Although he was a longtime aide and trusted political hand, he had no where near the influence that costners character has. Thirteen days is robert kennedys personal account of the cuban missile crisis. The united states learned that the soviet union was placing missiles with nuclear weapons in cuba. Thirteen days 2000, starring kevin costner and directed by roger donaldson, is a film that chronicles the decisionmaking of president kennedy and his excomm during the cuban missile crisis. Analysis of thirteen days directed by robert donaldson. Nov 07, 2001 w hen i learned that thirteen days, the new movie dramatizing the cuban missile crisis of 1962, would follow events through the eyes of kenneth odonnell, john f. The analyses reproduced below were originally published in 2001 to mark the release of thirteen days, a film about the events of october 1962 peter almond a coproducer of thirteen days, graham allison, and ernest may leading experts on the cuban missile crisis offer their opinions on. The film focuses on kennedy, his brother robert kennedy, and white house aide kenneth odonnell. The chiefs of staff warn president kennedy and his cabinet that the missiles have the potential to kill up to 80 million americans, and destroy a large number of usaf bomber bases thus crippling the americans ability to retaliate and leaving the country an easy target for soviet invasion. It dramatizes the cuban missile crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the us political leadership. Step by step, robert kennedy gets us through those perilous days when a misunderstanding, a misstep could certainly have cause the end of mankind. This fast moving thriller reveals how incredibly close we all came to world war iii back in october 1962 after president john f.
Soviets offer to remove the missiles in exchange for the u. Thirteen days is a gripping history lesson and a good character study, but also just a wellcast, wellexecuted film. The most controversial assertion of roger donaldsons thirteen days, an. Kennedy includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Since it was produced at a later date than many other films portraying the events, thirteen days was able to access recently declassified.
And your man in the field, his family at home, couldnt even tell you the reasons why their lives were being sacrificed. It is often referred to as a docudrama as it is very entertainment oriented but still remains close to the roots of what actually happened. During this time many crucial events in united states. In his article criticizing the accuracy of the movie thirteen days call days what you will, but its not quite history, jan. A memoir of the cuban missile crisis outlines an important part of american history. On october 14, a u2 spy plane overflight confirmed the presence of soviet missiles on cuba. Such is the case with the movie thirteen, which should be subtitled, how to turn your teenager into a. A memoir of the cuban missile crisis thirteen days. The essay is based on the analysis of leadership as portrayed in the movie as well as some background study on the cuban missile crisis. W hen i learned that thirteen days, the new movie dramatizing the cuban missile crisis of 1962, would follow events through the eyes of kenneth odonnell, john f. Most critical commentary on the recent film thirteen has focused on the shocking realism of the film, the excellent performances of its cast, or on its failure to tell a compelling story.
Most of the time, he blends in with a large, capable cast of. As soviet ships with more missiles moved toward cuba, a u. Jun 07, 2010 glenn closes character in fatal attraction was a bit of a caricature. Usaf u2 spy planes discover that the ussr is placing nuclear ballistic missiles in cuba. The audience always knows who the character is jfk, bobby kennedy, curtis lemay, etc. The actors in thirteen days did a pretty good job of this. Fortunatly, kennedy and khrouchtchev kept cool heads and. This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of thirteen days. Thirteen days analyses cuban missile crisiscuban missile crisis. For thirteen extraordinary days in october of 1962, the world stood on the brink of an unthinkable catastrophe.
It is an account of the thirteen days in october of 1962. After befriending the most popular girl at school, evie, tracys world is turned upside down when evie introduces her to a world of sex, drugs and cash. The thirteen days movie describes how the 35 th president of united states of america usa, john fitzgerald kennedy jfk dealt with the cuban missile crisis during the period of october 1428, 1963. Leadership in the movie thirteen days essay 797 words.
Suntimes film critic the two worst years of a womans life, writes nell minow, are the year she is and the year her daughter is. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. There are two sides to this conflict which was played out in the postworld war ii era. The 1962 cuban missile crisis was the closest weve come to a nuclear world war. Thirteen days a classic movie illustrating leadership concepts. Her mother, mel, divorced tracys father years ago and struggles to keep her family afloat, working as a hairdresser at home. Such is the case with the movie thirteen, which should be subtitled, how to turn your teenager into a borderline without even being abusive. Kennedys appointments secretarywho would be played by the movies headliner, kevin costneri had strong misgivings.
Tracy is a normal yearold trying to make it in school. It shows how jfks leadership saved the world from having world war iii wwiii, or worse, nuclear war. Williams thirteen 1997 tells the story of a yearold africanamerican girl named nina, who runs away from home and causes much concern for her mother, neighbors and the police before turning up again. I recently attended a th birthday party at which daughter and mother both seemed to be just fine, thanks, but it is hard to imagine a worse year than the one endured by the characters in thirteen. May, coeditor of the kennedy tapes the book on which the movie is based, said in the american prospect that the apparent rationale for making odonnell the main character in thirteen days was that he could serve as aninside everyman, evaluating the crisis almost as an ordinary citizen would. Two perspectives on thirteen a film by catherine hardwicke. Thirteen days 2000 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The rest of the roles are handled by lookalike character actors, who are mostly excellent. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series. The movie thirteen days is 2000 docudrama and is directed by roger donaldson who is australian and tries to portray the film in a serious manor. Thirteen days is about how a few imperfect men more or less saved the world.
Thirteen days doesnt add up by michael nelson, political science professor, rhodes college. K and his two closest advisers and friends, secretary kenny o donnel and attorney general robert kennedy, enter. Thirteen days, directed by roger donaldson, is told from the point of. They didnt have to make up too much for thirteen days, the movie that tells the story of the cuban missile crisis. Thirteen days is a dramatic, historical thriller in which the movie is showing what was going on during those nervous thirteen day, in which the united states c. The 35th president of the united states 196163, jfk faces two cuban. Odonnell, with bruce greenwood featured as president john f. The analyses reproduced below were originally published in 2001 to mark the release of thirteen days, a film about the events of october 1962 peter almond a coproducer of thirteen days, graham allison, and ernest may leading experts on the cuban missile crisis offer their opinions on the movies depiction of the crisis. Costner plays odonnell as a white house jackofalltrades, a. Study 15 terms days the cuban missile crisis flashcards.
High esteem acheson advocated strongly and ears esteem acheson advocated strongly and strong advocate for his power to manage the white house, in cuba he denied the missiles in which was an early and also the americans had evidence of thirteen days, as he is depicted as his administration and programmatic advisers as well as the president of a nuclear weapons in charge. These lines of criticism are, in my view, legitimate. Thirteen days april 20, 20 summary the movie thirteen days is based off of the real life situation of the cuban missile crisis that occurred back in 1962. Producer kevin costner plays a real person, kennedy staffer kenny odonnell, but the character combines the roles and actions of several people and essentially exists to help tell the story as efficiently as possible. Whatever else kennedy and these other men may or may not have done, this was perhaps their finest hour, and the world owes them a debt of gratitude. Roger ebert of the chicago suntimes gave thirteen days a rating of 3 stars out of 4, and said the movies taut, flat style is appropriate for a story that is more about facts and speculation than about action. Kennedy is a concise and gripping first person narrative about a significant period in or countries history. Thirteen million killed all because the militaries of both alliances were so highly attuned to each others movements and dispositions, afraid of letting the other guy have a theoretical advantage. Thirteen days is a look from within about the cuban missile crisis. Over and over, miles jeopardizes his previously very strong relationship with the colonel in order to maintain his fantasies about alaskas death. Doc thirteen days essay michael d johnson academia. Two perspectives on thirteen a film by catherine hardwicke, cowritten with nikki reed. After befriending the most popular girl at school, evie, tracys world is turned upside down when evie introduces her to a. Kevin costner stars as top white house assistant kenneth p.
It is a reasonably disturbing film about the liminal moment between girlhood and womanhood and the contingency of it all. Thirteen days may seem like a movie script, but it really happened. Kennedy went out and told the country that the soviets. Across the globe, people anxiously awaited the outcome of a harrowing political.
Thirteen days is a historical account of the cuban missile crisis. Thirteen days summary and study guide supersummary. Watching thirteen, i remembered another movie with the same title. But this is entirely forgivable, considering the necessity of a big role for superstar costner also a coproducer or this wonderful historical film might never have been made. Special assistant to president kennedy dealing with the cuban missile crisis. Leadership in the movie thirteen days essay 797 words 4 pages. Thirteen days tells this dramatic story from the perspective of kennedy political advisor kenny. The film thirteen days, directed by roger donaldson, is the cinematic reworking of the events of october 1962, based on the may and zelikows book. The film focuses on john f kennedys appointments secretary. In terms of risk factors, her family lives on the verge of poverty. They settle on what they publicly describe as a quarantine.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. If the threat of mutually assured destruction seems remote and antiquated today, it is at least partly because of the events dramatized in this film. Kennedy the 35th president of the united states and the brother of the author, president kennedy is clearly the hero of thirteen days, as he leads the country to a peaceful resolution of the missile crisis. In 1997 i had transcribed and edited with philip zelikow of the university of virginia some of the tape. Across the globe, people anxiously awaited the outcome of a harrowing political, diplomatic and military confrontation that threatened to end in an apocalyptic nuclear exchange between the united states and the soviet union.
Nikita khrushchev installed soviet missiles in cuba, 90 miles from florida and within striking distance of 80 million americans. Analysis of thirteen days directed by robert donaldson good evening my fellow citizensthis government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the soviet military buildup on the island of cuba. Thirteen days is a 2000 american historical political thriller film directed by roger donaldson. Jan 12, 2001 he functions in the movie as a useful fly on the wall, a man free to be where the president isnt and think thoughts the president cant. Roger ebert of the chicago suntimes gave thirteen days a rating of 3 stars out of 4, and said the movie s taut, flat style is appropriate for a story that is more about facts and speculation than about action. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Costner plays odonnell as a white house jackofalltrades, a close adviser whose office adjoins the oval office. Every so often, however, a movie comes out that absolutely nails a psychological phenomenon. Kennedy and his advisers study highaltitude photos and intelligence reports, and wonder if khrushchevs word can be trusted. An analysis of tracys environment contextualizes how larger social systems affect her. The movie is based on the days of the cuban missile crisis, and shows the perspective of the us political leadership, specifically special assistant to the president kenny odonnell, president john f. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25.
Various characters are shown smoking throughout the film. Climax thirteen days at rotten tomatoes they settle on a step less than a blockade, which is formally regarded as an act of war. Glenn closes character in fatal attraction was a bit of a caricature. Thirteen days after in john greens looking for alaska. Thirteen days 2000, starring kevin costner and directed by roger. The movie thirteen days directed by roger donaldson is about the cuban missile crisis of 1962. In thirteen days they wisely went with the proxy method. Kennedy discovered the soviet union had installed nuclear missiles inside cuba.
Odonnells son kevin, the earthlink millionaire, is an investor in the company of thirteen days producer armyan bernstein. A lot of people probably think what the girls did in the movie was. Thirteen days major character analysis supersummary. As the attorney general of the united states and presidents kennedys brother and most trusted confidant, robert kennedy played a significant role in that critical period. Thirteen days in 145 minutes the american prospect. He is depicted as a remarkably cool, thoughtful, nonhysterical, selfpossessed leader, aware of the weight of. Thirteen days by robert kennedy thirteen days by robert kennedy thirteen days, by robert kennedy, is a portrayal of the drama surrounding the cuban missile crisis, and an analysis of the ordeal. The film thirteen days, a hollywood account of the cuban missile crisis, purports to take audiences behind the scenes at the white house during the tense and critical period when nuclear war between the united states and the soviet union seemed not only possible but likely. Kennedys appointments secretarywho would be played by the movie s headliner, kevin costneri had strong misgivings.
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