Thirteen Days

Thirteen Days dramatizes the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, when American reconnaissance flights over Cuba revealed Soviet nuclear missile sites under construction. President John F. Kennedy and his advisers must decide how to respond, weighing military options against the risk of provoking a war with the Soviet Union. Much of the story unfolds from inside the White House, where Kennedy's aide Kenneth O'Donnell, his brother Robert and other advisers debate strategy while the standoff plays out over thirteen tense days. Kenneth O'Donnell, a close adviser to the president, helps broker a diplomatic path forward. The film depicts the closed-door discussions among American officials, who disagree over whether to invade Cuba. Roger Donaldson directed the film, his ninth of fifteen films to date, following Dante's Peak in 1997 and preceding The Recruit in 2003. David Self wrote the screenplay, and Kevin Costner produced and starred as Kenneth O'Donnell. The cast also includes Bruce Greenwood as John F. Kennedy, Steven Culp as Robert F. Kennedy and Dylan Baker as Robert McNamara. With a budget of 80 million USD, the film earned about 35 million USD worldwide. On IMDb, it holds a rating of 7 out of 10 from 865 votes, while film critics gave it 7.2 out of 10 from 124 reviews, slightly above the audience score.