By April MacIntyre Jul 12, 2009, 20:12 GMT
Regardless of how you view Senator Ted Kennedy, a saint, sinner or no opinion, if you are of a certain age range, say 38-68, the footage that was compiled of the Kennedys and archived American newscasts in this documentary, most of which I had never seen before, will resonate powerfully with you.
Regardless of how you view Senator Ted Kennedy, a saint, sinner or no opinion, if you are of a certain age range, say 38-68 years of age, the footage that was compiled of the Kennedys and archived American newscasts in this documentary, most of which I had never seen before, will resonate powerfully with you.
The news of Sen. Ted Kennedy’s brain tumor inspired HBO’s head of documentaries, Sheila Nevins, to carefully paste together a fascinating look at the patrician powerful family of humble Irish immigrant roots, who became powerbrokers and scofflaws, and became wealthy and politically powerful during a time when the press didn’t dig too deep, nor embarrass or expose known personal imbroglios for fear of being blacklisted.
Born of privilege, thanks to his bare-knuckles ruthless father Joseph Kennedy Sr., the youngest of renowned Boston Mayor “Honey” Fitz’s favorite daughter Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy’s brood of nine, Edward Moore "Teddy" Kennedy has been in the public eye all his life.
The opening footage of this documentary is riveting, to see young Teddy, hand in hand with his father Joe in a trip to England, then his father, already of high political office as ambassador, touring bombed-out London during World War II.
The footage reveals a cherubic, husky young Teddy adored by all his siblings, especially the fated older brother Joe Jr, who along with beautiful sister Kathleen, died in separate air craft crashes.
Massachusetts is my home state, and I remember that every parlor or living room of my youth had a trinity of photos hanging on the wall, Pope John XXIII, Jesus and/or the Madonna (or a combination of the two), and John F. Kennedy. The Kennedys were and still are loved, and even those who did not care for the family’s stranglehold on Massachusetts politics often agreed that the Kennedys did great good for the Bay state.
Ted Kennedy and his siblings were brought up to believe that the highest calling was to serve the public. He has since served 46 years as the nine-time Senator from Massachusetts.
He has also served as patriarch of the family since his brother Bobby’s assassination.
The Kennedy clan has endured horrendous tragedy; first Joe Jr. in 1944, Rosemary’s catastrophic lobotomy in 1941 at age 23, Kathleen’s death in 1948, then the assassinations of John and Bobby in the Sixties. Ted Kennedy’s own son’s fight with cancer that claimed a leg and his wife Joan's public struggles with alcohol were additional crosses to bear.
It is the death of Mary Jo Kopechne that still leaves questions for many over Kennedy’s behavior during and after the Cape Cod car crash that claimed her life. It was this 1969 Chappaquiddick incident that many believe kept the youngest Kennedy from running for a higher office. It is often the most hurled accusation to this day by his detractors, convinced the Senator got away with murder.
Through all the pain and scandal, Kennedy has forged a political career that is unparalleled in American history. He is regarded as an effective deal maker who has brought the right and the left together on key legislation.
HBO’s brilliant effort, “Teddy: In His Own Words” is highly recommended, even for those who never forgave Kennedy for the Chappaquiddick incident. The producers have outdone themselves in presenting our American history in snapshots from the Thirties to the present day.
The footage is moving. It will evoke a variety of emotions in people, especially for those who remember Bobby's assassination, Vietnam, various civil rights incidents including the busing riots in Boston and the Chappaquiddick scandal as top news, stories that I watched as a young child at dinnertime with CBS' Walter Cronkite.
Just hearing the Senator's voice - culled from past commentary, speeches and public and private sources - with archival newsreel and television footage, iconic photographs and rarely seen archival footage, such as home movies and photographs, recounting the sweeping saga of Kennedys life amidst the most turbulent of American decades, the Sixities, makes this a no miss and highly recommended smallscreen experience.
HBO enlisted three-time Emmy winner Peter Kunhardt (whose previous HBO credits include the documentaries "JFK: In His Own Words" and "Bobby Kennedy: In His Own Words"), to produce this illuminating and highly personal profile. When asked how he decided what footage to include and what to leave out, Kunhardt said, "That was one of the hardest parts because, as it turned out, there is such a massive amount of material. Each of his brothers has a rich story that intersected with his story, so we had to resist wandering down those paths. Our rule was to always keep the focus on Teddy. The second thing we did was to seek out material most people haven't seen before or have long forgotten, like coverage of his very early Senate years from when he first decided to run in '62."
Premieres Monday, July 13 at 9:00PM ET/PT
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