As the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination draws near, there will undoubtedly be a number of specials focused on the dramatic events of that day. Most will follow the strictly conspiratorial path established by Oliver Stone's
JFK, but one promises to be a little different. First-time director Peter Landesman's
Parkland recounts the chaotic events of November 22nd 1963 in Dallas, TX, but leaves out the suspicion and focuses on the people closest to the tragedy. The story takes place mostly at Parkland Hospital where the doctors (played by Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, and Colin Hanks) worked on the President after the shooting. We also follow the Secret Service and FBI as they work to investigate the crime, and uncover the influences that drove Lee Harvey Oswald (Jeremy Strong) to commit such an act. Included is Paul Giamatti as Abraham Zapruder, whose "Zapruder film" would become the most searing footage of the incident in history.
I had a chance to sit down and talk with Landesman about the film, and he talked about working with such a large and talented ensemble; his attempts to do a different JFK movie; and releasing it during the anniversary of his death. You can check out the interview below, then read my review of
Parkland here.
