'Parkland' review

NEW YORK

People who were alive on November 22nd, 1963 will never forget where they were, after what has been called "the crime of the century".

Parkland takes its title from where he died – President Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Hospital after he was shot.

"What happened had been much too ugly, and much too fast," said one commentator at the time.

'Parkland' captures that chaos. They find a heartbeat, and so real does all this seem. You can feel the tension in the operating room, even though we all know the tragic outcome.

The focus in the movie is not on the president, nor his wife, nor even his men, but on other lives ruined by assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Their stories are pieced together from small details and intimate scenes.

James Badge Dale shows how 'Bob' Oswald, who is still alive, has been haunted by his brother's actions, and yet, few were as deeply affected as Abe Zapruder.

Paul Giamatti plays the main man with the movie camera so well, he deserves an Oscar nomination, and Billy Bob Thornton plays so well opposite him as the secret service man in charge.

'Parkland' is a movie that has split critics down the middle. Online there are plenty of reviews 'pro' and 'con'. You can out Sandy Kenyon squarely with those who admire the movie.

Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.