glad it was. The acting is top notch, the direction is on point and the plot moves along nicely. My only wish is that they were not tough enough on Ted. See this film. It is well done and seeks the truth.
This is what real evil looks like!
Svenstadt6 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This is a terrific movie for those who love political dramas. Jason Clarke is a very good if slightly underrated actor who does an admirable job as Teddy, the dimwitted son and major let-down of the Kennedy clan.
There isn't really alot to make this movie memorable, other than the docu-drama style; it isn't emotionally wrenching, there is no major score to it. It is simply a retelling of an event and tragedy. An aspect that it teases at the beginning but then drop out of towards the middle, is the inner turmoil that the anti-hero is experiencing. It drops out of that aspect the minute the plot point starts, the goes back to the biography.
Now to get into the movie. Wow! Talk about a scandal! At the beginning, we see Ted, youngest and BY FAR stupidest son of the Kennedy clan, having a party with advisors at his cabin in Chappaquiddick Island, fresh off of losing a boat-sailing race by coming in 9th, and the subsequent feeling of being a 'loser' aren't really even used as a foreshadowing for the character's inner feelings, which I thought was a major let-down. But this movie does well at showing how evil people do things when things go wrong. Basically, Senator Kennedy drives his friend and prospective political advisor, the then very young Mary Jo Kopechne, away from a party they threw with their friends and brain trust, to celebrate Senator Kennedy's upcoming run for President, and all the butt-kissers are there showering praise on each other. Then the Senator, having had too much to drink or just distracted by his own thoughts (?), takes a wrong turn and ends up tipping his car off a bridge. The infamous wooden bridge. Then this is where all the creeps in the movie (including Kennedy himself) get even creepier. First, he hikes back to the party location, tells his political advisor, looking deschevilled and wet, that he "won't be President (?), however that is to be taken is unclear. He then tells them what happened. The three of them (Jim Gaffigan, the other guy, and the Senator), go back to the site, the advisors strip down to underwear and jump in attempting to open the car door. They can't get it open. Teddy is lying on his back looking up at the moon and thinking to himself, 'She's already dead'. They come out of the water, they drive the Senator to Edgartown (nearby town), and they say, 'Tell me you'll call and report this, please Senator'. (Misery loves company and so does evil I guess!). Senator K says ' Yes I will'. He then hikes to an Inn!!!!!, and gets a room for the night!!!!!! Passing by several phone booths on his way!!!! Next morning he calls his dad, the master Mammon worshipper Joseph Kennedy, and asks him what to do. All you can hear from the stammering father at the end of the call is "Alibi....". Let's skip a little bit here now.... Later on in the movie, at the funeral, this dipstick slease Senator puts on a neck brace to go to Mary Jo Kopechne's funeral!!!! He does this because he thinks it will 'invoke some sympathy'.. This incompetant boob gets caught turning around in the church, his neck doing a complete 105-degree turn to look at the person sitting behind him, and it gets into the newspaper!!!!!!!!
The ending is just more of the same, but even more shameful. The movie ends with a shameful speech given by a shameless, evil person. He blames the lack of guardrails for the accident, and essentially says, ' please feel sorry for me, my family has been through a lot'.
This is all a true story, by the way! This was a true story ripped from official record. For those of you political junkies who may / may not like a scandal, this is the movie for you!!!
There isn't really alot to make this movie memorable, other than the docu-drama style; it isn't emotionally wrenching, there is no major score to it. It is simply a retelling of an event and tragedy. An aspect that it teases at the beginning but then drop out of towards the middle, is the inner turmoil that the anti-hero is experiencing. It drops out of that aspect the minute the plot point starts, the goes back to the biography.
Now to get into the movie. Wow! Talk about a scandal! At the beginning, we see Ted, youngest and BY FAR stupidest son of the Kennedy clan, having a party with advisors at his cabin in Chappaquiddick Island, fresh off of losing a boat-sailing race by coming in 9th, and the subsequent feeling of being a 'loser' aren't really even used as a foreshadowing for the character's inner feelings, which I thought was a major let-down. But this movie does well at showing how evil people do things when things go wrong. Basically, Senator Kennedy drives his friend and prospective political advisor, the then very young Mary Jo Kopechne, away from a party they threw with their friends and brain trust, to celebrate Senator Kennedy's upcoming run for President, and all the butt-kissers are there showering praise on each other. Then the Senator, having had too much to drink or just distracted by his own thoughts (?), takes a wrong turn and ends up tipping his car off a bridge. The infamous wooden bridge. Then this is where all the creeps in the movie (including Kennedy himself) get even creepier. First, he hikes back to the party location, tells his political advisor, looking deschevilled and wet, that he "won't be President (?), however that is to be taken is unclear. He then tells them what happened. The three of them (Jim Gaffigan, the other guy, and the Senator), go back to the site, the advisors strip down to underwear and jump in attempting to open the car door. They can't get it open. Teddy is lying on his back looking up at the moon and thinking to himself, 'She's already dead'. They come out of the water, they drive the Senator to Edgartown (nearby town), and they say, 'Tell me you'll call and report this, please Senator'. (Misery loves company and so does evil I guess!). Senator K says ' Yes I will'. He then hikes to an Inn!!!!!, and gets a room for the night!!!!!! Passing by several phone booths on his way!!!! Next morning he calls his dad, the master Mammon worshipper Joseph Kennedy, and asks him what to do. All you can hear from the stammering father at the end of the call is "Alibi....". Let's skip a little bit here now.... Later on in the movie, at the funeral, this dipstick slease Senator puts on a neck brace to go to Mary Jo Kopechne's funeral!!!! He does this because he thinks it will 'invoke some sympathy'.. This incompetant boob gets caught turning around in the church, his neck doing a complete 105-degree turn to look at the person sitting behind him, and it gets into the newspaper!!!!!!!!
The ending is just more of the same, but even more shameful. The movie ends with a shameful speech given by a shameless, evil person. He blames the lack of guardrails for the accident, and essentially says, ' please feel sorry for me, my family has been through a lot'.
This is all a true story, by the way! This was a true story ripped from official record. For those of you political junkies who may / may not like a scandal, this is the movie for you!!!
Chappaquiddick
reddskyy21 July 2018
better late than never....
rupie6 April 2018
Better late than never that the true story of the Chappaquidick coverup gets major attention. For the Kennedys, laws and rules were always for the little people. I'm of a generation old enough to remember Chappaquidick. It's good that the younger crowd gets to see how the Kennedys operate. Disgusting how Ted, backed by his army of fixers and p.r. hacks, portrays himself and his family as victims, when he was responsible for a young girl's death. My only complaint about the movie is that it's too kind to him, leaning on the "dad made me do it" and the myth of Kennedy family devotion to "public service." As a resident of Massachusetts I am ashamed that after this miscarriage of justice the voters of this state re-elected this execrable miscreant. By the way it's been reported that "powerful people" tried to stop the release of this movie.
Based on the true story
SnoopyStyle22 February 2019
It's 1969 close to the moon landing. Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) orders his cousin and family fixer Joseph Gargan (Ed Helms) to bring the Boiler Room Girls to a sailing regatta get-together on Martha's Vineyard. They are secretaries from his brother Bobby's ill-fated Presidential run. Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara) and Rachel Schiff (Olivia Thirlby) are two of those Girls. After a night of drinking, Ted drives off a bridge with Mary Jo. She is killed while he somehow manages to escape. Joe and Paul Markham (Jim Gaffigan) come to Ted's aid but they are unable to recover Mary Jo. Ted fails to report the accident for nine hours and it becomes a tale of political PR intrigue.
The script says Based on the true story but I didn't notice that anywhere in the movie. It probably needs it, not for any legal reasons. "Based on" is synonymous to truth adjacent and this movie needs that kind of self-awareness. I'm not saying this is fabricated but there is lots that are conjecture. Teddy is shown ordering The Girls for the gathering, not just Mary Jo. He is drunk during the accident and is pushed by his dying father to get an Alibi. In a way, Ted is a figure of Greek tragedy. The biggest question for me is the accident itself. Ted magically escapes but Mary Jo is shown struggling to open the doors. The recovery reveals that all the doors are stuck and Ted's escape is never explained. My logical mind needs an explanation. Did he get ejected out of the car and the door closed from the rushing waters? Was Mary Jo actually struggling or did she get knocked out by the crash? The movie suggests that Ted escaped leaving her to slowly drown in a car filling up with water. There is lots of little turns that make me question whether it's the truth or it's the writers' fancy. Joe Sr.'s "Alibi" is definitely a conjecture. I almost don't want the classic evil old man troop but it is a way for Ted to find a bit of redemption by opposing his father. This is not a hard takedown as to be obviously slanted. It is one possible version. This is well made but there are little turns that make me wonder about some of its accuracy. I'm not sure about Clarke or Helms' portrayal. Joey is rounding up an harem in one instance and in another is the noble voice of responsibility. The truth is out there.
The script says Based on the true story but I didn't notice that anywhere in the movie. It probably needs it, not for any legal reasons. "Based on" is synonymous to truth adjacent and this movie needs that kind of self-awareness. I'm not saying this is fabricated but there is lots that are conjecture. Teddy is shown ordering The Girls for the gathering, not just Mary Jo. He is drunk during the accident and is pushed by his dying father to get an Alibi. In a way, Ted is a figure of Greek tragedy. The biggest question for me is the accident itself. Ted magically escapes but Mary Jo is shown struggling to open the doors. The recovery reveals that all the doors are stuck and Ted's escape is never explained. My logical mind needs an explanation. Did he get ejected out of the car and the door closed from the rushing waters? Was Mary Jo actually struggling or did she get knocked out by the crash? The movie suggests that Ted escaped leaving her to slowly drown in a car filling up with water. There is lots of little turns that make me question whether it's the truth or it's the writers' fancy. Joe Sr.'s "Alibi" is definitely a conjecture. I almost don't want the classic evil old man troop but it is a way for Ted to find a bit of redemption by opposing his father. This is not a hard takedown as to be obviously slanted. It is one possible version. This is well made but there are little turns that make me wonder about some of its accuracy. I'm not sure about Clarke or Helms' portrayal. Joey is rounding up an harem in one instance and in another is the noble voice of responsibility. The truth is out there.
The true story of Chappaquiddick is impossible to tell
neutrinobelmondo30 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The story of the movie is speculative and does not hold water. When Ted Kennedy drove Kopechne away from the party, the story becomes questionable. Even though Chappaquiddick uses Kennedy's testimonies from the time, it also proves an impossible story to tell 100 percent accurately as certain parts don't quite add up.
The strangest aspect of Kopechne's death is the fact that it took Kennedy 10 hours to call the police after driving the car off the bridge. As both the movie and the historical record divulge, a passerby found the car in the morning and called the police. The diver who extracted Kopechne's body said in his testimony that he could have gotten the woman out of the car in 25 minutes following the crash had he been notified, which the movie also shows.
Instead of calling the authorities, Ted Kennedy testified that he tried to get Kopechne out of the car himself until he determined that he couldn't and returned to the cottage where the party had been held. There, he got his cousin Joe Gargan (Ed Helms) and Gargan's friend, U.S. Attorney Paul Markham (Jim Gaffigan), who joined the senator in forming a plan. In Kennedy's testimony, he said that he swam back to his hotel - he originally testified that he had been driving himself and Kopechne to the ferry dock to return to their respective hotels in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. In the movie, however, Joe and Paul bring Kennedy back to Edgartown on a row boat, where he then changes his suit and calls his father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. This is all speculative. The Kennedy team fixing the story is also speculative.
Even though Chappaquiddick fills audiences in on the 10 hours between the accident and the next day when Kennedy finally called the police, it still largely remains mysterious why the senator chose not to call first responders immediately. "Gargan and Markham not only failed to get immediate help, but also let the senator swim back alone to report the accident from Edgartown,"
The movie also speculates that Kopechne could have been alive in the submerged car for a few hours following the crash. But nobody knows the truth of what happened to her. She could have been dead shortly after the accident.
Many questions remain with no answers, many speculations with no evidence, and even though Chappaquiddick mostly accurately recounts the events of July 18, 1969 in Massachusetts, the only thing that audiences will walk out of the theater knowing for sure is that the exact events following the car crash will likely never be revealed.
The strangest aspect of Kopechne's death is the fact that it took Kennedy 10 hours to call the police after driving the car off the bridge. As both the movie and the historical record divulge, a passerby found the car in the morning and called the police. The diver who extracted Kopechne's body said in his testimony that he could have gotten the woman out of the car in 25 minutes following the crash had he been notified, which the movie also shows.
Instead of calling the authorities, Ted Kennedy testified that he tried to get Kopechne out of the car himself until he determined that he couldn't and returned to the cottage where the party had been held. There, he got his cousin Joe Gargan (Ed Helms) and Gargan's friend, U.S. Attorney Paul Markham (Jim Gaffigan), who joined the senator in forming a plan. In Kennedy's testimony, he said that he swam back to his hotel - he originally testified that he had been driving himself and Kopechne to the ferry dock to return to their respective hotels in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. In the movie, however, Joe and Paul bring Kennedy back to Edgartown on a row boat, where he then changes his suit and calls his father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. This is all speculative. The Kennedy team fixing the story is also speculative.
Even though Chappaquiddick fills audiences in on the 10 hours between the accident and the next day when Kennedy finally called the police, it still largely remains mysterious why the senator chose not to call first responders immediately. "Gargan and Markham not only failed to get immediate help, but also let the senator swim back alone to report the accident from Edgartown,"
The movie also speculates that Kopechne could have been alive in the submerged car for a few hours following the crash. But nobody knows the truth of what happened to her. She could have been dead shortly after the accident.
Many questions remain with no answers, many speculations with no evidence, and even though Chappaquiddick mostly accurately recounts the events of July 18, 1969 in Massachusetts, the only thing that audiences will walk out of the theater knowing for sure is that the exact events following the car crash will likely never be revealed.
All the King's Horses...
st-shot6 April 2018
The facts speak for themselves in this sober and sardonic telling of Senator Ted Kennedy's infamous late night car crash that drowned "Boiler Room Girl" staffer, Mary Jo Kopechne along with the subsequent cover up mostly stage managed by two of JFKs "best and brightest" Bob McNamara and Theo Sorenson. It is mostly a restrained telling as it displays less cynicism than pointing it out as the old gang huddles at the Hyannis Kennedy compound to plot and strategize for what they hope is a future President. Brother from another mother Joe Gargan attempts to get Ted to do the right thing but he is no match for the Realpolitik of Robert McNamara who is clearly running the interference, pulling strings and creating scenarios while local Sheriff Arena bungles his investigation, much of it in the favor of the Senator as a Kennedy flunky is dispatched to the deceased Ms Kopechne's parents to block access. It is a Humpty Dumpty make over and an unpleasant reminder of "justice" bought through power and influence in this democratic nation of ours.
There's an Oscar worthy performance to be found in tarnished angel's Ted played by Jason Clarke with a smarmy false bravado and unctuous cowardice while garnering great sympathy as he panics and leaves the girl to drown. Clearly the linch pin to the tragedy he is also responsible for some of the dark humor as says too much too soon, fails to re-new his license, comes up with far fetched attempts to elude blame and models a neck brace for effect before tussling on the floor with a fed up Gargan.
Kate Mara's Mary Joe rings with a mature and melancholy sincerity, her scenes with Ted tastefully handled, more concerned with revealing two people at uncertain moments in their life than a just a roll in the sand. Helms as Gargan suffers nobly and humiliatingly much by way of reaction. Bruce Dern as paralyzed dad Joe does as well but in a much more severe way while Clancy Brown's former Defense Secretary McNamara is take charge impressive in a room of heavyweights.
James Curran's direction is well paced and edited as he smoothly moves the investigation along amid the chaos of what's at stake as well as provide jarring flashbacks and allowing Mary-Jo in her own way provide brutal testimony to the audience. Overall the direction and writing (Taylor Allen, William Logan) is neither venally strident nor smugly damning as the film portrays the tragically flawed Kennedy, justifiably in some way, as a victim for being less than a great man in a circle that would not settle for anything but before once again finding himself out of his depth.
There's an Oscar worthy performance to be found in tarnished angel's Ted played by Jason Clarke with a smarmy false bravado and unctuous cowardice while garnering great sympathy as he panics and leaves the girl to drown. Clearly the linch pin to the tragedy he is also responsible for some of the dark humor as says too much too soon, fails to re-new his license, comes up with far fetched attempts to elude blame and models a neck brace for effect before tussling on the floor with a fed up Gargan.
Kate Mara's Mary Joe rings with a mature and melancholy sincerity, her scenes with Ted tastefully handled, more concerned with revealing two people at uncertain moments in their life than a just a roll in the sand. Helms as Gargan suffers nobly and humiliatingly much by way of reaction. Bruce Dern as paralyzed dad Joe does as well but in a much more severe way while Clancy Brown's former Defense Secretary McNamara is take charge impressive in a room of heavyweights.
James Curran's direction is well paced and edited as he smoothly moves the investigation along amid the chaos of what's at stake as well as provide jarring flashbacks and allowing Mary-Jo in her own way provide brutal testimony to the audience. Overall the direction and writing (Taylor Allen, William Logan) is neither venally strident nor smugly damning as the film portrays the tragically flawed Kennedy, justifiably in some way, as a victim for being less than a great man in a circle that would not settle for anything but before once again finding himself out of his depth.
Movie Review: Chappquiddick
payamgis6 April 2018
Political thriller of untold true story of accident that occured at Chappaquiddick Island. Sentator Ted Kenndy (Jason Clarke) went on late night car ride with Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara).
What happens next follows twist and turns on the truth and how Ted Kennedy faught to save his political career. Great performances by Ed Helms (Joe Gargan) Jim Gaffigan (Paul Markham) and Bruce Dern (Joe Kennedy).
Expected More, Was Disappointed
bp-259-41528325 November 2018
I thought that someone was finally going to tell the story behind this murderous event, but that never materialized.
Little was said about Mary Jo Kopeckne, the kind of person she was, or how she wound up dead in the car of a powerful Kennedy playboy, and how he got away with it. His story was implausible from the beginning and his actions clearly showed an attempt to cover up his crime.
The Kennedy money and political power that they wielded allowed for a free pass that the ordinary citizen would not have been granted under the same circumstances. His claim of not drinking, his claim of confusion, and his long delay in reporting the incident all point to coverup.
I expected an exposé, not a dull reporting of what was already known -- in fact, this movie included a lot less than was already publicly known.
If you were looking for the truth, look somewhere besides this movie. It seems to be a Kennedy love-fest, excusing Ted Kennedy while hinting at the cover-up.
Little was said about Mary Jo Kopeckne, the kind of person she was, or how she wound up dead in the car of a powerful Kennedy playboy, and how he got away with it. His story was implausible from the beginning and his actions clearly showed an attempt to cover up his crime.
The Kennedy money and political power that they wielded allowed for a free pass that the ordinary citizen would not have been granted under the same circumstances. His claim of not drinking, his claim of confusion, and his long delay in reporting the incident all point to coverup.
I expected an exposé, not a dull reporting of what was already known -- in fact, this movie included a lot less than was already publicly known.
If you were looking for the truth, look somewhere besides this movie. It seems to be a Kennedy love-fest, excusing Ted Kennedy while hinting at the cover-up.
just try and find the trueth
garywarning29 August 2020
I really cant say much for the movie. but there is a very good pod cast with the sherif that showed up on the seen..what really bothers me is if you look into the whole story... if you or i would have done something like this we would be in jail...just sad that the power and elites get away with it all the time..
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