I’ve always been a big history buff, forever intrigued by the bygone era of America’s own Camelot, the Kennedy presidency. Regardless of one’s political affiliation or lack thereof, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy seemed to be the quintessential First Lady, holding it all together when the unthinkable tragedy occurred.
As a former teacher, I, of course, know a lot about President John F. Kennedy’s short 1,037 days in office, but I didn’t know very much about Jackie. Twice I have lived in Newport, Rhode Island, and I can point out St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, where she married JFK, as well as Hammersmith Farm, her childhood home where her wedding reception was held. I knew she was highly educated, poised, and sophisticated, and that she brought a flair of elegance to the White House.
I was intrigued to see the movie Jackie starring Natalie Portman as the late First Lady because I wanted to learn more about the woman who America still seems enchanted with even though it’s been more than half a century since she waved to crowds of people lining the streets of Dallas, seated beside her husband on that fateful day, November 22, 1963.
After starring in the lead role of Jackie, Natalie Portman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a nomination that she definitely deserved. Portman’s portrayal of Jackie was spot on, and it was evident that she thoroughly did her research. Jackie had a rather breathy yet slow spoken and articulate delivery about her speech, and Portman not only nailed the way Jackie spoke, but even perfectly mimicked her facial expressions and mannerisms.
The movie revolves around Jackie’s interview with an unnamed journalist, played by Billy Crudup, shortly after her husband’s assassination. As he interviews her, the movie turns into a series of flashbacks, which are mainly centered around JFK’s death and funeral. Jackie, who I was surprised to learn was a smoker, carefully chooses her words, intentionally wanting to control the way the journalist presents her to the world as a new widow.
The cinematography was rather unusual because many of the scenes utilized extreme closeups of the characters, giving viewers a sense of first hand intimacy as to what Jackie was feeling. I learned so much as I watched the movie, and had no idea just how instrumental Jackie was in ensuring that her husband’s legacy would forever endure. Were it not for her attention to detail in planning his funeral and giving the world glimpses of her fatherless, young children, JFK’s significance to our country today might be radically different.
I attended the movie with my friend Heather and two friends who are both named Stephanie. The movie made for an engrossing post-movie conversation. Heather shared, “I thought it was good. I liked it. It’s not going to be for everyone though.” Heather was especially moved by the multiple flashbacks which show Jackie and her priest having a thought provoking conversation about her grief.
My friend Stephanie said, “I grew up with the impression from my mother that Jackie was the epitome of grace and what a First Lady should be. The way they portrayed her in the movie is not anything that I ever would have really thought about her, but it wasn’t surprising. After seeing it, I feel very defensive of her, almost passionate about her because she was so determined to have the funeral the way she wanted it, to really honor him and leave a legacy. I admire her tenacity to make that all happen even though she wavered at times. She was brutally honest, admitting some of it wasn’t about him, but was about her.” My other friend Stephanie commented, “I don’t know if I would recommend to see it in a theater,” explaining that there were moments throughout the film where she would have liked to have hit pause while then going online so she could learn even more about the iconic First Lady. She added, “When I go to the theater, I want to be joyfully entertained,” noting that Jackie, while it gave us a lot of historical insight, is definitely not a film that lifts spirits.
Personally, the movie forever changed the way I will view Jackie Kennedy. When I now think of her, I still apply my previous perceived attributes to her, but I also view her as someone with incredible grit, savvy, and determination. She wasn’t perfect, but that makes the memory of her even more beloved.
Movie times: click here
Genre: Drama
Director: Pablo Lorrain
Actors: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig
Rating: R for brief strong violence and some language
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
