Thirteen Days Movie
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You'll Never Believe How Close We Came
In October, 1962, U-2 surveillance photos reveal that the Soviet Union is in the process of placing nuclear weapons in Cuba. These weapons have the capability of wiping out most of the Eastern and Southern United States in minutes if they become operational. President John F. Kennedy and his advisors must come up with a plan of action against the Soviets. Kennedy is determined to show that he is strong enough to stand up to the threat, and the Pentagon advises U.S. military strikes against Cuba—which could lead the way to another U.S. invasion of the island. However, Kennedy is reluctant to follow through, because a U.S. invasion could cause the Soviets to retaliate in Europe. A nuclear showdown appears to be almost inevitable. Can it be prevented?
| Kevin Costner | Kenny O'Donnell, Special Assistant to the President |
| Bruce Greenwood | President John F. Kennedy |
| Steven Culp | Atty. Gen. Robert F. Kennedy |
| Dylan Baker | Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense |
| Michael Fairman | Adlai Stevenson, US Ambassador to the UN |
| Henry Strozier | Dean Rusk, Secretary of State |
| Frank Wood | McGeorge Bundy, National Security Advisor |
| Kevin Conway | Gen. Curtis LeMay, Air Force Chief of Staff |
| Tim Kelleher | Ted Sorensen, Special Counsel to the President |
| Len Cariou | Dean Acheson, Foreign Policy Advisor |
| Bill Smitrovich | Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Dakin Matthews | Arthur Lundhal |
| Madison Mason | Adm. George Anderson |
| Christopher Lawford | Cmdr. William B. Ecker, Mission Flight Leader |
| Ed Lauter | Lt. Gen. Marshall Carter |
| Roger Donaldson |
7.30 out of 10 (15148 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Some flaws but Entertaining
posted on 28 Jul 2009This movie about the Kennedy Administration during the Cuban Missile Crisis is flawed, but is still entertaining. First there is Kevin Costner's role as Special assistant Kenny O'Donnell. Costner gets way too much screen time. He got much more than the President and other important figures. Then there is costner's accent. Some people think that his Boston accent for the part is terrible. What I found more interesting was that sometimes Costner spoke with an accent, and sometimes he didn't seem to have one at all!Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was made out to be just a dumb hick. Even Johnson's detractors will admit that he certainly wasn't dumb. The Adlai Stevenson (United Nations Representative)character wasn't anything the real person either. They made him out to be way too much of a wimp.Another flaw was that on more than one occasion you could actually see the voice boom boxes (or whatever they are called)that record what the actors are saying, at the top of the picture. Seldom do you actually see this in a movie. So there was some bad editing. I saw this movie in the theatre and wonder if it was edited out of the videotapes and DVDs.Still, the movie was entertaining. It was for the most part historically accurrate. There wasn't any of the Oliver Stone made up crap in this movie. You really got the feel of the pressure that everyone was under.Besides Costner, the acting was very good. In this kind of movie, there is often a lot of overacting, but in this movie it was just right.This movie had a good pace and had some interesting twists. I give it a 7 out of 10.
Thrilling fast paced meticulous recount of dramatic historical event
posted on 22 Jul 2009If you were a teenager or older in 1962 you probably remember where you were when Kennedy made the famous Russian missile Conflict Speech. I heard it on the radio while waiting for a girlfriend at UCLA. This extraordinary well made film well illustrates how little we really do know of the behind-the-scenes operations of our government. This film is film making at its best. The acting is phenomenal with taut well paced direction. If you are history buff or just interested in some great entertainment see this.
A rare insight into a most difficult time in american history
posted on 04 Jul 2009My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Having known people with New England accents some are more pronounced than others and did not bother me in the movie. The story was so engrossing and would be really good for the younger generation who is so far removed from the fear of a world war.(note: watch China)All the acting was excellent, and shows how difficult it probably was to know what the right thing to do and what a heavy mantel any president carries, especially the ones from difficult times in history.It has been an American past time to bad mouth the Kennedy's but I have always thought their strengths far surpassed their weaknesses and perhaps this movie will get people to re-evaluate their opinions of these great men.My personal favourite was the actor who portrayed Bobby Kennedy, perhaps because he so reminded me of the real Bobby, whom I remember most.He did a wonderful job, as did the other actors, a truly engrossing movie. Nine stars from me and my daughter.
Excellent political thriller that goes to amazing efforts to stay true to reality.
posted on 22 Jun 2009One of the most important things about movies that deal with true historical events is that they take as few liberties as possible with the facts, and Thirteen Days stays amazingly close to what really happened. The 1960s are re-created with almost the same skill and precision as we saw in the great Apollo 13, and the tension created by the Cuban Missile Crisis, the event upon which the movie is based, is very successfully captured in the film. This is one of the best parts of the movie, because that tension is something that the government at the time tried very hard to keep the public from finding out about. The film is basically a behind the scenes look at how the government under the Kennedy administration operated with the Russians and with the press in handling the problem of offensive missiles seen in Cuba, within firing range of the U.S. The conflict is much more significant than just getting the Russians to remove the missiles, because the U.S military is doing everything possible to get authorization to fire upon Cuba and go to war. This is understandable to a certain degree, because the military spends so much time training for something like this so of course they're going to want to move on it, but it also makes the chief of staff in the film come off as a hot-headed redneck who just wants to blast the Cubans out of the water. John F. Kennedy was brilliantly portrayed by Bruce Greenwood, which is surprising because of his less than enviable iconography (yeah, he was that jerk in Rules of Engagement and that jerk in Double Jeopardy and, if my memory serves me, he was also that jerk in Disturbing Behavior). Kevin Costner stumbles over every line in the film, delivering one of the most badly mangled fake accents in film history. I personally think that Costner is a very good actor (I even liked Waterworld), but he was entirely the wrong person for the part of Kenny O'Donnell - his horrific accent overshadowed every other element of his performance.But as a political and historical thriller, Thirteen Days scores big. The Cuban Missile Crisis and the reactions of the government and the press and the public are re-created with stunning detail, and the results are outstanding. Even younger generations who were not born when the crisis happened can enjoy it because of its brisk pace and well-written script. Thirteen Days manages to avoid being a boring semi-documentary, yet retains its historical accuracy and achieves maximum effect.
The world on the brink of World War III
posted on 27 May 2009Thirteen Days is a gripping account of the events which led to the Cuba Crisis and its solution. While Kennedy's military advisors prefer an attack of the island to get rid of the nuclear missiles, J.F.K, his brother Robert and his advisor soon realize that an act of agression against Cuba would inevitably lead to a nuclear world war. Thirteen Days is an excellent movie which has a lot of action on the psychological level and remains gripping although most of the action is set in conference rooms within the White House. The actors are not overly brilliant, but the script is. You have to credit the film also for its ideological neutrality. You won't find any "the US is the most powerful nation on earth" crap, but rather a strong appeal against nuclear insanity and the intelligent insight, that the solution of the crisis was a victory both for the Soviet Union and the United States.
Anything is possible!
posted on 27 May 2009I've had a long running joke with a friend for a long time that goes "Anything is possible -- Kevin Costner might make a watchable film!"This man has more to answer for than most for the unadulterated c*** he has subjected us to down the years. Dances with Wolves, The Postman, Waterworld, that awful baseball film.None of them come near the Postman, undoubtedly the worst film ever made, but all an insult to the intelligence of the moviegoing public.Hence, I was a little sceptical when I went to see Thirteen Days, the story of the Cuban missile crisis.What a film, well cast [Bruce Greenwood was superb as JFK] so that you actually believed the characters were who they purported to be [amazing for a Costner film] and scripted, the direction was also excellent in what was a film that got across just how close we did come to World War III.Of course there was the usual Hollywood bending of the truth on this one, but watching it as a film indicative of those two weeks that gets the message across, it is well worth seeing.Perhaps I'll see another Costner film one day, but then am I pushing my luck?
American History takes it on the chin again!
posted on 15 May 2009So now we know that JFK simply could not have handled the Cuban Missile Crises without the sage advice of Kenny O'Donnell!? Bull! O'Donnell was more Court Jester than senior adviser. He was a friend that JFK was comfortable with, who aided and abetted Kennedy's womanizing, and who was most probably not nearly so involved in the crises as this film would have us believe. And where the hell was LBJ? Lyndon was, after all, the Vice-President; and a loud, boorish, aggressive one at that. He was a Hawk on the Missile crises. To reduce the character to a couple of throw away lines is just plain silly. Then there is poor, misunderstood Bobby, tired of being called ruthless. Even Old Joe Kennedy said Bobby was "the most like me, hard as nails". The military has been held up to disdain and ridicule in Hollywood for quite some time now, so that aspect should come as no surprise. It is a shame that so many American kids will get a distorted picture of historic events from films like this and Pearl Harbor. It is, unfortunately, just one more symptom of the continued dumbing down of the country.The more you know about the actual events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crises, the sillier this film will be for you.
Costner's character ruins it
posted on 11 May 2009Costner's character is completely unbelieveable. The character comes off as showing almost no respect for the presidency, instead the president appears to be practically a puppet in his hands. It reeks of vanity from Costner's side.While there were three major sides involved - USA, Soviet Union and Cuba - even though Thirteen Days is 2.5 hours long the Soviet and the Cuban side of the story is never shown, the movie focuses exclusively on the US. What motivated the Soviet and Cuban leadership? How did they react during the crisis? Surely it would have been interesting to get a glimpse of that.In the end Thirteen Days is part documentary - with the usual liberties taken with regard to the truth - and part propaganda. Quite silly considering that the cold war has been over for a long time now.
Overlooked for Oscar
posted on 09 May 2009Why, WHY was this movie neglected at awards time? That may be one of the greatest mysteries in recent movie history. The film is excellent. Bruce Greenwood and Steven Culp give Oscar-nomination worthy performances as JFK and RFK. Kevin Costner does a fine job in the role of Kenny O'Donnell, and the cast of supporting actors is excellent. This movie will only grow in stature as the years pass.
13 days is a 10 even with Costner's atrocious accent
posted on 05 May 200913 days is a winner on every level. True story, great script, excellent cast, well edited. The only drawback (and it was a painful one) was listening to Kevin Costner try to convince us he was from Boston. My God, when will the man give up accents. From Robin Hood to 13 Days, his attempts are nothing more than a distraction. Fortunately, for him, the movie was so good we didn't have to put our hands over our ears every time he uttered dialogue.
Actually Starring a Kennedy
posted on 21 Apr 2009I thought that it was interesting that this movie actually starred a real life Kennedy. Christopher Lawford (Commander William B. Ecker) is the son of Peter and Pat (Kennedy) Lawford, and nephew to JFK and RFK.Other than that, I really enjoyed this movie...then again I am a political science major focusing on International Relations.
On The Brink Of Nuclear Armageddon
posted on 17 Apr 2009Based on that period known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, THIRTEEN DAYS is a brilliantly crafted and well-acted political drama that reminds us of just how close we were in October 1962 to the brink of a nuclear Armageddon.When faced with incontrovertible photographic evidence that the Soviets have placed strategic nuclear missiles in Cuba and aimed them right at many East Coast cities, including Washington, President John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) is faced with decisions and options of enormous and staggering proportions, all of which could determine the existence of the planet. He, his brother Bobby (Steven Culp) and trusted friend Kenny O'Donnell (Kevin Costner), have to balance the possibility of losing politically if they cave in to the Soviets or setting off World War III if they act too aggressively.The result is one of the best historical and political dramas seen in some time; and the fact that it's based on actual events, albeit slightly fictionalized in the transfer to film, makes THIRTEEN DAYS all that much more powerful.Although the heavy Irish-Americans accents of the three leads may be a little distracting, Costner, Greenwood, and Culp do very fine jobs with their roles. The direction of Roger Donaldson (NO WAY OUT) and the screenplay by David Self (THE ROAD TO PERDITION) are both intelligent enough so that even those who don't remember the Cuban Missile Crisis too clearly or who were born too late to see it as only a footnote in history books will be both spellbound and want to read more about this unique and chilling period in the history of the world. Among the other great things about this film is Michael Fairman's great portrayal of UN ambassador (and former presidential candidate) Adlai Stevenson. His showdown with his Soviet counterpart at the UN General Assembly is a classic moment in recent film history.For those who like politically-charged films like ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and SEVEN DAYS IN MAY, THIRTEEN DAYS is the ticket. Even if political dramas are not your thing, this film should still be seen for the great acting and the story that is on display.
Solid political drama with excellent dialogue and lead performances.
posted on 22 Mar 200913 days is an excellent window into the events which unfolded in October of 1962, when the world stood still and turned their heads towards the Caribbean island of Cuba. Bruce Greenwood ( John F. Kennedy), Stephen Culp( Robert Kennedy ) and Kevin Costner ( Kenny O'donnell ) each deliver excellent performances, and are supported by a class "A" cast of joint chiefs, cabinet ministers and diplomats. anyone who wishes to find an introduction to the Cuban missile crisis should find this movie exciting and entertaining. it is also a must see for history buffs and movie lovers alike. as to the historical accuracy, I am afraid each of us must judge for ourselves what is fact and what is fabrication.
Excellent.And tense!
posted on 06 Mar 2009Thirteen Days wouldn't be made unless Kevin Costner was a pain in the ass as he was to the producers.And thank god he made this for us,because this movie is quite interesting and it adds a lot of knoledgemnt for everybody who wants to know a little bit about the USA history.Bruce Greenwood is impeccable playing president Kennedy,it's just fantastic his performance.As Costner is too, playing Kenneth O'Donnell.It's sad that this amusing film wasn't nominated for a single Oscar!The movie is quite long!It's almost 3 hours but thats O.K. you'll be involved by the story which is very well written.If you are looking for a serious story rent this movie cos' you won't be disapointed.8.5 out of 10.
Excitement in the extreme
posted on 12 Feb 2009=====Rating System: ***** Must see **** Very good *** I liked it, but you might hate it ** I hated it, but you might like it * Avoid====Whenever you start watching a movie and it gives you the chills right from the very start, you know something special is definitely on the cards. This movie does indeed have you hooked from the beginning, never allowing you to catch your breath until the obvious climax. Plot spoilers don't apply to this movie, for everybody already knows the outcome of this story, but that's not a disadvantage in this case, for Thirteen Days pulls off the same trick as Titanic, keeping its audience interested when they already know how it's gonna end. Kevin Costner stars as Kenny O'Donnel, political advisor of John F. Kennedy (an excellent Bruce Greenwood), who leads the big man through the most tense 13 days in world history. When the Russians plant numerous nukes on Cuba to threaten the USA, everybody surrounding the president wants battle followed by an invasion into Russia. In search for a more sensible solution, JFK struggles with his brother and Kenny to protect the US citizens, and ultimately the whole world. Thirteen Days is a tense story with some excellent performances and great action sequences, all caught by amazing photography. The only thing that holds this movie from being a masterpiece is the slightly disappointing ending, since the audience never feels the relief people in '62 must have felt. The fact that this remains an ensemble picture means it never has an emotional core, which obstructs this movie to have a satisfying ending. Maybe Costner's role should have been more elaborate, or maybe he should simply have played JFK, making this a picture totally focused on him. Anyway, when you go and see this movie, be prepared to leave the cinema a changed person. ****
A fine re-telling of one of our finest hours.
posted on 06 Feb 2009Told with a minimum of fluff ( and an odd penchant for crawling in and out of black & white for no apparent reason ), this film chronicles very well the events of the "Cuban Missile Crisis" of 1962. All the primary participants of our government's reaction to - and handling of - this crisis are well represented ( Jackie & Lyndon had little to do with this - Jackie being away from Washington for much of the two weeks of these events, and Johnson was never a major confidante of John or Bobby Kennedy ). I would recommend anyone interested in this subject should also see "The Missiles of October" for a slightly different perspective.
Great film...
posted on 04 Feb 2009This is a great movie.. and like the film "JFK", whether you agree or not with the politics of it, you have to admit that the movie was well made...especially the acting by Bruce Greenwood and Steven Culp as JFK and Bobby Kennedy, respectively....hard to figure out why no Oscar nominations..and it is interesting enough for those of us who are too young to remember the actual event ...and also you get to see JFK being the president, not just being assassinated, as most of us are used to seeing...the relationship between the brothers Kennedy is also fascinating...do yourself a favor and check this movie out...
Days that Shook the World
posted on 27 Jan 2009In 1961, an inexperienced President Kennedy backed an illegal (and ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to depose Castro. A year later, Castro struck a deal with Krushchev to deploy Russian nuclear weapons in Cuba. It seems that Krushchev was determined to push the theory of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) to its limits: the theory said that both superpowers had to behave sensibly, as neither would survive a war: Krushchev, however, took an outrageous gamble for strategic advantage, on the assumption that the U.S. would still be unable to survive a war, and so would have to concede anyway. For Kennedy, it was a tough call: he resolved not to tolerate the missiles, but through his actions had to appear both resolute enough to make it clear to the Russians that it was they had to back down, but also conciliatory, avoiding provocations that could have forced his enemy's hand the wrong way. This balancing act was rendered all the harder by the presence of more gung-ho (or simply pessimistic) elements within the U.S. government, and the need to prepare for war, in case diplomacy failed.
After two tense weeks, the missiles were withdrawn and although Kennedy's golden image has since tarnished, his handling of the crisis is still widely praised.'Thirteen Days' is a dramatic reconstruction of these events. The story is told entirely from the American side, and takes the standard, patriotic liberal, pro-Kennedy line, so we get a lot of square-shouldered men striving manfully to do their best for their country; and a surprisingly aged Kevin Costner is unsurprisingly annoying in the central role of Kennedy's political adviser (Kennedy was a notorious philanderer, which may be why the drama focuses on another character, who can drearily be shown to love his family without invoking ridicule in the audience). For all these flaws, it's still a gripping, blow-by-blow account of the military and diplomatic moves that constituted arguably the gravest moments humanity has faced. The world, and Castro, survive to this day; Kennedy, of course, did not, and whether you believe Oswald or the C.I.A. did for him, opposition to his Cuban policy was undoubtedly (and ironically) a central motive in his assassination. 'Thirteen Days' convinces one how unjust that fate was.
Still Tense, Though Knowing
posted on 25 Jan 2009The mark of a good historical movie is that the audience, while knowing how events will turn out, is still caught up in the tension of the moment.
That's what happened with `Apollo 13'-we knew the crew was going to arrive home safely, but we still clapped for joy when their capsule re-entered the earth's atmosphere.`Thirteen Days' tells the story of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, and it recreates expertly the fear many of us had at the time (I was a senior in high school) that the United States and Soviet Union were about to start a nuclear war. Kevin Costner, we are told, passed up the role of John Kennedy to play Kenneth O'Donnell, who according to the film was as close to JFK and Bobby Kennedy as they were to each other. There seems to be a question as to whether O'Donnell's part in the crisis was built up to accommodate Costner, but regardless, the star made the right choice. This is his best role in a long time. He plays O'Donnell as a tough but compassionate political adviser to JFK. The task of playing JFK falls to Bruce Greenwood, who continues a string of outstanding performances. I wonder if Greenwood is ever going to be recognized as a great actor. He doesn't try to imitate the president, but gives a convincing performance. Steven Culp is also good as RFK, as are a supporting cast headed by Dylan Baker as Robert McNamara, Bill Smitrovich as General Maxwell Taylor, Tim Kelleher as Ted Sorensen and Kevin Conway as the trigger-happy Gen. Curtis LeMay.Roger Donaldson keeps the film moving-I was shocked to discover that when the film was over it had lasted more than two and a quarter hours. He directed Costner in the successful "No Way Out," suggesting the two ought to continue collaborating.My only quarrel with the film comes from my memory that a heavily Republican newspaper in my hometown of St. Louis portrayed the missile crisis-at least at the beginning-as a ploy by Kennedy to capture votes for a Democratic congress in the upcoming elections. The film doesn't cover the angle-but that's its only fault.
JFK as God
posted on 13 Aug 2009Blossoming mushroom clouds drenched in sunset-orange open Thirteen Days of panic and the imminent possibility of nuclear war. Following almost every movement of Costner as Kenny O'Donnell, JFK's special political advisor, the film retells how Krushchev, or others in the Russian administration of the time, and the US Chief of Staffs took the world close to nuclear war. And how JFK and others stopped them.With a punchy script, inspired by supposedly primary source material, Donaldson deftly weaves a narrative of political intrigue that shows America's military commanders content, even eager, to take the US into war if it means an initial strike on the 'commie b*****ds'. It is left to the triumvirate of the two Kennedies and O'Donnell, a close relationship the film explores well, to keep cool heads and so avoid nuclear catastrophe. But it is for JFK to realise and stress that any offensive strike would be futile and go on to create a so-called 'new political language' to solve this horrific situation. A language not borne out of a desire for annihilatory attack but of measured military action. In this case a flexing of naval muscle through a 'blockade' of Cuba.The film reveres JFK as an almost untouchable hero (as the final scenes of the film make abundantly clear), yet at the centre of the film is a celebration of the common American man that is Costner's character. It shows a political process undermined by a scheming Pentagon but restored through the temperate attitude and solid values of a good Christian (albeit we assume Catholic) family man who sees public office as the highest achievement. And it is he, the man the audience can identify with rather than sit in awe off, who provides the advice, pep talks and emotional sustenance to keep JFK wise, alert and sane. O'Donnell is even portrayed as closer to JFK than Jackie Onassis, notably absent from the majority of the film. This exalted position shown by Costner's vetoing and then reinstating of various of Jackie's friends for a birthday party at the start of the film, and a humorous interchange where, like husband and wife, JFK and O'Donnell bicker over morning toast. Costner seems more like JFK's wife and first lady than political advisor. And together with Teddy it is these three modern non-military men who 'win' the battle within the White House and without against the Soviets. It is their fight that lets common sense and good American values prevail.But it is these American values that although are entirely honourable, in the end add up to a sickly sweet portrayal suggesting an almost divine miracle inspired by the Kennedy administration. It is an absorbing and well-crafted political drama for the highest stakes yet in the end it reverts to a self-centred belief that the 'best man won'. The achievements of the three, Teddy to the side and Costner in the wings helping the gifted JFK, cannot be denied, but neither can the so dramatic, glorious and one-sided depiction that is Thirteen Days. But that is what winning is about. And it is thanks to them, and thanks to God, that the sun will rise another day.