film american historical legal conspiracy thriller film directed examines events leading assassination president alleged cover eyes new_orleans district attorney garrison filed charges new_orleans businessman alleged participation conspiracy assassinate president found responsible government investigation film adapted stone books trail assassins plot stone described account counter myth fictional myth film embroiled controversy theatrical release major american newspapers ran editorials accusing stone taking liberties historical facts including film president coup état kill kennedy slow start box office film gradually picked momentum earning million worldwide gross nominated academy_awards including won best film editing successful films stone american presidency followed later nixon title role plot film opens footage including farewell address outgoing president warning build military industrial complex followed summary years president emphasizing events stone thesis lead assassination builds reconstruction assassination november new_orleans district attorney subsequently learns potential links assassination new_orleans garrison team investigate possible conspirators including private pilot forced let investigation publicly federal government kennedy suspected assassin killed garrison closes investigation investigation reopened garrison reads warren report notices believes multiple garrison staff witnesses kennedy assassination involved witness male prostitute serving years prison reveals witnessed discussing coup état briefly meeting romantically involved man called clay teacher says witnessed shots fired grassy tells investigators secret service threatened saying shots came book revealing changes testimony garrison staff test single bullet theory aiming rifle window alleged shot kennedy conclude poor shots indicating multiple involved garrison meets high level figure identifies suggests conspiracy highest levels government members cia mafia military industrial complex secret service fbi kennedy vice president president conspirators having motives cover truth assassination explains president killed wanted pull united_states vietnam war cia encourages garrison digging prosecute new_orleans based international businessman alleged involvement businessman denies knowledge meeting soon charged murder president garrison staff begin doubt motives disagree methods leave investigation garrison marriage strained wife liz complains spending time case family sinister phone daughter liz accuses garrison selfish attacking homosexuality addition media launches attacks television newspapers attacking garrison character criticizing way office spending money key witnesses scared refuse testify killed suspicious circumstances death tells garrison believes people reveals conspiracy kennedy death trial takes place garrison presents court evidence multiple killers dismissing single bullet theory proposes plaza shots scenario involving assassins fired total shots framing murders kennedy officer jury hour film reflects members jury stated publicly believed conspiracy assassination evidence link conspiracy died lung cancer testified time contact cia end credits claim records related assassination released public cast role stone sent copies script initially turned stone actor agent big fan project helped stone convince actor role accepting role conducted extensive research garrison including meeting man enemies months finally signing play garrison january film dances wolves won seven academy_awards presence greatly enhanced studio eyes composite character person knew met clay gay chain smoking new_orleans businessman garrison investigates find link president kennedy assassination jones originally considered role ultimately cut film stone decided cast preparation film jones interviewed garrison different occasions talked worked knew stone originally wanted play woods wanted play garrison stone approached turned role new_orleans assistant district attorney marine defected soviet_union later returned arrested suspicion killing dallas police officer according little written script stone gave plane tickets list contacts told research met wife marina daughters prepare role new_orleans assistant district attorney wife wife studied volumes spent time living script contained lines interviewed acquaintances order scenes american private investigator living new_orleans worked private investigation office implicated garrison kennedy assassination american politician served democrat louisiana garrison open investigation president kennedy assassination colonel author banker critic foreign policy especially activities advises garrison government involvement president kennedy assassination character loosely based career member private investigator avid anti communist member publisher american nightclub operator dallas texas convicted march murder november days arrested kennedy assassination eccentric new_orleans lawyer allegedly contacted represent assassination case dallas prostitute allegedly beaten taken clinic pleads doctors mafia planning killing president kennedy eyewitness actors willing normal fees nature project lend support provided opening narration real severe critic played chief justice united_states scene questions dallas jail alleged assassination witness claims lady seen film appeared cameo role inside club son plays secondary role garrison oldest son sources fictional character appeared cameo role angry bar patron dutch investigative journalist worked reporter dutch broadcaster nos 1960s established ties kennedy closest circle advisers kennedy assassination interviewed mother investigation led alleged cia according ties cia assassination architect agreed disclose information disappeared meeting place found dead florida weeks later intent irony played film production journalist professor journalism met garrison helped rewrite manuscript working kennedy assassination changed scholarly book person detective story person edited book published attending latin american film festival havana cuba stone met publisher elevator published book trail assassins ray gone new_orleans worked garrison gave stone copy garrison book told read quickly bought film rights money prevent talk going studios projects developing kennedy assassination profound effect stone kennedy murder signal events postwar generation generation stone met garrison variety questions hours garrison stood stone questioning got left pride dignity impressed director stone impressions meeting garrison mistakes trusted lot followed lot fake leads went limb way kept going knew facing long odds stone interested making film garrison life story conspiracy kill kennedy bought film rights jim book plot killed kennedy filmmaker primary goals provide report believed great myth order fight myth maybe create counter myth book collected theories stone hungry hired recent yale_university graduate lead team researchers assemble information assassination possible director completed post production born fourth july stone read dozen books assassination read books subject december stone began approaching studios film pre production doors met executives wanted film owned rights stone pitched studio president chief operating officer liked idea reputation making political controversial films including president men view killing fields stone deal studio rights film million budget director screenplay wouldn widely read bid knew material potentially dangerous wanted studio finance finally stone liked track record producing political films screenplay stone set write screenplay asked edited book write garrison books research script resemble called great detective movie stone told vision film models event plaza taking place reel eighth reel later time going differently illumination employ ideas principal model impression showing crime showing crime picture seen way idea essence basically called dot dot dot code like code lives american style written fascinating evolved dna threads stone broke film structure stories garrison investigating new_orleans connection assassination research revealed stone calls legend try recreation assassination plaza information character garrison stone saw means able new_orleans local wider story plaza worked garrison story stone added story events plaza character spent year researching writing triple spaced page screenplay stone rewrote condensed closer normal screenplay length stone composite characters notably character played technique criticized press mix retired air_force colonel adviser film military liaison cia pentagon meeting stone extraordinary spent pretty like movie started talk according stone feel spirit truth garrison met deep throat type named claimed cia agent jim aware larger scenario new_orleans screenplay early drafts suggested half hour film potential budget million double stone agreed director knew film met help finance film eager work project launch new company high profile film like deal money film stone managed initial revision page draft page shooting script advisers film including marine claimed involvement cia activities self proclaimed photographic expert longtime assassination researcher author principal photography story revolves large cast known actors supporting roles stone inspired casting model documentary epic longest day admired child realistic lot stars supporting cast provides map american familiar comfortable faces walk winding path dark woods week half shooting city hope got word stone thinking making time principal photography wrapped city hope richardson ready stone film prepare richardson read assassination books starting trail assassins plot killed kennedy original idea film opening sequence aspect ratio order simulate screens available time assassination transition garrison began investigation finally switch scenes occurring later time constraints logistics richardson forced abandon approach stone wanted recreate kennedy assassination plaza producers pay substantial money hire police traffic close streets weeks days shoot footage needed seven cameras film stocks getting permission shoot difficult pay window supposed shot kennedy allowed film location certain hours people floor time camera crew actor stone producer said hardest getting permission restore building way looked took months negotiation production spent million restore plaza conditions stone utilized variety film stocks richardson said depends want shoot super cases lighting different certain shots film stone employed multiple camera crews shooting cameras time different formats richardson said stone style direction oliver convention tries force things classic constant need stretch forced cinematographer use lighting diverse positions rely little classic lighting modes shoot lasted days filming finished months release date editing marked fundamental change way stone constructed films lateral presentation plot editing rhythm carrying story stone brought editor commercials help edit film stone chose chaotic mind totally alien film form stone remembers irritated traditional editors working film concepts commercial seconds attention fragment mind developed long form lot cuts chaotic stone employed extensive use flashbacks flashbacks specific effect said interview wanted film levels sound picture flashback flashback inside flashback wanted multiple layers reading like drowning partially setback occurred editing saw time codes disappear film stone edited film stock switched digital editing years release stone said film beginning new era terms film making conspiracy kill way look recent history shifts black white color views people angles music enormous commitment steven_spielberg hook opened month composer time compose conventional score entire film instead composed conducted musical sequences saw film entirety soon recording music traveled new_orleans stone shooting film saw approximately hour worth edited footage williams remembers thought handling particularly strong understood atmosphere film elements underside new_orleans stone team actually cut film fit williams music composer scored recorded musical cues addition prior seeing film sequence williams described score composed strongly music music rhythmic disciplines composer remembered moment learned kennedy assassination stuck years significant factor deciding work film williams said subject people generation welcomed opportunity participate film reception critical reaction based reviews collected notable publications popular review aggregator rotten_tomatoes film holds fresh approval rating consensus history dubious filmmaking electric ton information excitement hour making great use outstanding cast film production release subject intense scrutiny criticism weeks shooting begun wrote insult intelligence days later washington_post ran scathing article national security correspondent titled set dallas wonderland draft screenplay blast garrison book stone rendition article pointed garrison lost case inflated case trying use homosexual relationships prove guilt association stone responded article hiring public relations firm specialized political issues critical articles soon followed new_york_times stated film tells government trusted honest account presidential assassination washington_post columnist george called stone man technical skill education conscience time magazine ran critique film progress june alleged stone trying suppress rival assassination film based novel stone claims letter magazine time film critic wrote later want know killed president cover everybody high officials cia fbi dallas armed services white_house everybody everybody movie suspicions use abuse evidence knockout history book comic book movie rushes judgment hours facts thousands device viewer stone picture meanings word sensational tip tabloid journalism breadth craft complex filmmaker ended splitting time making film responding criticism conducting publicity campaign saw piece stolen copy script stone recalls draft went probably seven drafts theatrical release critics new_york_times ran article entitled article called intervention studio asking point studio exercise leverage blunt highly charged message film maker like newspaper ran review film wrote stone style film making familiar lots short scenes backed soundtrack layered like noises dialogue music noises dialogue veteran film critic word capsule review january issue rejected editor grounds didn want positive review film felt associated magazine resigned protest said controversy review focus personality prevents having confront tough questions stone film raises roger_ebert praised film review chicago_sun-times saying achievement film answers mystery kennedy assassination garrison seen man dark achievement tries marshal anger away dark shelf national washington_post wrote quoting shakespeare hitler bolster arguments stone present gripping alternative conclusion paranoid thriller featuring spies pro cuban freedom fighters thing thought christmas day los_angeles_times ran critical article entitled suppression facts grants stone followed suit day articles blurred vision theories green giant days later chicago_sun-times followed suit stone president chief executive denounced stone film seven page statement wrote way young german boys girls adolf_hitler depicted newborn god triumph equally propaganda masterpiece equally hoax stone genetic carried film contents pure fiction stone recalls interview remember threats time magazine ranked fourth best film including roger_ebert chicago_sun-times went stone film best film year films decade great movies sydney morning herald named best film entertainment_weekly ranked 5th controversial movie colleague complimentary admire stone filmmaking skills performances denouncing utter presented evidence conspiracy murder applauded film dazzling array filmmaking techniques stellar roster actors criticized stone narrative work fiction interesting vision parallel universe dramatic interpretation events bankrupt nonsense new_orleans district attorney defeated garrison criticized stone view assassination stone unaware details clay investigation trial aware didn way perceived way case book history assassination president history assassination published years film release devoted entire chapter garrison prosecution subsequent film lists thirty separate lies stone film describes film continuous lie stone couldn find level deception invention unwilling stated percent film factual error rejected premise conspiracy involving cia called military industrial complex investigator called film big lie adolf_hitler proud box office released theaters december box office started slow picked momentum week january grossed million worldwide stone started support film executives pointed film long running time fewer screenings studio undertook million marketing campaign promoting stone film week release tied beauty beast fifth place box office critics began flop eventually earned million worldwide million united_states initial run garrison estate subsequently sued share film profits alleging book keeping practice known hollywood accounting lawsuit contends excess million worldwide studio claimed film earn money net profits accounting formula suit claims garrison estate didn receive net profits income paid million awards nominations nominated academy_awards including best actor best director best adapted screenplay stone won awards best film editing stone nominated award outstanding directing didn win won golden globe best director acceptance speech said terrible lie told years ago hope film step wrong entertainment_weekly ranked powerful political cultural impact television magic bullet theory featured episode boyfriend newman believe later reveals second plays newman member garrison team men model shooting court prove magic bullet unlike jerry newman theory magic case knight played second victim sequence newman respectively legislative impact final report partially credited concern conclusions passage president assassination records collection act known act stated film popularized version president kennedy assassination featured government agents fbi cia military conspirators describing film largely fictional acknowledged stone point official records sealed public suggestion americans trust official public conclusions conclusions secret law existing assassination related documents public home video released vhs laserdisc times dvd film version released dvd blu ray united_states minute director cut theatrical cut released dvd foreign territories including director cut released box set film disc supplemental material second stone contributed extras edition including audio commentary essays minutes worth deleted extended scenes optional commentary stone dvd special edition released extras edition addition minute documentary entitled question conspiracy film released blu ray november disc features extras included previous dvd releases including question conspiracy documentary
JFK (film)