Chappaquiddick

Chappaquiddick dramatizes the political crisis that engulfed Senator Ted Kennedy in July 1969, when a car he was driving went off a bridge on Martha's Vineyard and plunged into the water. His passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, a young campaign strategist, drowned. Kennedy did not report the accident for several hours, and the film follows the days that followed as he and a circle of advisers, family members and allies struggled to contain the damage. The story centers on the collision between a personal tragedy and the calculations of a political machine determined to protect a career and a family name.

John Curran directed the film, his fourth feature after The Painted Veil (2006), Stone (2010) and Tracks (2013). Jason Clarke plays Ted Kennedy, with Kate Mara as Mary Jo Kopechne, Ed Helms as Joseph Gargan, Bruce Dern as Joseph Kennedy, Jim Gaffigan as Paul Markham and Olivia Threlby as Rachel Schiff. The screenplay is by Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, and the production credits list Mark Ciardi, Chris Fenton and Campbell G. McInnes as producers. It runs 107 minutes.

Released in April 2018, the film earned 18 million dollars worldwide against a budget of 34 million. On IMDb it holds 6.4 out of 10 from 15,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.1 from 297 votes. A critics' rating of 7 out of 10 from 145 reviews places it above the audience scores.