JFK

1991
R
3h 9m

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

173K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,360

Theatrical Trailer from Warner Home Video

Play trailer2:20

5 Videos

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Legal Thriller Political Drama Political Thriller Drama History Thriller

New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

173K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,360

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 19 wins & 41 nominations total

Trivia
The murder of Oswald by Jack Ruby was filmed on location in the actual basement garage of Dallas City Hall, where the real-life shooting took place.

Goofs
David Ferrie's "confession" in Fountainbleu Hotel never happened. Ferrie went to his death denying any knowledge of Oswald or the plot to kill JFK.

Quotes
Jim Garrison: The Warren Commission thought they had an open-and-shut case. Three bullets, one assassin. But two unpredictable things happened that day that made it virtually impossible. One, the eight-millimeter home movie taken by Abraham Zapruder while standing by the grassy knoll. Two, the third wounded man, James Tague, who was knicked by a fragment, standing near the triple underpass. The time frame, five point six seconds, determined by the Zapruder film, left no possibility of a fourth shot. So the shot or fragment that left a superficial wound on Tague's cheek had to come from the three shots fired from the sixth floor depository. That leaves just two bullets. And we know one of them was the fatal head shot that killed Kennedy. So now a single bullet remains. A single bullet now has to account for the remaining seven wounds in Kennedy and Connelly. But rather than admit to a conspiracy or investigate further, the Warren Commission chose to endorse the theory put forth by an ambitious junior counselor, Arlen Spector, one of the grossest lies ever forced on the American people. We've come to know it as the "Magic Bullet Theory." This single-bullet explanation is the foundation of the Warren Commission's claim of a lone assassin. Once you conclude the magic bullet could not create all seven of those wounds, you'd have to conclude that there was a fourth shot and a second rifle. And if there was a second rifleman, then by definition, there had to be a conspiracy.

Crazy credits
Closing statement: What Is Past Is Prologue

Alternate versions
A director's cut prepared by Oliver Stone for the video release features 17 minutes of footage not included in the theatrical version. Among the new material:
Guy Bannister and his secretary talk briefly about Oswald and laugh.
New flashbacks of Oswald's life in Dallas with his wife after his return from Russia and his contacts with George De Mohrenshildt, Janet and Bill Williams (the man who gets Oswald a job at the book depository).
When Garrison and his assistant are at the book depository, they discuss the fact that the motorcade route was changed by then Dallas mayor Earle Cabell, brother of general Charles Cabell fired by Kennedy in 1961.
A fake Oswald (Frank Whaley) is seen in a flashback test-driving a new car and talking about Russia to the salesman.
In another flashback, Oswald is introduced to the New Orleans Cuban community and meets Sylvia Odio, leader of an underground anti-Castro movement.
A new flashback of Oswald and Clay Shaw seen together at a voter's registration drive in September '63.
Jim Garrison appears on "The Jerry Johnson Show" on TV to be interviewed. He tries to show photographs and defend his theories but he's cut short by host Jerry Johnson (John Larroquette).
Bill Broussard meets Jim Garrison at the airport where he's leaving for Phoenix, AZ and tells him the mob will attempt to assassinate him. After a few minutes he has to flee from a public restroom when he hears strange voices in the next stall and is approached by an unknown man (a cameo by production designer Victor Kempster) who pretends to be a friend of him.
Garrison and his staff discover that Broussard has disappeared from his apartment, and argue about the real reason why Clay Shaw has been brought to trial. While they're talking, Garrison sees Robert Kennedy on TV and says "They'll kill him before they'll let him be president".
During the trial, more witnesses against Shaw are shown than in the theatrical version, including a obviously insane man (Ron Rifkin) who claims that Shaw discussed killing Kennedy with him.

Connections
Edited into Malcolm X (1992)

Soundtracks
Drummers' Salute
Arranged by D. G. McCroskie
Performed by The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Courtesy of Fiesta Records Co. Inc.

User reviews573

Review

Featured review

10/10

No expense spared and no corners cut

Is there any crime or event in American history that has more mystery surrounding it than JFK's assassination? The number of books, lectures, articles etc. dedicated to it could fill the Superdome. For Americans anyway, it is up there with who is Jack the Ripper, who built the pyramids, and did we really land on the moon. OK. Take out that last one. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

"JFK" was a magnificent movie. I've only watched a handful of three-hour movies in my life (Ghandi, Malcolm X, Heat, Lion of the Desert, Das Boot, and maybe a couple of others), yet I don't think any captivated me as much as this one did. I figured it only had high marks because of the subject matter or because of a strong cult following. Well, if that's the case, count me as a cult member.

For a three-hour movie with little to no action and much deliberation and dialogue, this movie did wonderfully. I attempted to read a voluminous book on the JFK assassination, but I petered out after one volume and I'd only gotten as far as detailed evidence about the bullet. "JFK" goes into the assassination like nothing I've seen or heard before. I'd probably say that not a thing was left out. There was even real footage which came in incredibly handy during the movie.

No expense was spared in this film and no corners were cut. They went all out with quality actors, a flawless script, and seamless cohesive plot. This is exactly what you'd want to see from a movie detailing the JFK assassination: put the rat on the table and address the elephant in the room. I didn't think Oliver Stone could outdo "Born on the Fourth of July," I was wrong.