Product Details

• Actors: Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Katie Holmes, Tom Wilkinson
• Directors: Jon Cassar
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: New Video Group
• DVD Release Date: September 20, 2011
• Run Time: 353 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B004YDSNMQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,028 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Kennedys" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's not hard to see why the History Channel declined to air The Kennedys after members of America's "royal family" objected to the series' more salacious aspects. To be sure, there are plenty of them: drug habits, mobsters, election fixing, enough philandering to shame Tiger Woods, bad behavior ranging from cynical manipulation to outright cruelty… and Marilyn Monroe. But it's not as if these things haven't been covered at length elsewhere. And in any case, this is hardly a documentary; the eight-part miniseries, which spans the years from just before World War II to 1968, has been variously described, including by the filmmakers themselves, as "history through personality" and "a Greek tragedy," with a dose of hagiography added for good measure. The emphasis on the personal approach (commingled with major political events like the Bay of Pigs debacle, the Cuban missile crisis, and the forced integration of the University of Mississippi) is something of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, there's something appealingly juicy about being privy to the private conversations of this very public family; but at the same time, the dialogue created for such scenes is often on the nose ("Men can't say no to me," Monroe says as she tries to seduce Robert Kennedy), melodramatic, and risibly portentous ("I've never been so happy in my life," says Jackie Kennedy to her husband… as Air Force One lands in Dallas on November 22, 1963).

The complete absence of Edward Kennedy--who is never mentioned, let alone seen--is peculiar; sisters Kathleen, Eunice, and Jean are also nowhere to be found. That leaves the primary focus on paterfamilias Joseph Kennedy Sr., wife Rose, sons Jack and Bobby, and Jackie, and the portrayals of these near-mythic characters are among the best ever filmed. Tom Wilkinson plays Joe as a thoroughly ruthless, imperious kingmaker who, after his own and eldest son Joe Jr.'s presidential ambitions are ended (Sr. was fired from his post as British ambassador after disagreeing with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's war policies, while Jr. died in combat), forces the reluctant JFK to enter politics. As Jack, Greg Kinnear beautifully conveys the late president's humor, charisma, and compassion, while Barry Pepper is a revelation as the rebellious but strait-laced and dutiful Bobby, whose principal responsibility seems to be cleaning up after his older brother's many sexual indiscretions (Katie Holmes's long-suffering Jackie is a bit of a cipher, as was the first lady in real life). That these and other performances, including Diana Hardcastle's Rose and Don Allison's Lyndon Johnson, are in the service of material better suited to a soap opera than a serious drama hardly matters; any way you look at it, The Kennedys is compulsively watchable and never less than entertaining. --Sam Graham

Product Description

Product Description

The most famous family in American history comes to life in this epic 8-part miniseries event.

Inspired by one of the world s most iconic families, this eight-part scripted drama/miniseries ventures upstairs at the White House to chronicle the saga of America s first royal family during the 1960s. Through exhaustive research, THE KENNEDYS provides an intimate look at how Joseph Kennedy, Sr. shaped his sons John and Robert to become two of the most influential men in America s history. With political events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs and the civil rights movement playing background to the personal stories of the relationships between brother and brother and father and son, THE KENNEDYS details how the two men handled their father, whose ambition exceeded their own, and ultimately made them who they were. THE KENNEDYS recounts the scandal, tragedy, public greatness and private frailty of our nation s most fabled political family during one of the most momentous decades in history.

Special Features

• 45 minute featurette The Kennedys: From Story to Film
• Behind-the-scenes footage
• Cast and crew interviews

See all Editorial Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars FOUR 2011 EMMY NOMINATIONS ARGUES IT'S CONTROVERSIAL BUT GOOD August 30, 2011

By MISTER SJEM TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

A somewhat superficial but entertaining focus of the Kennedy family and their rise to power with the early focuses being on Joe Kennedy (played brilliantly by Tom Wilkinson) and later on JFK (Greg Kinnear really gets the mannerisms down of the original JFK). Many of the high points of JFK's Presidency are covered and every scandal or dark secret connected to the family seems to be covered (i.e. JFK's sleeping around, Marilyn Monroe's suicide being because of JFK, Frank Sinatra and the mob, etc). Kennedy fans may consider those focuses a "character assassination" attempt on the man so be warned. Katie Holmes gets criticized for her role in playing Jackie Kennedy but I felt she did a commendable enough job. Barry Pepper did a lot better than I expected as Robert Kennedy and Diana Hardcastle was a startlingly good Rose Kennedy. In fact, I'd say some of the most interesting scenes were the flashbacks between her and Joe especially when their eldest child was put away into a nunnery and later lobotomized. I would have liked something about Ted Kennedy and some argue the assassination was toned down in the last episode which I partly agree with. Historian David Talbot was used as source material in the making of this miniseries. I would surmise they sometimes get it right but it's a truly rare piece that tries to be historically authentic over emotionally engaging. As of the writing of this review the Emmies have nominated this miniseries for: Outstanding Miniseries, Best Actor in and Outstanding Miniseries or Movie (Greg Kinnear and Barry Pepper) and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie (Tom Wilkinson).... CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus; STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; HISTORICAL FOCUSES & AUTHENTICITY: B; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN WATCHED: early July 20ll to late August 2011 (streamed; 8 episodes). Read more ›

62 of 72 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Tale of a family... or at least, the major parts May 1, 2011

By E. A Solinas HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

"The Kennedys" caused a big stir before it was even aired, since the History Channel refused to air it, allegedly because it was a smear job.

Well, it wasn't a smear job, and reportedly the History Channel pulled out because the Kennedys put pressure on them. But it also wasn't the great American epic that you would expect -- its stately beginning and exploration of the world-changing effects of the Kennedy administration are marred by a rushed ending and lackluster direction.

The miniseries follows the Kennedy family as John F. Kennedy (Greg Kinnear) is elected as the President of the United States, with the help of his bombastic father Joe Sr. (Tom Wilkinson) and his devoted brother Bobby (Barry Pepper). But JFK had many obstacles, both personal and professional -- he's crippled by a bad back, his father made many enemies, and his marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Katie Holmes) was troubled.

And over the course of his administration, the Kennedy brothers grapple with Cuba, Russia, riots over civil rights for African-Americans, and chasing down the mob. But there are also many personal crises -- drug use, a baby's death, Joe Sr.'s stroke -- that they struggle to deal with, until the shocking assassinations that destroyed both men.

First off: is "The Kennedys" a smear job? Answer: no, it is not. However, it contains a lot of material that the Kennedy family doesn't like to publicize despite its truth: Rosemary Kennedy's lobotomy, the frequent infidelity by Joe Sr. and Jack, the First Family's drug use, and the fact that Joe Sr. wasn't above using crooked associations to get what he wanted.

However, the miniseries is a fair and sympathetic look at the Kennedy clan overall.... The first five episodes are slow, stately and careful, outlining some of the major events of the Kennedy administration, and adding in flashbacks to show some of the family's history (such as the death of Joe Jr.). It's actually pretty amusing, although the direction is pretty lackluster, and painfully maudlin during emotional moments.

However, about five episodes in, the producers seemed to suddenly realize, "Yikes, we have only a few hours to wrap everything up! We'll have to smush everything to make it fit!" The last few episodes are HORRIBLY rushed -- the Marilyn affair takes up about ten minutes max (with no "happy birthday" song), and Bobby's entire presidential campaign is squashed into the final twenty minutes. The poor guy deserved more than that.

As for the actors, they're a mixed bag. Wilkinson and Diana Hardcastle are absolutely pitch-perfect as Joe and Rose Kennedy. Pepper and Kinnear don't look anything like their real-life counterparts, but they both give good performances -- Pepper is particularly good as the devout "good boy" who struggles to do the right thing, and he is the saving grace of the last two episodes.

The worst part, hands down? That would be Katie Holmes, who doesn't have the elegance, poise or grace to play Jacqueline Kennedy. And she has only three acting modes: pouty, smiley and blank.

"The Kennedys" is certainly a miniseries worth watching, especially since it highlights part of the Kennedy family's past that are often left unilluminated. But that doesn't mean it couldn't have used another two episodes and a better Jackie. Read more ›

30 of 38 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay... up until the last two episodes June 9, 2011

By Tong Zou

Format:DVD

The series was doing alright, and reasonably accurate until it came to the last two episodes where it abruptly jumped from the cuban missile crisis to the assassination. What happened to all of 1963? The space race? Vietnam? Midterm elections + Ted Kennedy? Berlin speech? Nuclear test ban treaty + American university speech? Tax cuts + stand against U.S Steel? Peace Corps? To me these omissions worry me more than whether or not Oswald was the actual killer or not.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Well Acted And Old Fashioned Type Miniseries--Not Deserving Of The Controversy That Surrounds It October 20, 2011

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

In one of the most patently absurd manufactured controversies of this or any year, the History Channel commissioned this dramatized portrait of the Kennedy clan and then bowed to outside pressure not to air it. Other networks soon passed on the finished product, and this television production was all but demonized before it even saw the light of day. What exactly has this miniseries been found guilty of? It plays fast and loose with some of the facts? Well, this isn't a documentary, that's for sure--but who expected it would be? As a superficial and fictional presentation, it is not the least bit surprising that elements of the story are emphasized for entertainment purposes. This is a dramatization, not unlike dozens of others that populate feature films and TV movies, that embellishes its story to fit a certain format. Are the Kennedys really that untouchable? As fodder for countless films, TV shows, and novels through the years (perhaps more so than any other family in history), the Kennedy story has been covered from almost every angle--from reverential to scurrilous. Anyone who is scandalized by "The Kennedys" must surely have had their head in the sand about the clan. I have viewed and read dozens of far more incendiary provocations over the last 30 years!

If anything, this miniseries is guilty of being an old fashioned TV product--a throw back to the days before cable ruled the adult viewing audience. In fact, for that reason alone, the presentation is surprisingly tepid--in other hands, this might have been turned into a piece worthy of controversy. Okay, I promise to get off my soapbox now and talk about the actual film. Shot in eight bite sized nuggets (I mean episodes), "The Kennedys" does not purport to be a comprehensive biography.... Each episode tends to have a central theme or plot point and hits the appropriate historical markers with precision. It is not an in-depth look at either history or politics, but rather a glossy overview of recognizable historical moments amidst soap opera turmoil. It is an entertaining, if superficial, peak at the intricacies inherent in being involved as a power player in media and politics.

Far more intriguing than the paint by numbers romp through history is the cast. Tom Wilkinson is absolutely magnetic as family patriarch Joe. Had this aired on a network other than Reelz, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have been under greater awrad scrutiny. Fiery, uncompromising, meticulous, and riddled with ambition--this is a star turn from one of our best actors. Diana Hardcastle, as matriarch Rose, doesn't have as much screen time--but hers is an equally vivid performance. A fine combination of haughty and devout, I think I laughed at just about everything she says--a true scene stealing role. Greg Kinnear acquits himself well handling the complexities of JFK while Barry Pepper turns in a terrific performance as Bobby. Only Katie Holmes (and I'm not a hater) falls a bit short, for my taste, with the overly breathy Jackie. The supporting cast is enlivened by some solid turns and famous faces. Sinatra, Monroe, Hoover, and Giancana (among others) are all nicely done.

"The Kennedys," again while capitalizing on more colorful aspects of the story, never commits the sin of being dull. And, in truth, that's its greatest accomplishment. The story is so familiar, I was hesitant to revisit yet another tale of America's First Family. But I'm glad I did--mainly for the able and game cast who really seem to come across as related. A special mention goes out to the make-up team--with slight modifications, Pepper and Kinnear look the part while still being recognizable. If you go into this thinking it will be "too hot for TV," you'll likely be disappointed. This is a classic network TV style miniseries that is well done. KGHarris, 4/11. Read more ›