SocraticGadfly: #Parkland looks like it could be a great movie

August 21, 2013

#Parkland looks like it could be a great movie

Here's the Dallas Morning News' Guide section's take on it, with still photos here, and here's a trailer (also at the first link):



It could be great, because, as the Snooze notes, it's based on Vincent Bugliosi's book.

However, it could schwaffle enough to give fuel to conspiracy theorists:
Though Vincent Bugliosi’s book makes the (very long) case for Oswald as Kennedy’s killer, (scriptwriter and director Peter) Landesman tells Variety the movie doesn’t pick sides between lone gunman or vast conspiracy.

“What we’re looking to do is start a different conversation about historical events,” he told Variety. “Fifty years later, people are still very emotional about that day.”
Uhh, then why do you claim it's adapted from Bugliosi's book? Bugliosi, a great lawyer, makes an even more forceful, more in-depth argument for Oswald acting alone than does "Case Closed" by Gerald Posner, and with less baggage than later-in-life journalism ethics crack-ups by Posner. (Interesting tidbit: Posner hired JFK conspiracy theorist lawyer Mark Lane to represent him over that!)

Variety says that producer Tom Hanks gave Bugliosi vetting over scripts, so, let's hope that Landesman's making more a "tease" statement than anything else.

But, until I hear more, I'm going to emphasize that word "could." If the film winds up giving conspiracy theorists bits of ammo while at the same time not steering that "different conversation" to facts on the ground, it could be good drama but a factual narrative flop.

That said, as Salon notes, because it focuses on what happened after the shooting, it could be giving conspiracy theorists little to peg themselves to.

But, having been at Dealey Plaza before, including on a Nov. 22, trust me — if one "I" isn't dotted on this baby, it will be a field day, even if it's only a low-budget indie flick.

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