History Film / Chappaquiddick

''Chappaquiddick'' is a 2017 film directed by John Curran and written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan. The film stars Creator/JasonClarke as Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy, and Creator/KateMara as Mary Jo Kopechne. The cast is rounded out with Creator/EdHelms, Creator/JimGaffigan and Creator/BruceDern in major supporting roles.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Towards the end of the film, as Kennedy prepares to read a speech prepared by Robert [=McNamara's=] team that will obfuscate the entire tragedy, admit to a (jaundiced) account of the night's events and, most importantly, appeal to the American people about whether Ted Kennedy should keep office[[note]] which is a sidestepping of personal responsibility, as Kennedy was wildly popular in Massachusetts and would have been re-elected easily[[/note]], Joey Gargan approaches Ted with ''another'' speech that the latter had asked the former to work on: one of resignation, where Kennedy admits to the wrongdoing but ''also'' steps down from his Senate seat, citing it as the right and moral thing to do. In the last few moments before the cameras go live, Ted and Joey discuss which of the speeches to read, with Gargan desperately pleading to his friend Ted to do the right thing. [[spoiler: Ted chooses to read the other speech.]]

Late on the night of July 18, 1969, Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne (a member of Bobby's campaign staff) leave a party and drive to the beach.[[note]]In his sworn testimony Kennedy insisted that he was giving Kopechne a ride back to the ferry and the hotel on the mainland. He said he took a wrong turn and headed to the beach by mistake. Skeptics of this story noted that Kopechne left her purse and hotel key at the party. In the movie Kennedy does decide to drive to the beach.[[/note]] Kennedy loses control of the car as they approach a rickety, guardrail-free bridge over a tidal pond, and the car goes off the bridge and into the water. While Kennedy was able to escape the crash, Kopechne was unable to resurface, and would die in the car overnight. What followed was a national scandal that changed the course of presidential history, intimately exposing the broad reach of political power, the influence of America's most celebrated family, and the vulnerability (and political destruction) of Ted Kennedy, the youngest son, in the shadow of his family legacy.

--> '''Joan Kennedy''': Fuck you, Ted.

Late on the night of July 18, 1969, Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne (a member of Bobby's campaign staff) were driving along the island to head back to the hotel--according to Kennedy's subsequent testimony, that is.[[note]]Kennedy actually turned in the other direction, headed to the beach. Kennedy insisted he took a wrong turn.[[/note]] Kennedy lost control of the vehicle and it plunged into the river. While Kennedy was able to escape the crash, Kopechne was unable to resurface, and would die in the car overnight. What followed was a national scandal that changed the course of presidential history, intimately exposing the broad reach of political power, the influence of America's most celebrated family, and the vulnerability (and political destruction) of Ted Kennedy, the youngest son, in the shadow of his family legacy.

Chappaquiddick is a 2017 film directed by John Curran and written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan. The film stars Creator/JasonClarke as Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy, and Creator/KateMara as Mary Jo Kopechne. The cast is rounded out with Creator/EdHelms, Creator/JimGaffigan and Creator/BruceDern in major supporting roles.

Late on the night of July 18, 1969, Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne (a member of Bobby's campaign staff) were driving along the island to head back to the hotel[[note]] according to Kennedy's subsequent testimony[[/note]]. Kennedy lost control of the vehicle and it plunged into the river. While Kennedy was able to escape the crash, Kopechne was unable to resurface, and would die in the car overnight. What followed was a national scandal that changed the course of presidential history, intimately exposing the broad reach of political power, the influence of America's most celebrated family, and the vulnerability (and political destruction) of Ted Kennedy, the youngest son, in the shadow of his family legacy.

* WellDonSonGuy: In a mild version of CallingTheOldManOut, Ted confesses his whole career was driven by this
->'''Ted:''': Dad, did you know I never wanted to be president? Does it even matter to you? I wanted to make you proud. That's all I've ever wanted. I spent my whole life chasing your dreams for you, just like Joe and just like Jack and just like Bobby, and look what happened to them. They were great men, but they weren't great because of who ''you'' were. They were great because of who ''they'' were.

* YesMan: Paul F. Markham, played by Jim Gaffigan. A family friend of the Kennedys, he is also the one who most directly helps Ted with ''his'' version of events, leaving Gargan exasperated.

* FourEyesZeroSoul: Robert [=McNamara=] comes across as this, overlapping with PragmaticVillainy. His '''only''' concern is protecting the political standing of Ted, and barely seems to care about Mary Jo Kopechne. He never smiles, never even cracks a light-hearted joke, and will never hesitate to call Ted’s behavior stupid. Considering he is played by Creator/ClancyBrown, who has experience playing [[TheShawshankRedemption cold jerkasses]], it’s not surprising.

* BrokenPedestal: Over the course of the movie, Ted becomes this to Joey. First Joey becomes increasingly incredulous with the actions of the crisis team (who are more concerned with preserving Ted’s image than about the fact that a ‘’woman is dead’’), and then with Ted himself for his willingness to go along with the whole charade. [[spoiler: It's Ted’s decision not to read the concession speech that Joey wrote for him — on Ted’s request, no less — that pushes Joey over the edge. He became estranged from the Kennedy family for the remainder of his life until his passing in 2017.]]

* BrokenPedestal: Over the course of the movie, Ted becomes this to Joey. First Joey becomes increasingly incredulous with the actions of the crisis team (who are more concerned with preserving Ted’s image than about the fact that a ‘’woman is dead’’), and then with Ted himself for his willingness to go along with the whole charade. [[Spoiler: Ots Ted’s decision not to read the concession speech that Joey wrote for him — on Ted’s request, no less — that pushes Joey over the edge. He became estranged from the Kennedy family for the remainder of his life until his passing in 2017.]]

* LifeDeathJuxtaposition: There is a very uncomfortably well-shot example of this shortly after Ted returns to his hotel. While he tries to relax himself in the hotel bathtub, we cut to scenes of Mary Jo Kopechne trapped in the car, desperately reciting prayers as she realizes that she is going to die...ultimately reduced to gasping for breath as the air pocket in the car diminishes...

* FacePalm: Almost every time Ted opens his mouth during meetings with Robert McNamara's crisis team, he says/does/admits to something that makes the team collectively groan at how much more difficult he's made their job.
--> '''McNamara:''' Jesus ''Christ,'' Ted!
* FourEyesZeroSoul: Robert McNamara comes across as this, overlapping with PragmaticVillainy. His '''only''' concern is protecting the political standing of Ted, and barely seems to care about Mary Jo Kopechne. He never smiles, never even cracks a light-hearted joke, and will never hesitate to call Ted’s behavior stupid. Considering he is played by Creator/ClancyBrown, who has experience playing [[TheShawshankRedemption cold jerkasses]], it’s not surprising.

* SurroundedByIdiots: Played with. Ted Kennedy thinks that the crisis team (helmed by Robert McNamara) is leading him to ruin. Meanwhile, the crisis team thinks that ''Ted'' is the incompetent one, who simply makes their job that much harder.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Towards the end of the film, as Kennedy prepares to read a speech prepared by Robert McNamara's team that will obfuscate the entire tragedy, admit to a (jaundiced) account of the night's events and, most importantly, appeal to the American people about whether Ted Kennedy should keep office[[note]] which is a sidestepping of personal responsibility, as Kennedy was wildly popular in Massachusetts and would have been re-elected easily[[/note]], Joey Gargan approaches Ted with ''another'' speech that the latter had asked the former to work on: one of resignation, where Kennedy admits to the wrongdoing but ''also'' steps down from his Senate seat, citing it as the right and moral thing to do. In the last few moments before the cameras go live, Ted and Joey discuss which of the speeches to read, with Gargan desperately pleading to his friend Ted to do the right thing. [[spoiler: Ted chooses to read the other speech.]]

* SurroundedByIdiots: Played with. Ted Kennedy thinks that the crisis team (helmed by Robert McNamara) is leading him to ruin. Meanwhile, the crisis team thinks that ‘Ted’ is the incompetent one, who simply makes their job that much harder.

* FourEyesZeroSoul: Robert McNamara comes across as this, overlapping with PragmaticVillainy. His ‘’only’’ concern is protecting the political standing of Ted, and barely seems to care about Mary Jo Kopechne. He never smiles, never even cracks a light-hearted joke, and will never hesitate to call Ted’s behavior stupid. Considering he is played by Creator/ClancyBrown, who has experience playing [[TheShawshankRedemption cold jerkasses]], it’s not surprising.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Towards the end of the film, as Kennedy prepares to read a speech prepared by Robert McNamara's team that will obfuscate the entire tragedy, admit to a (jaundiced) account of the night's events and, most importantly, appeal to the American people about whether Ted Kennedy should keep office[[note]] which is a sidestepping of personal responsibility, as Kennedy was wildly popular in Massachusetts and would have been re-elected easil[[/note]], Joey Gargan approaches Ted with ''another'' speech that the latter had asked the former to work on: one of resignation, where Kennedy admits to the wrongdoing but ''also'' steps down from his Senate seat, citing it as the right and moral thing to do. In the last few moments before the cameras go live, Ted and Joey discuss which of the speeches to read, with Gargan desperately pleading to his friend Ted to do the right thing. [[spoiler: Ted chooses to read the other speech.]]

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Towards the end of the film, as Kennedy prepares to read a speech prepared by Robert McNamara's team that will obfuscate the entire tragedy, admit to a (jaundiced) account of the night's events and, most importantly, appeal to the American people about whether Ted Kennedy should keep office[[note]] which is a sidestepping of personal responsibility, as Kennedy was wildly popular in Massachusetts and would have been re-elected easily]], Joey Gargan approaches Ted with ''another'' speech that the latter had asked the former to work on: one of resignation, where Kennedy admits to the wrongdoing but ''also'' steps down from his Senate seat, citing it as the right and moral thing to do. In the last few moments before the cameras go live, Ted and Joey discuss which of the speeches to read, with Gargan desperately pleading to his friend Ted to do the right thing. [[spoiler: Ted chooses to read the other speech.]]

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Towards the end of the film, as Kennedy prepares to read a speech prepared by Robert McNamara's team that will obfuscate the entire tragedy, admit to a (jaundiced) account of the night's events and, most importantly, appeal to the American people about whether Ted Kennedy should keep office, Joey Gargan approaches Ted with ''another'' speech that the latter had asked the former to work on: one of resignation, where Kennedy admits to the wrongdoing but ''also'' steps down from his Senate seat, citing it as the right and moral thing to do. In the last few moments before the cameras go live, Ted and Joey discuss which of the speeches to read, with Gargan desperately pleading to his friend Ted to do the right thing. [[spoiler: Ted chooses to read the other speech.]]

[[quoteright: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Chappaquiddick_%28film%29.png]]

!! ''Chappaquiddick'' contains examples of:

[[quoteright: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Chappaquiddick_%28film%29.png