Oliver Stone‘s 1994 drama “JFK” may have provided only one perspective of the events leading up to John F. Kennedy‘s assassination, but as the tragic event’s 50th anniversary nears this coming November, it seemed extremely likely that another examination was coming. Enter “Parkland,” the directorial debut of journalist and author Peter Landesman, which brings together a talented ensemble cast to delve back into the case—many of whom feature in a selection of four new clips from the period drama.
Based on the book “Four Days in November: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy” by author Vincent Bugliosi (“Helter Skelter”), the film aims to tell the story of the 35th President’s assassination from the perspective of those on the ground in Dallas when it happened. Cast-wise, this includes Ron Livingston, Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacki Weaver and James Badge Dale among many others, and in the new batch of clips, we see each of them contending with the event in their own way—Giamatti as Zapruder giving up his footage, or Livingston as an FBI agent faced with prior telltale evidence.
Unfortunately, it appears the gathering of talent that the film employs couldn’t save its limp execution; our review from Venice, where it had its world premiere, called it a “cheap cash-in,” filled with cringeworthy lines and slack editing. Regardless, check out the four clips below and decide if “Parkland” makes an intriguing case when it opens nationwide on October 4th.
