JFK + Vantage Point + Bobby

Parkland

Director: Peter Landesman Writers: Peter Landesman, Vincent Buglisoi (novel) Starring: Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Colin Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, James Badge Dale, Jacki Weaver, Ron Livingston, Tom Welling, Austin Nichols Runtime: 93 minutes Certification: 15

There are far better movies out there that are based on the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy. Parkland may boast an impressive cast the trailers have no trouble showing off, with the obligatory “Academy Award Winning” or “Academy Award Nominated” slogans written above the more famous names of the bunch headlining the film. But what is the point of having so many talented individuals all cramped together in a 90-minute running time without any of them given proper room to breathe with their characters? It must have sounded fantastic on paper, which is probably how it managed to attract so much talent for such an inadequate little film. The President’s assassination is shown from various different angles, and how this sudden turn of events starts to affect everyone. But the general concensus is, everyone is shocked. Everyone is sad. And everyone is crying. Watching the news on their television screens, they can’t believe what they’re all witnessing. The tears start pouring. Frankly that does very little for the audience. As John F. Kennedy is rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital (hence the film’s title), he is met by Dr Charles James Carrico (Zac Efron in a surgical gown – and no, I wouldn’t want him to be my doctor either) who freaks out at first but then steps up to the biggest challenge of his life and tries his best to save POTUS with his limited medical expertise. Help from Dr Malcolm O. Perry (Colin “son of Tom” Hanks) doesn’t improve the situation much, and it’s no spoiler to reveal that he in fact, does not make it, which makes all the nurses cry. Oh, and Jacqueline Kennedy (Kat Steffens), who has been left a widow, cries too. The Secret Service agents are angry. They didn’t see the attack coming and they essentially collectively failed at doing their jobs. Roy Kellermann (Tom Welling) and Emory Roberts (Austin Nichols) look all puffy and sulk on screen, whereas Forrest Sorrels (Billy Bob Thornton) gets down to business trying to track down the man (Paul Giamatti) who inadvertantly filmed the entire assassination on his camera, hoping to find some answers there. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in a state of mass panic as it comes to light that Lee Harvey Oswald (Jeremy Strong), the man identified as the shooter, was in fact in their offices a few days prior to the shooting. Oswald’s threats weren’t taken seriously at the time by the Feds, which in light of recent events, would make them look beyond incompetent. They’re scared, some evidence-burying takes place, although to what end we’re never even shown. It’s a highly disjointed, confused film that brings together several snapshots of various people’s lives and leaving so many strands hanging. Very little connection is made in between the characters, which is crucial in making such ‘hyperlink’ dramas work. This is Landesman’s debut film, and with so much dense material and a large cast to juggle around with, it appears he is out of his depth with this one. The only worthy subplot is one involving the assassin’s family members. Robert Oswald (James Badge Dale), Lee Harvey’s brother, is faced with an impossible situation when he and his family come under intense media spotlight. Looking at this chaotic event from the family’s point of view offers an interesting dynamic for the film to play with. As a family they want to stand by Lee Oswald for his grave actions, but on the other hand there is that completely relatable issue of difficulty in understanding his thought process. Dale plays the most fascinating role in the film thanks to having a lot more deserved allocated screen time than his co-stars, and when the excellent Jacki Weaver enters the picture as the unintentionally funny, delusional conspiracy theorist Margeurite Oswald, the mother, this narrative strand only gets better. Even though it’s clear that Lee Oswald is the villain here, there is something deeply sad and unsettling when it comes to what his brother and mother have to face and what is left for them to clean up. A more intimate, focussed film concentrating solely on the Oswalds would have served this idea better. There is so much distraction that even the impact the best scene of the film should have had is lost, which is a huge letdown. With so many ups and downs throughout, it’s a film that requires an enormous amount of patience, as you will have to endure endless scenes of useless characters faffing about. Is it all worth it in the end? Not really. You’ll be better served by watching documentaries or interviews.