Yesterday I saw "Chappaquiddick" on the plane coming home from LA.

[CTyankee]

I was impressed by the acting and direction but a bit concerned about the portrayal of Teddy
Kennedy. Has anyone else seen this movie?

Ted was played as a very complicated guy. The incident sorta ruined him emotionally according to this interpretation. The neckbrace thing was I think overplayed but I dunno what really transpired with it. My memory dating back to 1969 was of a guy caught up in an unwinnable situation, which is probably true. But I thought the film as being hostile to him and I don't remember it being that way.

What did others think about this film?

[hlthe2b]

1. I haven't and I don't think all that many did, at least in theaters...I'd assumed it was a "hit job"

but perhaps not?

[Tumbulu]

2. I saw it on a plane trip as well.

and I also found it interesting, but disturbingly damning. I am not sure how factual this movie was....it really suggests that she could have been saved. And his portrayal, along with his friend's diving in and failing to open doors, or go get help, really plays into the whole right wing attack of him for the past three decades.

I still did find it interesting, and Joe Kennedy sure seemed awful. Another right wing attack idea.....

[CTyankee]

4. I really don't know how you can be saved from such an accident...

No car door can be opened under that much water.

On another note, I am in Chappy every summer and what was interesting to me was how little is changed with that ferry. It's a pretty basic operation, ferry service from the Vineyard to Chappy and nothing has changed much (I'm glad they shot it there making it authentic to me). The scenes shot in MV were also authentic.

My son in law, who owns the Chappy home with his wife (my daughter), takes visitors to the ferry where the incident occurred. That ferry station (not on the Vineyard side) has long since been equipped with rails so this kind of accident couldn't happen again. But you must take the ferry. No bridge.

[byronius]

3. It's something I've avoided like the plague.

Looked like a MAGA hit piece. Sounds like it is.

It's an incident that ranks on my list of interesting dramatic history somewhere down in the fifty millions. Bleah. Do not care.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. I've seen it from an airplane window.

Neat little patch of sand in the middle of an ocean

[smirkymonkey]

6. He did not come off well in the film.

However I don't have a lot of knowledge about the actual case so I can't really make a judgement based upon one filmmaker's perspective. I do think he acted selfishly, but I can't say much more than that.

[2naSalit]

7. My family

well, my dad's family, is from Cape Cod next to Hyannis and back in the 40s even flew the mail and dairy products to the islands. I lived in coastal NE all of my childhood and early teens and remember this event along with other Kennedylore.

This was a very unfortunate incident and Teddy was running for office at the time, things were rather bitter as the Kennedys were beginning to be seen as dynastic by the conservatives and it wasn't looking all that good for him. Many accused Teddy of running on the memory of his brothers and not being a valid legislator himself. That was the tone of the time that I recall, and I was paying attention.

The general setting was one of a jaded view of Teddy and he was never given a positive presentation on this event. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. I always felt it was a set up. Just as an aside but pertinent considering the current political atmosphere, the one and only filthmonger Roy Cohn frequented the islands as do many DC elites, thus my suspicion. He hated the Kennedys.

So somehow Teddy managed to survive the whole nightmare and the good people of Massachusetts reelected him again and again because he really was the real deal when it came to representation.

Anyway, that's the gist of what I recall.

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. Notrying to make excuses for Ted Kennedy, but....

if I had 2 brothers assassinated and I went through a horrific single plane accident that left me almost paralyzed and my relationship with my life was not great, I might slip into a night out with friends and female company. Sorry, but I can't say that I am willing to destroy a person over a very sad accident.

[True Dough]

9. Haven't seen it, but perhaps someday if I get a chance

I did post a trailer for it here in the DU Video and Multimedia group several months ago. Asked whether anyone was interested in watching it. It didn't take long before I was getting "hate" posts, accusing me of posting right-wing propaganda. Sure enough, someone alerted and a jury must have found me guilty because it got a hide and I received an email warning.

Sometimes the DU is waaaaay too uptight!