This film came out just a couple months ago in a limited release run in theaters because it was produced by the private studio, The American Film Company. They are still a new film company that produces historically accurate films with there first being The Conspirator, which focused on the Lincoln assassination. Parkland is the studio's second film. This film focuses on what happened after the assassination on its main focus is on Parkland Memorial Hospital, which was where Kennedy was taken after he was shot. It does not center around one or two characters it centers around several characters from the doctors who tried to save Kennedy, the secret service, the FBI, Abraham Zapruder, and the Oswald family.
This film has a very good cast and all of who do a really good job at their parts because they all researched their characters very well. We have Paul Giamatti as Abraham Zapruder, Zac Efron as Dr. Charles Carrico, Marcia Gay Harden as Nurse Doris Nelson, Ron Livingston as James Hosty, James Badge Dale as Robert Oswald, Billy Bob Thornton as Forrest Sorrels, Tom Welling as the controversial Secret Service Agent Roy Kellerman, Colin Hanks as Dr. Malcolm Perry, Jackie Earle Haley as Father Oscar Huber, and Jackie Weaver as Marguerite Oswald. The cast is really great here, we have veteran actors and younger actors working together. Two that stand out are Paul Giamatti and Billy Bob Thornton, who both do a fantastic job, despite how many other actors they are with, whenever they are on screen, they own it. We have a very good cast and performances here.
This film was written and directed by first time director Peter Landesman, although he adapted the screenplay from Vincent Bugliosi's book. His direction is very good by giving it a very realistic, intense, and at times frightening look. His writing is okay, but at times it was a little bland, and by that I mean I felt like there could have been some more details to the characters themselves. However we do get very good and authentic details about what went on in the trauma room, Air Force One, and how they were able to look at the Zapruder film. That was really the only complaint I had about the film, there needed to be a more detail to some of the characters to add to the movie. They could have done that because the movie is only 93 minutes long.
The film is also intense and keeps you on the edge at times, we can thank the actors for that especially Billy Bob Thornton in a couple scenes that you can't miss. This is also an authentic film when it comes to the costumes and props, they fit the time period perfectly and look great. What also looks great is the cinematography, the film looks great and was filmed very well and it really is beautiful to look at because it brings 1963 back to life very well. One final thing is the editing; this is a fast paced film at times and the editing adds to that as it brings intensity, but it is not the best.
I did like this film and liked that it didn't bring up any of the conspiracy theories, that's for next week, it just focused on what people went through on that terrible day. The actions of everybody are not explained, just shown, and that makes the film more believable. The only problem I had was that it was too short and too bland at times. But, if you like history and enjoy a good drama with a great cast, you should give this film a watch, you might like it! There is more to come in the next couple weeks on films and books about JFK, but for now enjoy this film this week!
3/4 Stars.
Enjoy the trailer below!
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