Susan Strube I love this mini-series because it shows young people today a small snap shot of this famous America family. I realize it is not totally historically accurate - that is what documentaries are for, but for the most part it is very accurate. And hopefully viewers will be inspired to watch historical documentaries on each of these characters and historical events that spark their interest as a result of watching the mini series. For me, I loved how this shows the emotions, relationships, and personalities of the these amazing people. I wish it had been permitted to air on a more prominent network so that it would be exposed to more viewers. As a teacher, I plan on using a small clip from the protest scenes at Ole Miss, to show my students what life was like in the south back then for people of color; and how the President had to send in the National Guard to assist that young man to get into college. And then point out that same presidents daughter, Caroline, was with Barrack Obama in 2008 to celebrate when the first black man was elected to President of the United States.

afarwestent Uhhh, okay. I don't know if this a spoiler or not. I don't want a ruler across my knuckles so let's just say it does have spoilers.... ??? Wow..This is the first review I've ever written and I'm 51 years old. That's how disgusted I am by this garbage.Anyway, the problem with a story like this is: It's supposed to be based on 'actual history'. But unless you've been living in a cave for 50 years (or watching television), you already know that Oswald didn't shoot JFK. He was the patsy, the fall-guy. There is a picture you can view online of the guy on 'The Grassy Knoll' with a rifle pointed at JFK and cloud of smoke emanating from the end of the barrel... (just google: Badge-Man JFK). Malcolm Wallace, LBJ's personal hit-man, fired from the 6th floor of the depository building where a fingerprint matching Malcolm Wallace was found on one of the boxes in the 'snipers nest' There is so much evidence that proves the 'OFFICIAL STORY' is a lie. It would take a couple of years to present it all here in this forum. So I give this mess a '3' for direction and cinematography... That's it ! I was embarrassed for humanity and repulsed beyond words by this film. It perpetuates the lie right down to the last detail while making JFK and Jackie-O out to be druggies...The CIA and Secret Service murdered JFK on behalf of dozens of powerful men and a few powerful women (Queen Mum for instance). That's it. It was a coup de tat. And the CIA has run the executive branch ever sense. This screenplay is garbage. Sick and repulsive. How dare you !!! .......I'm too disgusted to continue... THE END

Desertman84 "The Kennedys" is an eight-part miniseries that chronicles the lives,triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family.The cast includes Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Katie Holmes, and Tom Wilkinson together with Diana Hardcastle,Kristin Booth,Chris Diamantopoulos,Charlotte Sullivan and Serge Houde.This historical drama was written by Stephen Kronish and directed by Jon Cassar.The series was centered during the 1960's and how Joseph Kennedy, Sr. shaped his sons John and Robert to become two of the most influential men during the decade.The focus of personal stories was the relationship between the brothers as well as their respective relationship with their father.The political events during that decade also fell into the background such as the Cuban Missile Crisis,Bay Of Pigs and the Civil Rights Movements as well as their extramarital affairs particularly John and Marilyn Monroe as well as that of Robert and Marilyn Monroe.Added to that is also recalls the scandals that the most fabled political family that were involved in.While it was said to be an exhaustive research of the Kennedy family,the absence of many members were both controversial and intriguing.The stories of Edward,Kathleen, Eunice, and Jean were definitely missing.But nevertheless,the viewer is treated to a great stories of the members featured especially as we get to know how the role of Joseph Sr as a father of to his sons which has yet to be told in many films and TV miniseries featuring the Kennedy family.Aside from that,we are treated to a lot of strong performances from the cast especially Wilkinson and Pepper.Overall,it is an outstanding mini-series that one would surely enjoy.

jc-osms The story of the Kennedy family has been likened to Greek Tragedy and so it was inevitable I suppose that a major TV network would attempt to tell the intertwining stories, although there's more than enough documentary footage available I would imagine for the serious scholar to take in. This 8 part dramatisation therefore leans too close to soap opera for my taste with its manipulation of events, the most glaring example being the miraculous coincidence of JFK's slaying occurring at the exact moment his stroke-victim Svengali-type father gets up out of his wheelchair for the first time since his affliction. There also appears to be no such thing as a dramatic pause as every big moment is immediately filled with heavy-handed background music, unnecessarily sud-sing things up. Then there was the disjointed time-line employed, with the story going back and forward in time when surely the incidents depicted are so well known as to demand a linear structure. Finally, while I'm on the stump, I can only presume there were legal clearance reasons as to why significant figures like Frank Sinatra, Martin Luther King and especially Teddy Kennedy are conspicuous by their absences.On the plus side, there are some good acting performances and once one forgives the actors playing such famous people not looking more like their prototypes, they at least master the distinctive Kennedy accents. Greg Kinnear perhaps wants a few inches in height but otherwise plays JFK well, right down to bearing his concealed-from-the-public back trouble, Tom Wilkinson is very good as the controlling despot Joseph Sr while best of all is Barry Pepper as the family lightning-rod Bobby. In the main female role Katie Holmes is perhaps too simpering as Jackie Kennedy but again Diana Hardcastle and Kristin Booth are very good as matriarch Rose and Bobby's wife Ethel respectively.The dialogue is well-written if stagy at times and the depiction of time and place accurately rendered.The twin tragic endings of the two brothers are if anything understated, which was probably the best way to go, but other major incidents are treated with cinematic melodrama which didn't serve the story well in my opinion.While it was a watchable mini-series, I feel it could have been improved if it hadn't had the whiff of "Dallas" about this tragic family dynasty, in more ways than one, sad to say.