Director Rob Reiner (“The Princess Bride” 1987) put together a biopic on the 36th President of the United States simply called “LBJ.” Reiner and screenwriter Joey Hartstone take a look at Lyndon Johnson’s ascension to the presidency following John F, Kennedy’s assassination and his attempt to pass JFK’s Civil Rights Act. They added information and insight into his early career in skillfully placed flashbacks. However, this film concentrated almost solely on these topics and ignored his horrible mismanagement of the Vietnam War and subsequent drop in public approval, leading up to his dropping out of a run for reelection in 1968.
Woody Harrelson, never one of Tinseltown’s most capable actors, did a great job in his portrayal of LBJ. Harrelson’s quirky mannerisms and awkward delivery of lines worked in his favor in this role. Jennifer Jason Leigh was equally believable as Lady Bird Johnson. The supporting cast includes Michael Stahl-David as Bobby Kennedy, Jeffrey Donovan as John Kennedy, Kim Allen as Jackie, Richard Jenkins as Sen. Richard Russell, Bill Pullman as Sen. Ralph Yarborough, C. Thomas Howell as Johnson aide Walter Jenkins, and John Burke as Gov. John Connally.
Rob Reiner’s myopic “LBJ” won the Best Independent Film at the Saturn Awards and was a complete failure at the box office, earning next to nothing.
LBJ (2016)
cinema
My Review
Director Rob Reiner (“The Princess Bride” 1987) put together a biopic on the 36th President of the United States simply called “LBJ.” Reiner and screenwriter Joey Hartstone take a look at Lyndon Johnson’s ascension to the presidency following John F, Kennedy’s assassination and his attempt to pass JFK’s Civil Rights Act. They added information and insight into his early career in skillfully placed flashbacks. However, this film concentrated almost solely on these topics and ignored his horrible mismanagement of the Vietnam War and subsequent drop in public approval, leading up to his dropping out of a run for reelection in 1968.
Woody Harrelson, never one of Tinseltown’s most capable actors, did a great job in his portrayal of LBJ. Harrelson’s quirky mannerisms and awkward delivery of lines worked in his favor in this role. Jennifer Jason Leigh was equally believable as Lady Bird Johnson. The supporting cast includes Michael Stahl-David as Bobby Kennedy, Jeffrey Donovan as John Kennedy, Kim Allen as Jackie, Richard Jenkins as Sen. Richard Russell, Bill Pullman as Sen. Ralph Yarborough, C. Thomas Howell as Johnson aide Walter Jenkins, and John Burke as Gov. John Connally.
Rob Reiner’s myopic “LBJ” won the Best Independent Film at the Saturn Awards and was a complete failure at the box office, earning next to nothing.