I saw this on TV when it was first aired (and thought it was brilliant) but had not seen it for a long time until I recently bought the video set - and realised why I wanted to see it again. It has to be the best ever film about the Kennedy era. All the characters look right, and if you listen to Martin Sheen delivering the inauguration speech (and look away from the screen), you can *hear* the voice of JFK - I almost thought Sheen must be miming to the original soundtrack, but he had the accent to perfection, and also the mannerisms. Blair Brown as Jackie seemed to 'grow into' the role and got so much better as the film progressed. Geraldine Fitzgerald as Rose was exactly as I had always imagined her and Vincent Gardenia was sinister as J Edgar Hoover (why on earth is the FBI building named after this obnoxious man?). I was less keen on John Shea as Bobby - he seemed too weak somehow. The assassination scenes are horrific - but they were in real life, and it would have been wrong to underplay them. 10/10 from me for this film.

I waited a long time for this mini-series to come to VHS, and even longer for it to hit DVD! Whenever I see a portrayal of a member of the Kennedy family in film or on TV, this is the film I compare it to, and this film comes out on top every time! Martin Sheen is not JFK's physical twin, but his speech patterns are perfect. Blair Brown delivers the best portrayal of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy you're likely to see, ever. The supporting cast is great, as well. I think only "Thirteen Days" ranks with the supporting cast portrayals, but Sheen's JFK is far and away the best on film!Anyone interested in the Kennedy clan would enjoy and learn a lot from this film!

Whenever I read books about the Kennedys and their Washington contemporaries I sometimes visualize each one as they were portrayed in this excellent mini series.The casting was ideal. Martin Sheen, in particular, as JFK ... the voice, the look, the mannerisms ... there were times when the archival footage of the man himself and Sheen the actor almost became one.The story never ceased to be anything other than utterly compelling.Strong support from the likes of Vincent Gardenia and E.G Marshall ensured success.Period detail was occasionally allowed to lapse (for example, cars from a much later period could be clearly seen on the roads in several exterior scenes). But generally quite riveting.

Jackie Kennedy was at the lobby of the Golden Beach Resort in southern India when an episode from this mini-series was being shown on the television set there. She watched it for several minutes before retiring to her room with tears in her eyes. She did not leave her room for a couple of days and denied interviews to Indian journalists. I know about this incident because I read a brief report on it in a Tamil language magazine. Like Mrs.Kennedy, I watched this mini-series when India's state-run Doordarshan showed it. Though it has been many years, I still remember some scenes from several episodes. I particularly recall the Cuban Missile Crisis episode. Martin Sheen's Kennedy came across as an abrupt, impatient and unlikeable fellow. However, I think he was a good choice to play Kennedy given his physical resemblance to the slain president; even his voice sounded like Kennedy's. Evidently, he had a speech coach.To summarize, this was a watchable mini-series.