Crappy film

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

I'm fascinated by the Kennedy family ( to the point of reading over sixty books, having several vintage magazines, and collecting everything I can find ), and if this movie was anymore factually inaccurate, it'd be a Harry Potter film.They show RFK as a schizophrenic nitwit who only sailed along on JFK's coattails, and saying he believed MLK was a Communist ( even when it's known that J. Edgar Hoover was pushing JFK & RFK to bug MLK's home because of Hoover's vendetta ), claims he was obsessed with his brother's flight jacket ( when in reality, he carried it but also lost it several times, which has been noted like a burden - constantly carrying it but also wanting to get rid of it subconsciously ), and suggests LBJ wanted RFK as a running-mate ( when it's known that LBJ & RFK despised each other ).This deserves to be up next to "Gigli," and far, far away from the Kennedy name.

The only thing this TV-movie did better than the 1985 mini-series "Robert Kennedy & His Times" was the casting of Lyndon Johnson, though neither actor was remotely like the real man in manner, speech or action. These two docudramas cover virtually the same identical territory, though the 1985 one does it in 6 hours, and thus can go into much greater detail. I happened to watch them back-to-back (the 1985 mini-series is airing on the Starz TrueStories channel this month) and the mini-series is far better at getting into the mind of RFK--especially without ghostly pronouncements by his brother. Too bad the actor playing Johnson is so jarring, because most of the other casting is quite wonderful, especially Beatrice Straight as Rose and Veronica Cartwright as Ethel Kennedy. The blending of actual footage and newly shot footage is seamless and effective. The locations (Hickory Hill and Hyannisport) look far more like the real places than in the 2002 FX production.The casting of RFK and JFK is always problematic and neither of these productions does terribly well. At least not for those of us who remember the real men. But for those who want to know of these events, they are adequate. It's not the actors' faults. The Kennedy brothers were so visible, memorable and distinctive that unless you're both a great actor and a virtual lookalike, no one can do it.

RFK was yet another sentimental tribute to a man who was part of the "Royal Family."The Summary says it, "Robert Kennedy is forced to rise to the challenge of leading his country." Yet THAT WAS NOT HIS JOB! He was the AG, not the President.He's dead, Jim. Bury him and move on.

I have for many years now felt that Robert F Kennedy was the greatest of the 4 Kennedy Brothers. This movie did nothing to change that but did give the view that RFK was very much haunted by the memory of his brother John.While John was driven mostly by his father's desire to see one of his son's achieve greatness by becoming President of the United States. Robert seems almost reluctant to take up that torch and according to this story does so only when he realizes that the only way he can do the things he believes need to be done for the his country is by winning the Oval Office.Roache does a marvelous job of looking and sounding like RFK. James Cromwell does a good job as LBJ. He is a fine actor just doesn't seem as over the top as the real LBJ was. David Paymer is his usual best and Ving Rhames is excellent in a somewhat small but important part as "Judge Jones".The movie takes place between the Assassinations of John and Robert. It shows how Bobby goes from concerned to actually caring.There's some good 60's music in it but you don't notice it a lot.I'm writing this on Aug 25, 2002. The movie will be re-run next Wed. It's worth your time. At a time when we last had two men who were most interested in being President regardless of whether or not he'd won the election....this movie will make you wonder why we can't have men and women of great ideals and political courage today. Yes my friends there truly was a time when if someone was running for office and said he intended to help poor people he meant it and was held to his promise. If you know little about Robert Kennedy then prepare to be impressed by a great man.