GIVE THEM ALL SOME LOVE. SAVANNAH?
SAVANNAH?
>> ALL RIGHT, DYLAN, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
>>> IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
INFAMOUS POLITICAL SCANDALS
INVOLVING ONE OF AMERICAS MOST
PROMINENT FAMILIES, THE KENNEDYS. FAMILIES, THE
KENNEDYS.
IN 1969 TED KENNEDY ACCIDENTALLY DROVE HIS CAR OFF A BRIDGE INTOY
DROVE HIS CAR OFF A BRIDGE INTO A POND AND HIS PASSENGER, MARY
JO TODAY PEC KAPECKNI WAS KILLED
JASON CLARK PLAYS KENNEDY AS HE
STRUGGLES TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED
AND HOW TO EXPLAIN IT TO THE
PUBLIC.
>> WE TELL THE TRUTH, OR AT
LEAST OUR VERSION OF IT.
AND IT ENDS WITH AN APPEAL TO
THE VOTERS, TO THE PEOPLE THAT
ELECTED ME.
WE NEED TO REMIND THEM THAT THIS FAMILY PERSEVERES, THAT WE DONTS
FAMILY PERSEVERES, THAT WE DONT BACK DOWN FROM A FIGHT, THAT WE
DONT GET BACKED INTO A CORNER.
WE HAVE A TRUE COMPASS AND WE
FOLLOW IT.
FOLLOW IT.
>> JASON CLARK, GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THIS IS A BIG ROLE TO TAKE
ON, AN ICONIC AMERICAN FIGURE. >> THATS A BIG COLOR DRESSURE.
>> THATS A BIG COLOR DRESS THERE.
THERE.
>> IT IS.
IS IT DISTRACTING? I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT YOU
SUNGLASSES.
SUNGLASSES.
>> NO, ITS WONDERFUL.
IT IS, ABSOLUTELY.
IT SOUNDS INNOCUOUS, DRIVE A CAR
OFF A BRIDGE INTO A POND.
>> YES, BUT WITH INCREDIBLE CONSEQUENCES.ITH INCREDIBLE
CONSEQUENCES.
>> INCREDIBLE CONSEQUENCES THAT
STILL KEEP RIPPLING OUT, EXCUSE
THE PUN.
>> SO TED KENNEDY, YOURE
AUSTRALIAN, WE KNOW THAT. WE HEAR IT IN YOUR ACCENT.
WERE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS
STORY?
STORY?
HOW MUCH DID YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT
TED KENNEDY?
>> I WAS BORN THE DAY BEFORE IT
HAPPENED, THE 17th OF JULY, THEY
TOOK OFF FOR THE MOON.
I KNEW NOTHING WHEN I STARTED
SEARCHING AND WENT DOWN THE
RABBIT HOLE OF HOW IT HAPPENED.
PARTICULARLY THE BIG SHOT WAS
MARY JO POSSIBLY AND VERY
PROBABLY BEING ALIVE AND
ASPHYXIATING.
AND THERE WAS A LOT TO LEARN.
THE FURTHER -- THE MORE I
RESEARCHED, THE MORE I FELT
THAT, WOW, I NEED TO TELL THIS. >> HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THES.
>> HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PORTRAYAL?
PORTRAYAL?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MOVIE
CONCLUDES, IF ANYTHING, ABOUT
CULPABILITY?
I MEAN THATS -- YOU KNOW, THIS
IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GOING TOT
PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO WONDER ABOUT.
WONDER ABOUT.
>> WELL, THEY SHOULD ASK ABOUT. I THINK THATS -- THE PORTRAYAL,
ITS INTIMATE, ITS HONEST, ITS
AUTHENTIC.
AUTHENTIC. WE HAVENT STRAYED OR GONE FOR
SALACIOUS OR TABLOID.
ITS A VERY STRONG INTIMATE LOOK
AT A MANS MORAL CHOICES.
AND RESPONSIBILITY LIES NOT WITH
HIM BUT WITH ALL OF US.
HE IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I THINK THATS WHERE THE STORY
LIES IN HISTORY, ITS ALWAYS
ONGOING.
ONGOING.
WE ALWAYS NEED TO LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WE LOVE AND VOTE FOR.E
PEOPLE WE LOVE AND VOTE FOR. >> IN THE MOVIE, I THINK IT
LOOKS HARD AT THE CONTEXT AS
WELL.
WELL.
>> YES.
>> THE FACT THAT HIS BROTHER,
BOBBY KENNEDY, HAD JUST BEEN
KILLED AND THAT HIS BROTHERS
DREAM OF REACHING THE MOON WAS JUST DAYS AWAY FROM BEINGN WAS
JUST DAYS AWAY FROM BEING REALIZED.
REALIZED.
HOW DO YOU THINK THAT AFFECTED
TED KENNEDY?
>> IMMENSELY. I MEAN TED HAD 14 CHILDREN,
JACKS TWO, BOBBYS AND HIS OWN.
IT WAS ONE YEAR SINCE HIS SECOND
BROTHER HAD BEEN SHOT AND
MURDERED IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.
BOBBY WAS THE GREAT LIBERAL
LEADER THAT WAS GOING TO CHANGE
POLITICS, END THE WAR.
MARY JO WAS A WOMAN WHO BELIEVED AND WAS HOPING TO MAKE THATIEVED
AND WAS HOPING TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
ITS TRAGIC.
IT REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE ONE WEEK OF THIS MANS LIFE WHO THEN
WENT ON TO HAVE AN INCREDIBLE
LIFE AFTERWARDS.
LIFE AFTERWARDS. WHEN YOU PUT IT IN CONTEXT OF
WHO HE WAS AND WHERE HE WAS AND
HOW HE GOT TO THIS POINT, UPSIDE
DOWN IN A POND SWIMMING UP FOR
HIS LIFE, ITS JUST WOW.
>> IT WONT SURPRISE YOU THAT
SOME PEOPLE ARE TAKING ISSUE
WITH THE FACT THAT THIS MOVIE IS
CHARACTERIZING THIS TIME.
BOB SHRUM WHO WORKED FOR TED
KENNEDY CALLED IT A DISSERVICE.
AND A JOURNALIST THERE ON
CHAPPAQUIDDICK SAID ITS UTTERLY
FICTIONALIZED.
FICTIONALIZED.
ARE YOU SURPRISED AT THAT
PUSHBACK?
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> PEOPLE THINK THAT THIS IS EITHER GOING TO BE A LIBERAL
LOVE-IN OF A MAN WHOS FLAWED OR
ITS GOING TO BE A HATCHET JOB
OF ONE OF THE GREAT MEN IN
SOCIETY.
SOCIETY.
LOOK, TED KENNEDY, HIS LIFE IS NOT JUST DEFINED BY THIS.FE IS
NOT JUST DEFINED BY THIS. WHAT HE HAS DONE LEGISLATIVELY
AND WHAT HE HAS DONE ON CIVIL
RIGHTS AND HEALTH CARE STANDS.
TED DID EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.
HE ALSO DID THIS.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT
AND I DONT THINK ITS
DISSERVICE, I REALLY DONT.
I HAVE GREAT LOVE AND RESPECT.
THE MORE I READ AND RESEARCHED
AND LEARNED ABOUT THIS MAN, THE
MORE IT BECAME.
I DONT THINK WE SHOULD WALK
AWAY AND IGNORE THESE THINGS.
>> IT WILL BE INTERESTING FOR
PEOPLE TO DIVE INTO IT AS YOU
HAVE.
HAVE.
BY THE WAY, YOU NAILED THE ACCENT AND THATS NOT EASY TO DO
FOR AN AUSSIE, RIGHT?