Highly Overrated But Still Good

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Killing Kennedy is a TV movie based on the book written by FOX analyst Bill O' Reilly that tells the story of the late President John F. Kennedy particularly his assassination and that of his alleged killer,Lee Harvey Oswald. The screenplay tells a parallel story about Kennedy and Oswald from the 1960 US Presidential elections until that fateful day of November 22,1963 when the President was assassinated at Dallas,Texas.Rob Lowe stars as the United States President John F. Kennedy together with Will Rothhaar,who portrays Oswald,Ginnifer Goodwin and Michelle Trachtenberg.The TV movie starts with John F.Kennedy preparing for his speech to announce his candidacy for President.He belongs a prominent family that has great plans for the male children.As for the other story,we get to see a young 20-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald renounce his US citizenship at the US embassy.He becomes disillusioned as a Marine and turned into becoming a Marxist. The story goes to show how both Kennedy and Oswald progress with the former from being a presidential candidate into being elected into the White House and the latter from being a member of the US marine into becoming a Marxist that started working as a Russian spy.It concludes with that fateful day in November when Oswald performed the assassination and when he was later shot by Jack Ruby three days later.Conspiracy theorists will definitely be disappointed since it is not the same as Oliver Stone's 1991 movie JFK as it shows Oswald being alone and definitely guilty in shooting Kennedy within three shots.There will be no additional knowledge about conspiracy for it just portrays what history has always thought Americans about what happened on that day as Oswald as the lone gunman.As far as the other parts of the story is concerned,it is definitely too short being a 95-minute film. If there is one reason to see it, I would suggest that the viewer will be treated to great acting particularly from Rob Lowe,who provided a spectacular performance as President Kennedy himself. That alone is enough to provide pure delight and entertainment.

Although purportedly this film is based on Bill O'Reilly's book of the same title, Killing Kennedy might well have been based on the Warren Commission Report. If offers tantalizing hints and glimpses at those put forth by conspiracy theorists of all kinds, the Mafia, the Communists, the ultra right wing, but no one who accepts the Warren Commission will not have any problem with this film.That being said this is a dual story of a winner and a loser. John F. Kennedy by virtue of his birth into a rich and powerful family was destined for greatness. But as Rob Lowe as JFK ruefully remarked this was supposed to be for his older brother Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. who was killed in World War II. The loser was ne'er do well Lee Harvey Oswald played by Will Rothbaar who became a Marxist/Leninist because he couldn't hold down a job. He went to Russia and found the Soviet Union not quite what he imagined it to be. Few did who made the journey. He did bring home a Russian wife whom he abused.No need to go into a plot here. I think most literate people know the bare facts of the crime of the last century. Rob Lowe does well as JFK, Jack Noseworthy is in complete simpatico with Lowe playing Robert Kennedy and Ginnifer Goodwin is a believable and credible Jackie Kennedy.This version will not however create the controversy that Executive Action or JFK did. It certainly breaks no new ground.

Bill O'Reilly likes to think of himself as an historian. I'm afraid he's anything but. All he has done in "Killing Kennedy" is follow the extremely dubious findings of the Warren Report, which has since been debunked by most sane-thinking people.The first hour or so is more or less a history lesson of known facts, intermingled with a character bashing of Oswald, but other interpretations can be used regarding both in relation to the Kennedy assassination. For example, although there were suspicions, the shooting of General Walker was never officially attributed to Oswald. Regarding the Kennedy assassination, which was covered only in the last 30 minutes, O'Reilly completely ignores:1. The witnesses to shots coming from the grassy knoll and the picket fence. 2. The incompetency of the rifle supposedly used by Oswald. It was the worst on the market at the time. And what assassin would use a mail ordered weapon in an assassination, and leave it at the scene of the alleged crime? Oswald wasn't THAT stupid.3. The marksmanship required to accurately fire three rounds in under 6 seconds using such an inferior weapon well known for inaccuracy. Oswald was no marksman, contrary to the inferences in this movie. 4. That no transcript or recording of the interrogation of Oswald exists. And no representation for Oswald provided.5. The witnesses in the Texas Book Depository giving Oswald an alibi. 6. The Zagruber film. 7. The 'magic' pristine bullet. 8. The disappearance of Kennedy's brain. 9. The mismanaged autopsy. 10. Other explanations of events, and events and occurrences not covered above.O'Reilly may be a renowned TV host, but as an historian he would make a great balloon salesman. Both being inflated with hot air. Rather than being treated as history, the assassination parts of this movie must be placed in the realms of fantasy, as has by most, the Warren Report.

To learn about the truth I recommend the producers of this awful and goofy movie watching the documentaries from Nigel Turner, The Men Who Killed Kennedy (parts 1 to 9)and Oliver Stone's JFK.This movie ignores all facts pertaining to the conspiracy already acknowledged by the US supreme court, that came to the conclusion that there was a conspiracy involved in the assassination. The producers of this junk decided to openly ignore what everybody already knows because of the supreme court's findings after the Warren report.And please Hollywood, stop trying to fool us into believing the lone assassin bluff after 50 years!. We all know Oswald was a patsy and John and Robert Kennedy where killed by the evil empire.