All Topics  
Thirteen Days (film)

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Thirteen Days (film)
 
 
  Topics Thirteen Days (film) Topic Home

Thirteen Days is a 2000
2000 in film

The year 2000 in film involved some significant events....
 historical film
Historical drama film

The historical drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous persons. Some historical dramas attempt to accurately portray a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow....
 directed by Roger Donaldson
Roger Donaldson

Roger Donaldson is an Australian-born List of New Zealand film makers, director and writer who has made numerous successful movies. He was one of several co-founders of the New Zealand Film Commission....
 about the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis

File:EXCOMM meeting, , 29 October 1962.jpgFile:Jupiter IRBM.jpgThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba that occurred in the early 1960s during the Cold War....
 of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 political leadership.

While the movie carries the same name as the book Thirteen Days
Thirteen Days (book)

Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis is Robert F. Kennedy's account of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The book was released in 1969, a year after Robert F....
 by Robert F. Kennedy, it is actually based on The Kennedy Tapes - Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Ernest May and Philip Zelikow.

of the movie takes place in the White House
White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian architecture and has been the executive residence of every U.S....
, focusing on the decision-making process as President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
 and his brother Robert confront the military
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
, who are pushing for an invasion of Cuba
Operation Ortsac

Operation Ortsac was the project name of a possible invasion of Cuba planned by the United States military in 1962. The codename was derived from former Cuban President Fidel Castro by spelling his surname backward....
 as a reaction to the installation of missiles there by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Thirteen Days (film)'
Start a new discussion about 'Thirteen Days (film)'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Quotations


Bobby, you go and make them understand. Tell them that we have to have an answer tomorrow... because on Monday, we go to war.

Call me Irish, but I don't believe in cooler heads prevailing.

Dean Acheson: Let's hope appeasement doesn't run in families. I fear weakness does.

I am the commander in chief of the United States, and I say when we go to war!

I don't care how crazy, inadequate or stupid it sounds. Give it to me.

I'm an old political cat, Kenny, but I've got one life left.






Encyclopedia


Thirteen Days is a 2000
2000 in film

The year 2000 in film involved some significant events....
 historical film
Historical drama film

The historical drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous persons. Some historical dramas attempt to accurately portray a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow....
 directed by Roger Donaldson
Roger Donaldson

Roger Donaldson is an Australian-born List of New Zealand film makers, director and writer who has made numerous successful movies. He was one of several co-founders of the New Zealand Film Commission....
 about the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis

File:EXCOMM meeting, , 29 October 1962.jpgFile:Jupiter IRBM.jpgThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba that occurred in the early 1960s during the Cold War....
 of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 political leadership.

While the movie carries the same name as the book Thirteen Days
Thirteen Days (book)

Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis is Robert F. Kennedy's account of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The book was released in 1969, a year after Robert F....
 by Robert F. Kennedy, it is actually based on The Kennedy Tapes - Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Ernest May and Philip Zelikow.

Plot

Most of the movie takes place in the White House
White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian architecture and has been the executive residence of every U.S....
, focusing on the decision-making process as President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
 and his brother Robert confront the military
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
, who are pushing for an invasion of Cuba
Operation Ortsac

Operation Ortsac was the project name of a possible invasion of Cuba planned by the United States military in 1962. The codename was derived from former Cuban President Fidel Castro by spelling his surname backward....
 as a reaction to the installation of missiles there by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
. Most of the film deals not so much with the Cold War
Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state of conflict, tension and competition that existed between a number of world powers, including the United States, the Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, France, United Kingdom and those countries' respective allies from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s....
 between the Superpower
Superpower

A superpower is a state with a leading position in the international relations and the ability to influence events and its own interests and project Power in international relations to protect those interests; it is traditionally considered to be one step higher than a great power....
s so much as the conflict between the civilian and military authorities over the correct strategy to pursue. The film is structured so that much of it is seen through the eyes of White House special assistant Kenny O'Donnell, played by Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner

Kevin Michael Costner is an United States actor, film producer, and Academy Award-winning film director. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Oscars and a Golden Globe Award....
.

Distribution

New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema

New Line Cinema, founded in 1967, is major film studios United States film studios. Though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros....
 was one of the production companies, alongside Kevin Costner's company Tig Productions and Armyan Bernstein's Beacon Communications. The film was given a limited release in late December 2000, but wide release did not occur until January 2001, with a staggered release to various countries throughout most of the year.

Cast

  • Kevin Costner
    Kevin Costner

    Kevin Michael Costner is an United States actor, film producer, and Academy Award-winning film director. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Oscars and a Golden Globe Award....
     as Kenneth "Kenny" O'Donnell
    Kenneth O'Donnell

    Kenneth Phillip O'Donnell was a top aide to U.S. President John F. Kennedy and part of the group of Kennedys' close advisors called the "Irish Mafia." He was the son of famed Holy Cross football coach and athletic director, Cleo O'Donnell, as well as the father of Earthlink co-founder, Kevin M....
  • Bruce Greenwood
    Bruce Greenwood

    Stuart Bruce Greenwood is a Canada actor....
     as President
    President of the United States

    The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
     John F. Kennedy
    John F. Kennedy

    John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
  • Stephanie Romanov
    Stephanie Romanov

    Stephanie A. Romanov is an American model and actress, best known for playing Lilah Morgan on Angel .She first began modeling in Europe and was discovered at 15 by Elite Modeling agent John Casablancas....
     as First Lady
    First Lady of the United States

    First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, the title is sometimes taken to apply only to the wife of a sitting President....
     Jacqueline Kennedy
  • Steven Culp
    Steven Culp

    Steven Bradford Culp is an American actor....
     as Attorney General
    United States Attorney General

    The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the government of the United States....
     Robert F. Kennedy
    Robert F. Kennedy

    Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also called RFK, was an United States politician. He was United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a United States Senator from New York from 1965 until his Robert F....
  • Dylan Baker
    Dylan Baker

    Dylan Baker is an United States actor, known for playing supporting roles in both major studio and independent films. He is known for portraying Dr....
     as Secretary of Defense
    United States Secretary of Defense

    File:USSecDefflag.PNGThe United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense , concerned with the Military of the United States and Military of the United States....
     Robert McNamara
    Robert McNamara

    Robert Strange McNamara is an United States business executive and the 8th United States Secretary of Defense. McNamara served as Defense Secretary during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1968....
  • Bill Smitrovich
    Bill Smitrovich

    William S. "Bill" Smitrowicz is an American actor....
     as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the Military of the United States, and the principal military adviser to the President of the United States....
     Gen.
    General

    A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
     Maxwell Taylor
  • Frank Wood
    Frank Wood (actor)

    Frank Wood is an United States actor who has appeared in various television, film and theatre roles.He won a Tony Award in 1999 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Side Man....
     as National Security Advisor
    National Security Advisor (United States)

    The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief adviser to the President of the United States on national security issues....
     McGeorge Bundy
    McGeorge Bundy

    McGeorge "Mac" Bundy was United States National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from 1961 through 1966, and president of the Ford Foundation from 1966 through 1979....
  • Ed Lauter
    Ed Lauter

    Edward Lauter is an United States actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and was a stand up comic before getting into acting.Lauter was born in Long Beach, New York, Long Island, New York....
     as Deputy Director of the CIA
    Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

    The Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency is a senior United States government official in the United States Central Intelligence Agency....
     Lt. Gen.
    Lieutenant General

    Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
     Marshall Carter
    Marshall Carter

    Marshall Sylvester Carter was a general in the United States Army....
  • Kevin Conway as Chief of Staff of the USAF
    Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

    The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is the senior uniformed officer in United States Air Force and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ....
     Gen. Curtis LeMay
  • Tim Kelleher
    Tim Kelleher

    Tim Kelleher is an American actor.He grew up in New York, where he studied acting, and founded with some friends a theatre company called The Colony Theatre....
     as Ted Sorensen
    Ted Sorensen

    Theodore Chaikin "Ted" Sorensen is Of Counsel at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and writer, best known as President John F....
  • Len Cariou
    Len Cariou

    Leonard Joseph "Len" Cariou is a Canada Tony Award-winning actor....
     as Dean Acheson
    Dean Acheson

    Dean Gooderham Acheson was an American statesman and lawyer; as United States Secretary of State in the administration of President Harry S. Truman during 1949?1953, he played a central role in defining American foreign policy during the Cold War....
  • Brick Mason as Bryce Mason
  • Chip Esten
    Chip Esten

    Charles "Chip" Esten is an United States actor and singer known for his appearances on the Improvisational comedy Whose Line Is It Anyway?....
     as Maj. Rudolf Anderson


See also

  • The Missiles of October, another film regarding the crisis
  • Thirteen Days
    Thirteen Days (book)

    Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis is Robert F. Kennedy's account of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The book was released in 1969, a year after Robert F....
    , memoirs of the crisis by Robert Kennedy


External links

  • – commentary by Ernest R. May, Harvard professor who wrote the book on which it was based, on the accuracy of the movie
  • - How accurate was the movie recreation of the architecture and floor plan of the actual White House (review)