David Ferguson
Greetings again from the darkness. This documentary was released in 2013, and the announcement today of the passing of Pete Seeger, finally pushed me to watch it. The motivation for the film was in tribute to JFK on the 50th anniversary of his death. Unfortunately, living in Dallas, there were just so many movies and events commemorating the tragic event, that this one slipped through the cracks. After watching this, it's clear that it is a worthy and emotional tribute.The assassination occurred on Friday November 22, 1963. By Monday the 25th, more than 45,000 letters were delivered to the White House. In the first 50 days, more than 800,000 letters arrived. We are treated to the reading of 21 through the voices of many well known actors including: Betty White, Octavia Spencer, Chris Cooper, Demian Bichir, Berence Bejo, and a closing from Mark Ruffalo. These are letters from everyday people affected by the death of a man who many felt so connected to.Emotions flow from the mostly handwritten letters. Emotions ranging from anger to sadness to disbelief, and most of all, sympathy to Jackie Kennedy and her kids. Some tell their own tragic stories, while others explain how impacted they were by JFK. The sincerity is palpable. These people felt a need to reach out to Jackie ... not as the Queen of Camelot, but rather as a saddened widow and single mother. Their words strike a nerve.Director Bill Couturie won an Oscar as Producer of the 1989 documentary Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt. He helped capture some of the stories associated with the AIDS quilt. With that movie and this one, you might think Mr. Couturie is the most emotional and serious man in the movie business. Before concluding that, you should also know he directed Ed (1996). Haven't seen Ed? It's about a chimpanzee who plays baseball. Evidently Mr. Couturie has a lighter side as well.The film works thanks to the real words of real people, and it's provided a boost through some terrific footage of the incredible stages of Kennedy's presidency: the inauguration speech, the chimp in space (not Ed), formation of the Peace Corps, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the trip to Paris, Jackie's televised tour of the White House, the early stages of Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy's speech in Berlin, the Freedom March, and of course the assassination. Some of the footage is stunning in clarity, some it all too familiar.John Kennedy was our youngest President and the first to be born in the 20th century. His vision and presence, despite some failed efforts, connected with an enormous number of people throughout the US and even the world. The shattered feeling caused by his death still resonates even 50 years later, and it's very sobering and touching to hear the words of so many just trying to make sense of a senseless act.
bonitapo
During a season of commemorating our loss of Pres. Kennedy, I had no patience with some of the programs which were put together, compiled, or thrown together without investing much time, research, or investment of the heart. Yet "Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy" touched me so deeply that I am posting my first IMDb review. "Letters to Jackie" is a documentary about an event which was but a moment, but it cut deeply into history - a cut in the course of time which was (and must be) unforgettable. This TV special beautifully reveals the terrible sense of loss to individual Americans (and much of the world.) It is well done on various levels. The music is at times heartbreaking - and appropriately so. The production values are high but not glossy. I congratulate and thank the producers for this honest - not sensationalistic - presentation.The production is based upon a book collection of letters to the late President's wife. Contemporaneous photo images of letter writers take us back into time and to a place that may seem ancient to today's young; yet we who began to cry Nov. 22, 1963 did look like that when we were young. But that does not matter. Regardless of fashion style, half a century later many of us still easily weep at the memories, and we still ask the "What if's?" The featured letters, read by actors, reveal how personal the loss was. The assassination was Friday, and, by Monday, already over 40,000 people had mailed cards and letters to Mrs. Kennedy at the White House. By January 1964, the total exceeded 800,000 pieces of mail. These have been kept at the Kennedy Library and museum near Boston. It works. It's beautiful. It is worthy of those who picked up a pen or a crayon to write Mrs. Kennedy and the family. It's worth your time. And your tears.
