Thirteen Days (2000)

How sad is this?

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

There's little debate that no post-WWII conflict came closer to a true nuclear engagement than the Cuban missile crisis - and rarely does a film work so hard and succeed so thoroughly in telling such an historical tale with substantial historical accuracy as "Thirteen Days."Starring Bruce Greenwood as a phenomenally on-point John Kennedy, "Days" tells a gripping chronological tale of both official and unofficial diplomacy that turned the crisis from one of war to unmistakable American success. Aside from a pointlessly overblown and annoying part for Kevin Costner as Kenny O'Donnel, "Days" is a wonderfully constructed piece that otherwise strives for historical accuracy from the American discovery of the Soviet-backed missiles in Cuba, to the masterful lecture by Adlai Stevenson in the UN, to the "unofficial" diplomatic offer to retire antiquated Jupiter missiles from Europe in concert with a pledge not to invade the island nation. "Days" wavers a bit with the needless interposition of nuclear test footage and the infamous "drop and cover" civil defense drills of the era, presumably as a way to punctuate a necessarily introspective and narrative view of the diplomatic back-channels and administration in- fighting undertaken to overcome the crisis. And the principals work too hard to master their New England accents, of which Costner's is easily the worst. From an historical perspective, those involved during the crisis insist O'Donnell's role is drastically overblown, and clearly Costner's participation seems contrived and self-important. Fortunately, the deft direction Roger Donaldson keeps the viewer engaged with the broader epic and the ultimate focus on Kennedy's wisdom and leadership in it's resolution, guided by the book of the same title written by Ernest May. "Days" isn't your typical action-adventure thriller, with heroic stars rolling down mountains and firing machine guns at virtual bad guys, but considering it's very real undertones and the reality it depicts, it surely merits the attention of anyone who lived through the crisis, or those now enjoying the fruits of its resolution.

In October 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union were on the verge of war over Soviet missile installations in Cuba. Based on President John F. Kennedy's tapes and a script by David Self, Roger Donaldson's outstanding film, "Thirteen Days," effectively recreates that tense Cold War period. Told from the perspective of JFK's White House, including the president; his brother Robert, the Attorney General; and the Special Assistant to the President, Kenny O'Donnell; the film is largely dialog driven. Evidently based on actual conversations, cabinet meetings, and confrontations between the administration and the military, the proceedings have the ring of truth. Kevin Costner, who also co-produced, heads the cast as O'Donnell; his effective low-key performance communicates the stress of his unique job situation and the toll it takes on his family and private life. In one particularly effective scene, Costner stands outside a church, where a line of parishioners are waiting for confession; a sign says that confession is available throughout the night, and, after a pause, Costner joins the line.Bruce Greenwood and Steven Culp play John and Robert Kennedy, respectively; both actors bear a passing resemblance to the Kennedy brothers, and, with Boston accents, they quickly submerge themselves into their parts, and the leads are well supported by a cast of pros, who portray a who's who of Kennedy administration officials familiar to any Baby Boomer who lived through the Camelot era; among them, Dylan Baker as Robert McNamara, Michael Fairman as Adlai Stevenson, and Len Cariou as Dean Acheson are worth mentioning.Although the film's ending is already part of history, "Thirteen Days" remains engrossing, often tense, suspenseful, and fast paced. An excellent score by Trevor Jones punctuates the action, and the footage shifts from color to black and white in a seemingly arbitrary manner; however, whatever the intention, the shifts neither add nor detract from the movie. Stock footage depicts civil defense preparations, and shots of nuclear explosions foretell what could occur if the negotiations between the U.S. and the Soviets had failed. Donaldson avoids claustrophobia by cutting from the White House to action in the skies over Cuba and events at sea as the U.S. blockade of Cuba takes effect. An excellent film that is well made and well performed, "Thirteen Days" is more than a history lesson; it is a warning as well. The film would make a good double bill with Costner's earlier Kennedy movie, "JFK."

There are two major aspects of this movie that I reviled: 1.) It is pure propaganda, just for the sake of creating "good guys and bad guys". I am surprised that Hollywood, in the year 2000, produced such a re-visitation of a 1950's way of thinking. The movie did not, for one second, admit that the U.S. had medium range nuclear missiles in W. Germany, aimed at Russia and had a similar strike time reaction-window as that which had the U.S. government tearing their hair out and running around like sissies. How do we think the Russians must have felt?! Now, today, the U.S. missiles are in Poland... 500 miles closer to Russia!! This movie is so one-sided that I would have thought it was manufactured by the Department of Defense or the U.S. Marines. It is abyssymal and inexcuseable. The second facet of Thirteen Days that I found unacceptable (and made it unwatchable, for me)was Kevin Costner's crazy, warped, overdone accent. Now, I was born and raised in Boston. I spent the first 50 years of my life there, beginning in 1957. I have never hear anyone speak like Costner did in this picture. It is as though he was trying to do "President Kennedy times two". If I were the person playing JFK in the picture, I would have turned to Kostner at one point and said, "Why are you talking like that? Are you trying to mock me?" Evidentally, Kostner figured he was the star of the movie and did everything he could to attract attention to himself. honestly, his "accent" is the biggest direction gaffe I have ever seen in a movie. It was just insane.

The years between 1960-70 holds great importance to the US. Most of the revolutions and changes that were yet to come happened during this time period. Assassinations of Leaders like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John F Kennedy,JFK and RFK. I am an Indian(Asia) have seen several movies that deals or just scrapes with the JFK issue but none of the movies showed how good this man was or his brother. Bobby(movie) even though everyone says he is a fine man but no reels on the reality. This movie also shows how JFK & RFK wanted peace more than anything and how some of the generals or high officials disliked their NEED FOR PEACE as WEAKNESS. I say it takes a lot of courage to stand up to what you believe and fight for peace rather than go into war and ruin others life when the main guys who initiated this remains hidden in a thick fortress of shield. It takes a lot of courage and good soul to think about the farewell of millions of countrymen over power and show offs of STRENGTH. I think we need more of these of men than those who think peace is for weaker. JFK held the position in the most controversial and difficult times for USA. All the actors did a marvelous job and I personally think Kevin is a guy who cherishes and loves JFK and Bobby. As he did JFK related movies. All in all politics is shown at its best.