Synopsis
Ted Kennedy's life and political career become derailed in the aftermath of a fatal car accident in 1969 that claims the life of a young campaign strategist, Mary Jo Kopechne.
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Cast
- Jason ClarkeTed Kennedy
- Kate MaraMary Jo Kopechne
- Ed HelmsJoseph Gargan
- Bruce DernJoseph Kennedy
- Jim GaffiganPaul Markham
- Olivia ThirlbyRachel Schiff
- Clancy BrownRobert McNamara
- Taylor NicholsTed Sorensen
- John FioreChief Arena
- Gillian Mariner GordonCricket
Recommendations
- 91
IndieWire
Jason Clarke opts for a more low-key approach to Teddy Kennedy, eschewing a big accent or showy mannerisms, and fully disappears into the role. It’s his finest work yet, and proof of his ability to excel given the right material. - 90
Variety
The movie is avidly told and often suspenseful, but it’s really a fascinating study of how corruption in America works. It sears you with its relevance. - 80
The Guardian
Jason Clarke is strong as the weak senator, and he wisely goes easy on replicating the unmistakable Massachusetts accent. - 75
Washington Post
The Kennedy dynasty has its share of admirers and critics alike, and — to the film’s credit — director John Curran and his screenwriters do not appease either camp. The result is a challenging character study, punctuated by moments of uneasy suspense and dark humor. - 67
The Film Stage
I’m not certain if the truth ever came out about that evening’s events beyond speculation, but I don’t think anyone would question the believably authentic script that Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan wrote for Chappaquiddick. - 67
The A.V. Club
The stranger and more corrosive subtexts it locates in the Kennedy circle’s actions in the aftermath of the crash are undermined by its classy restraint, which saps the most conceptually outrageous moments. - 63
The Associated Press
Ambiguous and damning at once, John Curran’s Chappaquiddick plunges us back into the summer of 1969: the season of Woodstock, the moon landing, the Manson murders and the lowest ebb of the Kennedy mythology. - 60
CineVue
The film ultimately ends up feeling like a shaggy dog story – a metaphor for Ted Kennedy, perhaps – engaging, charismatic, but ending with a whimper.
