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Robert Kennedy & His Times [VHS]

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Brad Davis is probably best known for his extraordinary performance in 1978's "Midnight Express" (1978), a film written by Oliver Stone. However, one of the last greatest roles of Brad's career (before his untimely death from AIDS in 1991) was his convincing performance as Robert Kennedy in "Robert Kennedy and His Times". This mini-series originally aired on CBS in February, 1985 and received huge ratings indicating the American public still had a fascination with the Kennedy family.

Brad's role as the would-be President was welcomed positively by critics who commented that Brad not only looked like Bobby Kennedy, but had his mannerisms and gestures perfected.

The movie followed Robert Kennedy's life from the time he was born, to the time his brother was killed by bullets in Dallas, Texas in 1963, to when Bobby decided to run for President as he decided he was no longer going to live in his famous brother's shadows.

An excellent made-for TV mini-series, "Robert Kennedy and His Times" not only features a wonderful performance by Davis, but by Jack Warden, Veronica Cartwright, Beatrice Straight, and Ned Beatty. Shannen Doherty, River Phoenix, and Jason Bateman (early in their careers) all have supporting roles.

The mini-series originally aired as a three-parter. It comes in a two-disc set and is 315 minutes in length, comes with English subtitles, and is closed captioning.

Up late at night, I finally got around to watching this three-part series, and it totally blew me away. RFK gave me back the hope that America will not give into cynicism, that with political leaders willing to stand up for what they believe in, we really can change our destiny. RFK stood up against the very people that WE find it difficult to stand up against everyday, like bullies, cynics, and sometimes even family. RFK shows us that change is sometimes mundane, other times it's exciting and often it's downright scary. RFK sets a fine example for politicians and Americans, just be prepared to be moved with this video because as we all know, if you're willing to stick your head out into the open and voice your opinion - you're gonna get shot at.

I'd been awaiting for that movie to come out on DVD just until I watched it so many times on Starz. Yeah Brad Davis is such a good actor and always be remembered. Yeah I didn't know that he had passed or else been under a drug overdose or something. Long story short, This is a good interesting and mostly inspirational flick on the life on the life of Robert "Bobby" F. Kennedy (1925-1968).

Still remains my favorite Kennedy movie of all-time. Check out "RFK" and "The Kennedys" for example.

The television miniseries "Robert Kennedy & His Times" has a rather daunting goal -- a thorough, intelligent biopic of the third most famous Kennedy in history. And it succeeds for the most part, due to diligent attention to detail and the performance of Brad Davis... but it's also pretty whitewashed (no Marilyn affair here!).

The story opens with Robert Kennedy meeting and marrying his wife Ethel, even as his older brother Jack rises to national prominence. When Jack is elected president, he quickly appoints Robert as the Attorney General. But he soon discovers that it's a hard job -- he ends up at loggerheads with J. Edgar Hoover, helps with the Cuban missile crisis, and struggles to help the civil rights movement even as racial tensions explode.

But just as things seem to be settling down, the Kennedy clan -- and the US -- is rocked by a string of disasters. JFK is assassinated, Robert loses much of his clout, and their younger brother Teddy is in a horrifying accident during his campaign. After a bout of depression, Robert picks up the pieces and forges ahead as the next head of the Kennedy dynasty... only for another tragedy to cut his career -- and life -- tragically short.

"Robert Kennedy & His Times" is a wonderfully appropriate title for this movie -- it not only deals with Robert Kennedy's life, but the tumultuous era he lived in. The writers really show you the nastier issues of the day, including racial violence, the Jimmy Hoffa trial, the brewing Vietnam war and the "spy on EVERYBODY" mentality of J. Edgar Hoover.

But just showing those problems is not enough -- and so we see how and why Kennedy developed his opposition to these things, and just how passionate he was about them. But the movie also shows the man at the heart of the movie -- a kind young man who genuinely wants to make the world a better place. We get glimpses of Robert's love for his kids, parents, wife and particularly for his brother, and the writers take the time to develop him as he deals with the tragic losses around him.

So what is wrong with this miniseries? It's sanitized! Whitewashed! I can understand not wanting to dwell on the tabloid exploits of the Kennedy clan, but from this miniseries you would think their closets were utterly clean of skeletons, affairs, and unsavory ties.

But Brad Davis is really, really amazing as Robert Kennedy. He has the face, he has the voice, he has the accent, and he has the air of boyish earnestness that hardens into strength as he learns the ropes of politics. Veronica Cartwright is similarly perfect in her smaller role as Ethel Skakel Kennedy, and we have some nice smaller roles by G.D. Spradlin (as the insecure President Johnson), Ned Beatty, and Cliff de Young.

If you know more about JFK than about his even more tragic brother, then "Robert Kennedy & His Times" reveals a lot about what made the man. The whitewashing is annoying, but it's still a good series.

Brad Davis is one of the most underated actors ever. It's to bad he is no longer with us. See Midnight Express

Brad Davis gives an uncannily believable and realistic performance as Robert Kennedy in this sentimental but mostly accurate film that does a great deal to capture both RFK and the spirit and political climate of the 1960's. A great film for anyone who needs a flavor for the man, or the times in which he lived.

G.D. Spradlin puts in a strong performance as Lyndon Johnson, whom the Kennedys viewed as an illegitmate usurper in the wake of JFK's assassination -- the tension between the two camps is faithfully recreated. Ned Beatty is passable as the Kennedy-hating J. Edgar Hoover, but Jack Warden and Cliff de Young are horribly miscast as Joe Kennedy, Sr. and JFK, respectively. Warden frankly doesn't look the part and fails to convey the domineering influence Old Joe had over his sons until the stroke that left him partially paralyzed and speechless in late 1961. De Young fails to put in a strong performance as John F. Kennedy, the center of Bobby's universe until Nov. 22, 1963 -- it's as if they were afraid to cast someone who might outshine Brad Davis. That said, this is an entertaining and educational biopic, so long as the viewer understands it's not truly biography but a Hollywood spin on a very public and controversial man. RFK's outrage at injustice, his anguish at tragedy, his philosophical and spiritual growth over his lifetime, as well his intense, often straining-at-the-leash personality are wonderfully portrayed by Davis. One of the strongest and most memorable performances of RFK ever, matched only by John Shea in 1983's Kennedy, and Steven Culp in the more recent movie Thirteen Days.