Taking place in Dallas, Texas, Peter Landesman's Parkland chronicles the three-day marathon between the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, and his burial at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Told through an interwoven group of stories, each bearing its own central figure, the big picture slowly surfaces as a country mourns the loss of its leader, and a generation is woken from its innocent slumber.
Boasting an incredible cast of respectable performers, Landesman effectively breathes new life into a story we all feel we have heard time and time again. Centering on the hospital that would ultimately announce the death of both the former President and the man accused of killing him, Parkland provides its audience with a rare behind-the-scenes style experience. No rock is left unturned as the film takes you on a wild ride that seems almost too "Hollywood" to be true. But as the archival footage gives way, you find yourself engulfed within the world that is November 1963.
Paul Giamatti, Jacki Weaver, and Marcia Gay Harden lead the list of respectable actors, each grounding their respective storyline and keeping the story's pace even as the audience transitions between points of origin. It is through their solid performances that everything (and everyone) else evolves, ultimately offering up a truly complete picture of one of America's most disturbing days.
While many historical re-enactments get cheesy and offer little original information regarding the story at hand, the same cannot be said about this film. Parkland offers up rare points of view, not often discussed in conversation, working hard to give a new perspective on the well documented story. Landesman was careful in the way that he shot the film, refusing to allow any one character to fall flat and become victimized by nostalgia.
The end of the film comes just in time. Weaver has just placed the finishing touches on what is easily her best performance to date, and you can't help but feel a bit overrun with emotion as you fully process the importance that the event played in our nation's history. Was it perfect in every way, shape, or form? No. But Parkland is pretty damn close as it forcefully breaks the mold, giving its audience a true, concise, and high quality depiction without falling victim to itself. For those who remember what they were doing on that fateful date in Dallas, the film will be a subtle reminder of the times. For those of us who weren't, it is a haunting look into another generation's 9-11.
