Chappaquiddick (2017)

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 as it 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 decency. 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 were on his side. He could have never gotten away with it today, nor should he.

I'm 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.