Movie Description
A series of beautiful but devastating atomic explosions provides a vision of gorgeous, appalling destruction that hangs ominously over the political drama of THIRTEEN DAYS. It's October 16, 1962 and, it is not just another day at the office for Kenneth O'Donnell (Kevin Costner), the Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood). The President has just been handed a series of photographs taken from a U-2 spy plane over Cuba, showing deployed Soviet missile launchers capable of firing medium-range ballistic missiles that could hit most major US cities within minutes.
THIRTEEN DAYS is a vivid dramatization of what happened in the Kennedy White House during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Seen through the eyes of O'Donnell, it is a close-up view of President Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (Steven Culp), as they try to handle a crisis that has many of their closest advisors ready to wage what all feared might have been the ultimate war. The script, by David Self, is based on interviews, CIA documents, and White House tapes. Director Roger Donaldson captures the extraordinary tension in the White House as he brings to life every heart-stopping moment.
| Credits | | Producer: | Armyan Bernstein, Peter O. Almond | | Cast: | Steven Culp |
| Details | | Sound: | Stereo Sound, Surround Sound |
Notes
Theatrical release: December 20, 2000.
THIRTEEN DAYS was shot on location in Glendale, California; Washington, D.C.; Newport, Rhode Island, and in the Philippines.
The spectacular atomic explosions shown at the opening of THIRTEEN DAYS are the work of special effects producer, Peter Kuran.
Among the many real-life people vividly portrayed on the screen in THIRTEEN DAYS are President Kennedy's Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara (Dylan Baker); his Secretary of State, Dean Rusk (Henry Strozier); Former Secretary of State (for President Truman), Dean Acheson (Len Cariou); UN Representative Adalai Stevenson (Michael Fairman); Admiral George Anderson (Madison Mason); General Maxwell Taylor (Bill Smitrovich); General Curtis LeMay (Kevin Conway); and Kennedy's Press Secretary, Pierre Salinger (Kelly Connell).
Jami Bernard of the New York Times and Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly named THIRTEEN DAYS one of the top ten films of 2000.
The Broadcast Film Critics Association nominated THIRTEEN DAYS for Best Picture in 2000.
Bruce Greenwood was named Best Supporting Actor, Drama and Conrad Buff was awarded Best Film Editing by the Golden Satellite Awards presented by the International Press Academy.
Editorial Reviews
"...The actor who steals [the film] is the one who should: Bruce Greenwood as JFK..." -- 3 out of 4 stars
USA Today - p.1D - Mike Clark (12/21/2000)
"...Genuinely gripping....Virtually nonstop suspense..."
Box Office - p.63 - Michael Tunison (01/01/2001)
"...A very good articulation of values at a timely moment..."
Film Comment - p.75-6 - Harlan Jacobson (01/01/2001)
"...Eerie, compelling viewing....This riveting thriller will have you talking and thinking long after the lights have gone up..." -- 4 out of 5 stars
Total Film - p.86 - Simon Crook (04/01/2001)
"...Crisp and involving....Efficient and low-key, THIRTEEN DAYS takes itself seriously enough while maintaining a powerful dramatic momentum..."
Los Angeles Times - p.F1 - Kenneth Turan (12/25/2001)
"...Intelligent....Steven Culp makes a good Bobby Kennedy, sharp-edged and protective of his brother, and Dylan Baker's resemblance to McNamara is uncanny..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (01/12/2001)
Ranked #10 in Entertainment Weekly's "Owen Gleiberman's BEST MOVIES OF 2000"
-- "...Vividly detailed, pulse-quickening..."
Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (12/22/2000)
Ranked #10 in Entertainment Weekly's "Owen Gleiberman's BEST MOVIES OF 2000"
-- "...Vividly detailed, pulse-quickening..."
Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (12/22/2000)
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