If you’re looking to escape the numerous scandals coming out of the White House, you can take a breather at the multiplex with….a movie about a political scandal. “Chappaquiddick” explores the scrutiny that Ted Kennedy faced after a supposedly innocent late night drive ended up with young campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne dead.
The movie stars Jason Clarke as the embattled Kennedy clan member, with the ensemble rounded out by Kate Mara as Kopechne, Ed Helms (as Kennedy cousin Joe Gargan), Bruce Dern (as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.), Jim Gaffigan (as Gargan’s pal Paul F. Markham), Taylor Nichols (as lawyer Ted Sorensen), and Clancy Brown (as Robert McNamara). However, despite the promise that the film, directed by John Curran (“Stone,” “Tracks“), will finally unveil the truth of what happened, that’s not really true. The drama “hardly lands with the power of an exposé, and doesn’t bite hard enough to spur a reconsideration of the Kennedys.”
All that being said, political junkies will probably get a fix out of the movie, and find the exploration of how the Kennedy media machine worked to be particularly intriguing. “Chappaquiddick” opens on April 6th.