Director: Peter Landesman.
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Billy Bob Thornton, Colin Hanks, James Badge Dale, Jacki Weaver, Tom Welling.
Running Time: 93 minutes.
Certificate: 15.
Synopsis: A recounting of the chaotic events that occurred at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital on the day U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
PARKLAND is Peter Landesman’s second feature and after being accused of fictionally dramatising what he called ‘true events’ for his first film TRADE, he’s moved to safer ground as he directs and writes the screenplay based on Vincent Bugliosi’s book, Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The film doesn’t reveal anything revolutionary, steering clear of conspiracy and instead dealing with the sadness and shock of those affected by the moment of JFK’s death. You could say that PARKLAND has the essence of an energising twist by avoiding the drama created by theorists since 1963 and usually this would be a virtuous thing, but sadly the film lacks conviction beyond the stylistics and clever use of original footage cut intelligently into the film footage itself.
Landesman also lays out Lee Harvey Oswald as the killer with no questions asked. He delves into the world of the Secret Service and Police to highlight that they may have missed something important along the road to this tragic event but beyond ‘it must be him then!’ there’s a lack of other options considered. So much so, in fact, that you’re not sure if this is slightly surreal propaganda or if you should just accept the truth of what’s in front of you.
Another disappointment is the almost criminal underuse of many of the characters we’re presented with in the opening sequence, which later leads to question why we were introduced to so many at all. Thankfully, it’s left to Paul Giamatti to give a stand-out performance as Abraham Zapruder, the man who unintentionally filmed the assassination and his struggle with his own decisions. Giamatti gives us a man torn by the anguish of what he’s witnessed and the desire to do what’s right. There’s also Billy Bob Thornton, who plays stoic secret service Agent Forrest Sorrels with a convincing edge from the era, plus Zac Efron might also be praised for delving into high drama but in reality here, his wanting conviction still lacks a certain believability.
PARKLAND is a slow-paced drama that believes its effective nature before it achieves it. Also, due to the lack of gravitas with the ensemble cast, the attachment to the real-life story loses focus and becomes what feels like an extended television drama. If anything, Landesman would have done well to take this on as a mini-series which would have allowed the audience to empathise with the characters more. Sadly, although we know and understand their connection to the great hope of JFK and then the heartbreak of losing it, the only feelings that come across are ones of an underwhelming, disappointed nature.
PARKLAND is released in UK cinemas on Friday November 8th. This was originally reviewed as part of the London Film Festival, you can find our coverage here.
