X
- 2018
- PG-13
- Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
- 1 h 46 m
- 2018
- PG-13
- Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
- 1 h 46 m
Summary In the riveting suspense drama, CHAPPAQUIDDICK, the scandal and mysterious events surrounding the tragic drowning of a young woman, as Ted Kennedy drove his car off the infamous bridge, are revealed in the new movie starring Jason Clarke as Ted Kennedy and Kate Mara as Mary Jo Kopechne. Not only did this event take the life of an aspirin...
Directed By: John Curran
Written By: Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan
- 2018
- PG-13
- Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
- 1 h 46 m
- 2018
- PG-13
- Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
- 1 h 46 m
Chappaquiddick
67
7.2
Where to Watch
Summary In the riveting suspense drama, CHAPPAQUIDDICK, the scandal and mysterious events surrounding the tragic drowning of a young woman, as Ted Kennedy drove his car off the infamous bridge, are revealed in the new movie starring Jason Clarke as Ted Kennedy and Kate Mara as Mary Jo Kopechne. Not only did this event take the life of an aspirin...
Directed By: John Curran
Written By: Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
67
73% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
27% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
67
73% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
27% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jason Clarke opts for a more low-key approach to Teddy Kennedy, eschewing a big accent or showy mannerisms, and fully disappears into the role. It’s his finest work yet, and proof of his ability to excel given the right material.
Chappaquiddick is a study of arrogance, of power and influence wielded corruptly to cast facts into doubt.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 71 User Ratings
7.2
69% Positive
49 Ratings
49 Ratings
30% Mixed
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
1% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 71 User Ratings
7.2
69% Positive
49 Ratings
49 Ratings
30% Mixed
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
1% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
I enjoyed it. Went to see the show, anticipating that it might be a right-wing slam. Came away with a sense that they did a good job of portraying a mysterious subject. The filmmakers may not have gotten every single historical detail 100% correct, but this is a movie. If complete accuracy is your number one objective, then go read a book… but even a book may not thoroughly explain Ted's puzzling behavior.
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“****” is an extraordinary movie. It should be multiple-Oscar worthy, but it will be interesting to see if its subject matter prevents it from getting the recognition it deserves. There were attempts to prevent its production and release, and it apparently is receiving only limited distribution, given that I had to drive thirty minutes just to see it. I wouldn’t say the movie was sympathetic to or condemnatory of Ted Kennedy. It told a story I vaguely remember from my childhood. What it did illustrate--replete with excellent acting, authentic depictions of the zeitgeist of the late 60s, a realistic recreation of the crash site and accident, and some scenes obviously recreated or surmised rather than historically documented--is what most thinking people already know: 1) Lady Justice peaks under her blindfold when adjudicating the wealthy and powerful, especially when they are in their home towns. 2) If you are going to mess up royally, it’s best to do so in a place in which all of the local movers and shakers have known you so long they’re almost family. 3) Having a generally sympathetic media and public is worth its weight in small fines, suspended sentences, and community services. 4) Average Americans “should not try this at home,” or the full weight of the rule of law will descend on them like the proverbial ton of bricks and crush them. 5) Political dynasties based on family names and “mystique” (Kennedy, Bush, Clinton) are invariably corrupt and should be reserved for banana republics rather than the greatest nation in the world. The 5:00 Saturday show in an affluent Philadelphia suburb was filled close to capacity, so I suspect “****” will succeed even if has taken almost 50 years to be made, when movies with much less interesting storylines (“All the President’s Men”) were produced as quickly as Hollywood could slap together a screenplay.
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The film is corrosive in its take on the injustice that allowed Ted to live and prosper in a protective bubble of privilege. Clarke makes it clear that the man himself most likely felt the same way.
Chappaquiddick isn’t a harangue against Kennedy, but it does take a hard look at a man who was a revered stalwart of the Democratic party for decades. The film works best as a character study, a profile of moral crisis, rather than any sort of true-crime exposé.
Clarke, who has skillfully brought other complex and compromised males to life in “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Mudbound,” is wholly convincing both physically and vocally as the surviving Kennedy brother. One wishes that the movie itself allowed him more performing room than it does.
Many of the characters are cut from recycled cardboard, while Kennedy himself, played by Jason Clarke, remains a cipher. (Mary Jo is played by Kate Mara.) The movie makes a point of not judging him, but that only highlights the impossibility, after all these years, of penetrating the mystery of his behavior.
Chappaquiddick hardly lands with the power of an exposé, and doesn’t bite hard enough to spur a reconsideration of the Kennedys. The film revives a chapter in Kennedy history, but what it means nearly forty years later is never quite clear.
I was 13 years old when this happened and lived nearby, he was my senator. I remember being mystified at the time as to how a senator could behave this way and as I aged I became more and more perturbed about his behavior. Not sure if people realize or remember but he continued on his drunken way for 20 more years before he sobered up leaving more wreckage behind him. How the voters of my state could return him every 6 years is beyond comprehension. His behavior makes Trump look like the proverbial alter boy. O by the way - the film was great, well written and acted.
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Given the significant and controversial political nature of its subject matter, one would think that **** would be very intense, full of twists and mystery and suspense, but it just is not that sort of film. It had such potential to delve deep into the controversy surrounding what really happened and why it happened, but the narrative is disappointingly safe. It comes across as more formulaic than it was capable of, focusing solely on the perspective of Ted Kennedy and how he dealt with the death of Mary-Jo rather than exploring the events that lead up to it and the broader events that followed it.
Despite the bland, one-sided storytelling, the acting is phenomenal and the script is strong. This is by far the best outing I have yet seen from Jason Clarke in the lead and everyone else is very dedicated to their roles. The writing is smart, managing to blend drama and wit surprisingly well. The cinematography was pretty enough, but failed to stand out in its own right. The editing was another weak point of the film, as many of the transitions feel forced and awkward, to say the least.
**** is definitely a film worth seeing, but I likely will not be seeing it again, as I kept waiting for the story to develop tension and it never did. The drama ended up falling flat as a result and it ends up feeling more like a Netflix Original than anything else.
Story: 3
Acting: 9
Script: 7.5
Visuals/Sound: 6.5
Entertainment Value: 6.5
MY RATING: 6.5/10
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I did enjoy this movie for the acting & the depiction of a small, elite New England shore town trying to cope with a huge, horrific, national story. It's interesting to see a slice of history fleshed out, but despite Ted coming off as heartless, the film didn't accurately depict the debauchery that he was known for (even according to a NYT piece 5 yrs after the accident that said he had a reputation for heavy drinking & fast driving.) Instead, this made it seem almost as if it were an isolated incident. Why was his relationship with his wife so strained, for instance, that might be an important piece & would have been more interesting than the drawn out scenes with his father. The pressure on Mary Jo's parents, as well, could have been delved into further. Those who like historical drama will want to see this, but for those who like a more "regular" thriller, this will seem too introspective.
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I did not get much from this film. Depicts the facts that many recall about the **** new facts to be had. They added fictional elements but you didn’t know which parts were true unless you knew the whole story. Also I get that they wanted to show how truth is lost and the spin doctors come in to create a story that people accept. Oddly out dated in this era of whole sale lying. They don’t even bother to make up cover stories now. So I got to the end and thought really “what’s the new insight?”. Did not feel it added much to my view of the incident.
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Production Company
Apex Entertainment,
Chimney,
DMG Entertainment,
Film i Väst
Release Date Apr 6, 2018
Duration 1 h 46 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline The Untold True Story
Website
http://chappaquiddickmovie.com/
Awards
Indiana Film Journalists Association, US
• 3 Nominations
Miami Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Golden Trailer Awards
• 1 Nomination
