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NYTimes.com
TELEVISION REVIEW; Forging a Kennedy Legacy of His Own By NEIL GENZLINGER
August 24, 2002
The endless excavation of the 60's continues with "R.F.K.," a made-for-television movie
tomorrow night on FX that seems unnecessary but has an odd pull nonetheless, thanks to an
intriguing performance by Linus Roache in the title role.
Robert Dornhelm, the director, and Hank Steinberg, the writer, waste no time on shots of
adolescent Kennedys throwing footballs at the family compound (although there is, of course,
football throwing, by adults). They begin their story on Nov. 22, 1963, and end it on June 5,
1968; this is, essentially, the tale of how Robert F. Kennedy reacted to the assassination of
his brother and chose the path that led to his own murder four and a half years later.
In other Kennedy-related movies, actors' renditions of the famous accent have gratingly
overshadowed all else. Here, though, Mr. Roache (who is British) doesn't overdo it, and soon
his subtle performance breaks free of the caricature and commands your attention. This is
particularly impressive in light of the intrusive decision by the filmmakers to have President
John F. Kennedy (Martin Donovan) repeatedly appear to his brother as a sort of apparition.
The intent is to underscore Robert Kennedy's efforts to escape his older brother's shadow and
legacy, but it lends an element of unintended silliness to an otherwise serious movie and
leaves Robert Kennedy looking a bit like a nut. Asking questions of one's dead brother, or
God, or any other invisible entity is one thing; having the entity answer is another.
In any case, the most interesting part of the film is not Robert Kennedy's struggle to find
his familial identity but his effort to find his political identity. Effective (if somewhat
worshipful) scenes show him reacting with a naïve surprise to the urban blight of New York
City and the struggles of farm workers in California, but then quickly and forcefully taking
up both causes. The film also at least acknowledges the tug he must have felt on some issues:
coming out against the war in Vietnam when he had played a role, in John Kennedy's cabinet,
in broadening it; leading the grieving for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when, as
attorney general, he had wiretapped him.
How accurate is this rendition of Robert Kennedy? As always with these biographical films,
it's difficult to say. Richard N. Goodwin, who was an adviser to both Kennedys as well as to
President Lyndon B. Johnson, is listed as a chief consultant on the film. He's also played
rather engagingly by David Paymer, and James Cromwell makes an imposing L.B.J.
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