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Billy Wonka

This dramatic retelling of Teddy Kennedy's mishap at the bridge shows us that Teddy was in no way ready to be a president. He lived in the shadow of his three brothers and did not have the same "brains" or charisma.

The film is ripe with flashbacks and shows the event of his Olds going turtle. He tried to get back to Mary Jo a few times then bolted in panic. He seemed preoccupied with his political career, living up to the family standard, and keeping his father's approval.

Clarke played Teddy as a somewhat weak man who was challenged by his father into being a "Kennedy". We see him gather steam and move from indecision to near arrogance by the time he made his television message to the nation. Teddy has a virtual army of people called in by Papa Joe to iron out this career-killing mistake. He had made more mistakes thinking it through on his own rather than listening to all the advice being given. (The neck brace was a prime example.)

I'm not going to be harsh about the acting but I find it difficult for anyone to portray a Kennedy. It never seems to be right. Jason Clarke may have not be the ideal candidate but it seems the casting was intentionally B-list so as to not make personality more important than the matter-of-fact roles. (Ed Helms did reasonably well for a dramatic outing.)

Did the other shoe drop about Mary Jo? Well, in the flashbacks there were two bursts of frames that implied something happening on the roadside before the ride to the bridge. It was almost subliminal and certainly not explicit.

If your curiosity is killing you then you may want to saunter in for a look. Otherwise, disk or cable would be fine. The not-so-big shock here is how much power and fame meant in the face of honesty and decency.

Films/DVD Asylum

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