Culturebox: The Kennedys

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television The Kennedys Greg Kinnear as JFK, Katie Holmes as Jackie, with history making a brief cameo. By Troy Patterson Posted Thursday, March 31, 2011, at 8:22 PM ET Having been dumped by the History Channel and subsequently disdained by a few other cable networks, The Kennedys, an eight-hour miniseries, airs next week way up on the ReelzChannel. This is a suitably low-rent venue for a production that looks pitiably cheap despite a reported budget of $30 million. It would seem that the producers have spent handsomely on star talent and on hairdressing, with Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes respectively blow-dried and bouffanted into commemorative-plate perfection as JFK and Jackie. It would seem, also, that lower priorities included the construction of credible sets (is the exterior of the White House fabricated from drywall?), the hiring of enough extras to fill out a campaign rally properly or even a family dinner (where's Teddy?), and contracting the services of a competent dialect coach. Kinnear captures his character's non-rhotal speech persuasively, for the most part, but other actors have a hahder time, slipping around from the intonations of Mayor Quimby to those of Will Hunting--and when Rose Kennedy, played by Diana Hardcastle, opens her mouth, the voice that emerges rings like Katharine Hepburn's. Upon chucking The Kennedys, the History Channel issued a statement that said, in part, "While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand." The first part of that sentence is so complete a fiction that it is tempting to discount the whole. The film is produced and acted with unconditional mediocrity. This is one of those historical dramas that plays like a forced march of time, with the story advancing because people read stories about themselves in fictional newspapers with names like the United States Tribune. But the dependent clause holds water: In order to be a fit for the History brand, the miniseries would have needed to have a halfway serious interest in, ah, historical analysis, and The Kennedys wants nothing to do with any of that. To continue reading, click here. Troy Patterson is Slate's television critic. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Mysterious Fraud Probe That Destroyed One of the Biggest NGOs in the Development World Why Isn't the U.S. Nuclear-Energy Industry the Slightest Bit Anxious After Japan's Disaster? Three Wishes the Make-a-Wish Foundation Refuses To Grant	Advertisement
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Today: March 18, 2011 How Much Radiation Is Too Much? And how do we know? By Jeremy Singer-Vine READ FULL STORY | More Briefing Paying With Your Phone Is Awesome, Because … Because. We already have a perfectly fine way to make non-cash payments. By Farhad Manjoo READ FULL STORY | More Business and Tech A History of the Hollywood Sign How an advertisement for a housing development came to represent the movies. By Leo Braudy READ FULL STORY | More Arts 61 Increasingly Urgent Tweets ... Then Silence Why the Washington Post's Plagiarism Scandal Matters Limitless Is Only 10 Percent as Good as It Could Have Been Visa's Handy New System for Paying Your Friends by Credit Card Advertisement Shafer: The NYT Paywall Will Make Everyone Miserable, but It Might Work A $12,000 Gucci Jacket? What To Do When Fashion Gets Too Expensive. Briefing Sarah Palin favorability ratings: Will she run for president? Are there really places where NPR is the only news source? News & Politics The latest updates to Barack Obama's Facebook news feed. Roseanne Barr vs. Sarah Palin: Why the TV star could take on the Mama Grizzlies. Arts Shedding for the Wedding reviewed: fat couples compete for their dream wedding. "Catapult" Life Radioactivity: Why is this blight different from all other blights? 2011 NCAA Tournament: Behind the Butler bench as the Bulldogs keep up their March magic. Business & Tech Do higher wages make you work harder? Do lower wages make you slack off? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Some "Rogue"! Science The Japanese tsunami was among the worst in recent memory. Japan's nuclear disaster: How will we warn posterity about radioactive waste? Podcasts & Video Mel Gibson in The Beaver, Das Racist at SXSW, and the latest movie adaptation of Jane Eyre on this week's Culture Gabfest podcast. Manning Up by Kay Hymowitz, the all-girls Pink Academy preschool, and the Middleton family: On this week's DoubleX Gabfest.

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Colorful "Hop" Exceeds Low Expectations -- April 1, 2011

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Movie Reviews Colorful Hop Exceeds Low Expectations Jeffrey Huston What Hop lacks in originality it makes up for in high energy, bright and colorful imagery, and a lively and talented cast led by James Marsden. Read the full article here DVD Reviews Clever Premise Dumbed Down in Source Code Jeffrey Huston Complex narrative layers and multiple realities pose tough ethical questions in Source Code, but its clever premise is progressively dumbed down. Read the full article here Faith and The Church Rob Bell, the Book, and a Candle John Mark Reynolds The Bible require rigorous exegetical skills or it ends up saying what we wish it said. Rob Bell's god ends up looking suspiciously like Rob Bell, never a good sign. Read the full article here Religious Believers: A Less-Than-Endangered Species Jim Tonkowich To say that a particular congregation will become extinct is a far cry from the claim that religion as a whole will become extinct in the world. Read the full article here Marriage Keep a Short Account with Your Mate Dr. David Hawkins It seems not a day goes by without injuring our mate with a sharp remark here or a sarcastic comment there. Read the full article here Career Who Do You Serve? Steve Diggs On a profound level, we humans tend to resist acknowledging headship. Sure, we may salute certain flags. But many of us do not want to surrender our wills. Read the full article here Singles He Said-She Said: Involvement with Married People Cliff Young & Laura MacCorkle Are you attracted to or involved with someone who is married, separated or engaged? What's a single to do in situations such as these? Read the full article here Today's Devotional On Trial Before Pilate (from "UpWords with Max Lucado") Are You the King of the Jews? (Matt. 27:11). Pilate's question is yours: What will I do with this man, Jesus? You have two choices. Read the full article here Watch more Christian Video Sermons & Messages from Ministries on LightSource.com   •  Free Christian Book •  A degree will make a difference! •  Fundraising? Get FREE kit •  Orphans need your help! •  Publish Your Book Crosswalk.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: • OnePlace.com • LightSource.com • ChristianJobs.com • CrossCards.com • SermonSearch.com • Christianity.com

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