Chappaquiddick (film)

Last updated

Chappaquiddick
Chappaquiddick (film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Curran
Written by
  • Taylor Allen
  • Andrew Logan
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Maryse Alberti
Edited byKeith Fraase
Music byGarth Stevenson
Production
company
Apex Entertainment
Distributed by Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • September 10, 2017 (2017-09-10)(TIFF)
  • April 6, 2018 (2018-04-06)(United States)
Running time
101 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$34 million [2]
Box office$18.3 million [3]

Chappaquiddick, sometimes known as The Senator, is a 2017 American political drama film directed by John Curran, and written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan. The film stars Jason Clarke as U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Ted Kennedy and Kate Mara as Mary Jo Kopechne, with Ed Helms, Bruce Dern, Jim Gaffigan, Clancy Brown, and Olivia Thirlby in supporting roles. The plot details the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident, in which Kennedy's negligence caused an automobile accident which resulted in the death of his 28-year-old passenger Mary Jo Kopechne trapped inside the vehicle, [4] [5] [6] [7] and the Kennedy family's response.

Contents

Principal photography began in Boston, in September 2016. The film originally premiered at the Gala Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2017, [8] and was released in the United States on April 6, 2018, by Entertainment Studios. [9] It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its balanced screenplay and Clarke's performance. [10]

Plot

In July 1969, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (D MA) is asked in an interview how it feels to stand in the shadow of his dead brothers John and Bobby. Then he phones his cousin Joe Gargan and tells him to book hotel rooms on Martha's Vineyard for the Boiler Room Girls, who worked for Bobby's presidential campaign. He travels to Chappaquiddick Island, where he meets Gargan and Paul Markham for a sailboat race. After losing, Kennedy goes to a party at a cottage with five friends and six Boiler Room Girls.

Kennedy leaves the party with Mary Jo Kopechne. On the road, they encounter a police officer, who asks if they need help. Kennedy backs up and drives quickly away. He accidentally drives off the Dike Bridge, causing the car to flip over before it submerges into a pond. Kennedy climbs out of the vehicle, and calls out to Kopechne, but receives no response. He sits down and cries, before walking back to the cottage. He summons Gargan and Markham, and they drive quickly to the bridge. Gargan and Markham attempt multiple times to retrieve Kopechne from the overturned vehicle, but are unable to open any of the doors or windows. They insist Kennedy report the incident immediately, but instead, he gets in a rowing boat, and Gargan and Markham row him to Edgartown, where they go their separate ways.

Kennedy walks past the phone booth outside his hotel and up to his room and gets undressed. He takes a bath, gets dressed, and combs his hair. He goes down to the phone and calls his father Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. for advice. His partially-paralyzed father says one word: "alibi". Kennedy sits on the steps outside his room. He asks the night porter the time, which is 2.25 a.m. Kennedy claims he is having trouble sleeping, but he goes to sleep without contacting the police.

The next morning, the overturned vehicle is discovered by father-and-son fishermen, who call the police. Police Chief Arena and the fire department recover Kopechne's body from the car, which they find is registered to Kennedy. Gargan and Markham realize that he has not reported the accident, and insist again that he must. Kennedy goes with Markham to the Edgartown Police Department and commandeers the Chief's office, waiting for his return.

After giving the Chief a statement written by Markham, Kennedy travels to the family compound in Hyannisport, believing he has contained the situation. He is shocked as his father tells him his actions have disgraced the family and is surprised by a damage control team led by Robert McNamara, convened to address the legal (potential charge of manslaughter) and political consequences. First, they make sure the body is not examined again, and that the official record that his licence has expired is changed by a Kennedy-friendly official. Then they craft a strategy to push the court hearing after the current news cycle, dominated by the landing of the first men on the Moon. Kennedy attends Kopechne's funeral wearing a neck brace to gain sympathy, but this ploy backfires in the press.

Kennedy suggests an appeal to the people of Massachusetts on national television, which his damage control team heartily endorses. They use the family's influence to resolve the court case without a trial, where anything he says publicly could be used against him. Kennedy receives the minimum sentence by pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident: two months' jail time, which the judge suspends based on Kennedy's character and good standing.

Gargan, who has become increasingly disgusted with Kennedy for not being honest about the facts of the case and attempting to play the victim, attempts to resign. Kennedy, having just been slapped by his father, tells Gargan he intends to resign from the Senate and asks him to draft a resignation speech. He tells Gargan not to tell anyone.

As Kennedy is ready to go on national television with the speech prepared by Ted Sorensen, designed to elicit public sympathy, Gargan gives Kennedy the resignation speech, telling him it is the right thing to do. But Kennedy throws it away, and Gargan is pressed to hold Kennedy's cue cards for Sorensen's speech. Although the public has mixed views, the majority interviewed say they would re-elect him.

The credits explain that Joseph Kennedy Sr. died soon after the incident; Gargan became estranged from the family; and Kennedy lost the 1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries but continued in the U.S. Senate for another forty years after the incident.

Cast

Production

On December 14, 2015, it was announced that Sam Taylor-Johnson would direct the film, though she later dropped out. [15] On April 25, 2016, it was announced Jason Clarke would play Ted Kennedy, with John Curran directing. [11] On July 7, 2016, Kate Mara and Ed Helms joined the cast, to play Mary Jo Kopechne and Joe Gargan, respectively. [12] On July 20, 2016, Bruce Dern was added as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., [13] while Jim Gaffigan and Olivia Thirlby joined the cast on August 31, 2016, and principal photography began in Boston on September 7, 2016. [14]

The car crash was filmed on a recreation of the Dike Bridge in a water tank at Baja Studios in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico. [16]

Release

On September 8, 2017, Entertainment Studios acquired distribution rights to the film for $4 million. [17] The film premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10. [1] The film was initially scheduled for an awards season release, on December 8, 2017, but was moved back to April 6, 2018. [18] [9] The studio spent $16 million on prints and advertising. [19]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Chappaquiddick was released alongside A Quiet Place , Blockers and The Miracle Season , and was projected to gross $2–4 million from 1,560 theaters in its opening weekend. [19] It ended up debuting above expectations with $5.8 million, finishing 7th at the box office. Deadline Hollywood noted it was still a low figure given Entertainment Picture's $4 million purchase of the film and their $16 million advertising campaign, although the studio itself was satisfied with the results. [20] In its second weekend the film dropped 47% to $3.1 million, finishing 10th. [21] It was the 16th highest-grossing independent film of 2018. [22]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 147 reviews, and an average rating of 7.00/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Chappaquidick can't help leaving some of this true story's most intriguing questions unanswered, but it's bolstered by outstanding work from Jason Clarke in the central role." [23] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating to reviews, the film has an average score of 67 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported men and women over the age of 25 (the film's largest demographic) gave it respective overall positive scores of 80% and 72%. [20]

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter called the film methodical and lacking passion, writing: "It's doubtful that many Americans under the age of 40 or so even know what the name Chappaquiddick refers to, which might in itself provide solid justification for making a film about it. But the drama of the tragic July 18, 1969, accident... needed more energetic and incisive treatment than it receives in this sober, somewhat slack telling." [1]

Response by journalists and politicians

In a March 2018 interview, Byron Allen, CEO of Entertainment Studios, which distributed the film, stated that "there are some very powerful people who tried to put pressure on me not to release this movie". [25] Boston Herald journalist Howie Carr speculated that this was a reference to Chris Dodd, who had been a longtime friend and ally of Kennedy's when he served in the U.S. Senate, and had more recently been president of the Motion Picture Association of America. [26]

American journalist, writer and film critic Neal Gabler, who at the time was writing a biography of Ted Kennedy, criticized the film as a mix of "conjecture and outright fabrication". As one example, he stated, "Contrary to the film's implications, Mr. Kennedy immediately and forever after felt deep remorse and responsibility for the accident; it haunted him." [27] Similarly, longtime Kennedy aide and speechwriter Bob Shrum criticized the film for "trafficking in conspiracy theories", stating that Kennedy had never tried to cover up or minimise his responsibility for Kopechne's death. [28]

Conservative commentator Mark Steyn called Chappaquiddick an "excellent film" that shows how the "acidic glamour of power corrodes" Kennedy and many of those around him. He also stated his opinion that one exchange in the film was based on something he (Steyn) had written previously: in the film, Kennedy remarks that even acclaimed historical figures, such as Moses, had personal flaws, and his cousin Joe Gargan retorts, "Moses didn't leave a girl at the bottom of the Red Sea." Steyn noted that he had written something very similar in response to a 2009 column by Joan Vennochi praising Kennedy after his death. [29]

Accolades

YearFestivalCategoryNominee(s)Result
201819th Golden Trailer Awards Best DramaNominated
201835th Miami International Film Festival Jordan Alexander Ressler Screenwriting Award for Best Screenplay
Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan
Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Jo Kopechne</span> American teacher, secretary, and campaign specialist (1940–1969)

Mary Jo Kopechne was an American secretary, and one of the campaign workers for U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign, a close team known as the "Boiler Room Girls". In 1969, she asphyxiated when a car driven by U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy left a narrow road on Chappaquiddick Island and overturned into Poucha Pond after they had left a party. According to reports, Kennedy left the party at 11:15 p.m. Kopechne's body and the car were not reported until the next morning, approximately nine to ten hours later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chappaquiddick Island</span> Small island at the eastern end of Marthas Vineyard, MA, US

Chappaquiddick Island is a peninsula and occasional island off the eastern end of Martha's Vineyard. Norton Point, a narrow barrier beach, connects Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick between Katama and Wasque. Breaches occur due to hurricanes and strong storms separating the islands for periods of time. The two islands most recently reconnected on December 31, 2023. While both land forms have mostly been connected to one another in modern history, Chappaquiddick is nevertheless referred to as an island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Gaffigan</span> American comedian and actor (born 1966)

James Christopher Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using little profanity in his routines, although he does use it from time to time. He has released several successful comedy specials, including Mr. Universe, Obsessed, Cinco, and Quality Time, all of which have received Grammy nominations.

The "Boiler Room Girls" was a nickname for a group of six women who worked as political advisors for Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign in a windowless work area in Kennedy's Washington, D.C. electoral offices. They were political strategists who received national media exposure from the infamous Chappaquiddick incident in 1969. It was in Chappaquiddick that Mary Jo Kopechne died in a car crash, in which Ted Kennedy was the driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chappaquiddick incident</span> 1969 death of Mary Jo Kopechne caused by Ted Kennedy crashing car

The Chappaquiddick incident occurred on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, United States, sometime around midnight, between July 18 and 19, 1969, when Mary Jo Kopechne died inside the car driven by United States Senator Ted Kennedy after he accidentally drove off a narrow bridge, causing it to overturn in Poucha Pond.

Paul Francis Markham was an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1966 to 1969. He was one of two associates of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in whom Kennedy confided most closely during the Chappaquiddick incident. Markham, along with Kennedy's cousin Joseph Gargan, participated in a futile attempt to rescue Mary Jo Kopechne from Kennedy's submerged car, and also wrote down Kennedy's dictated statement to the police about the accident.

<i>Pacific Rim Uprising</i> 2018 film by Steven S. DeKnight

Pacific Rim Uprising is a 2018 American science fiction monster film directed by Steven S. DeKnight, and written by DeKnight, Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder and T.S. Nowlin. It is the sequel to the 2013 film Pacific Rim, and second installment in the Pacific Rim franchise. Guillermo del Toro, director of the first movie, serves as a producer; while production studios Legendary Pictures and Double Dare You Productions developed the movie. The sequel stars John Boyega, as well as Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny in her film debut, Jing Tian, Adria Arjona and Zhang Jin, with Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, and Burn Gorman returning from the original film. The film takes place in 2035, ten years after the events of the first film. The story follows Jake Pentecost, who is given one last chance to live up to his father's legacy after Kaiju, giant sea monsters, are unleashed back into the world and aim to destroy it.

<i>Rampage</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Brad Peyton

Rampage is a 2018 American science fiction monster film directed by Brad Peyton and loosely based on the video game series of the same name by Midway Games, from a screenplay by Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal and Adam Sztykiel. The film stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It follows a primatologist who must team up with George, a leucistic western lowland gorilla who turns into a raging creature of enormous size and growing into bigger and larger sizes as a result of a rogue experiment, to stop two other mutated animals from destroying Chicago.

<i>Atomic Blonde</i> 2017 film by David Leitch

Atomic Blonde is a 2017 American action thriller film directed by David Leitch from a screenplay by Kurt Johnstad, based on the 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. The film stars Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella, and Toby Jones. The story revolves around a spy who has to find a list of double agents that is being smuggled into the West on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

<i>Mollys Game</i> 2017 film by Aaron Sorkin

Molly's Game is a 2017 American biographical film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, based on the 2014 memoir by Molly Bloom. It stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Joe Keery, Brian D'Arcy James, and Bill Camp.

<i>Downsizing</i> (film) 2017 film directed by Alexander Payne

Downsizing is a 2017 American science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, written by Payne and Jim Taylor, and starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, and Kristen Wiig. It tells the story of Paul Safranek, who decides to undergo a recently invented procedure to shrink his body so he can start a new life in an experimental community, which he ends up doing alone when his wife backs out at the last minute; his journey takes an unexpected turn after he befriends an impoverished activist. Principal photography for the film began in Ontario, Canada, on April 1, 2016.

<i>Wind River</i> (film) 2017 film by Taylor Sheridan

Wind River is a 2017 neo-Western crime film written and directed by Taylor Sheridan. It is the third film by Sheridan on the modern American West. The film stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker and an FBI agent, respectively, who try to solve a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, and Graham Greene also star.

<i>Sicario: Day of the Soldado</i> 2018 film by Stefano Sollima

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a 2018 American action-thriller film directed by Stefano Sollima and written by Taylor Sheridan. A sequel to 2015's Sicario, the film features Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Donovan, and Raoul Trujillo reprising their roles, with Isabela Moner, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Catherine Keener joining the cast. The story relates to human trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border and an attempt by the United States government to incite increased conflict among the cartels.

<i>White Boy Rick</i> 2018 film by Yann Demange

White Boy Rick is a 2018 American crime drama film directed by Yann Demange and written by Andy Weiss, Logan Miller, and Noah Miller. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt in his film debut, Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry, Rory Cochrane, RJ Cyler, Jonathan Majors, Eddie Marsan, Bruce Dern, and Piper Laurie in her final film role. The film is loosely based on the story of Richard Wershe Jr., who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14.

<i>Outside In</i> (film) 2017 film by Lynn Shelton

Outside In is a 2017 American drama film directed by Lynn Shelton, from a screenplay she co-wrote with Jay Duplass. It stars Duplass, Edie Falco, Kaitlyn Dever, and Ben Schwartz.

<i>BlacKkKlansman</i> 2018 American film by Spike Lee

BlacKkKlansman is a 2018 American biographical crime comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Lee, loosely based on the 2014 memoir Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth. The film stars John David Washington as Stallworth, along with Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace. It was Harry Belafonte's last feature film before his death in April 2023. Set in the 1970s in Colorado Springs, Colorado, it follows the first African-American detective in the city's police department as he sets out to infiltrate and expose the local Ku Klux Klan chapter.

<i>The Tale</i> 2018 film by Jennifer Fox

The Tale is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Jennifer Fox and starring Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Ritter, Elizabeth Debicki, Isabelle Nélisse, Common, Frances Conroy, and John Heard. It tells the story of Fox's own child sexual abuse and her coming to terms with it in her later life. It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and aired on HBO on May 26, 2018. In a 2023 interview with The New York Times, Fox revealed the identity of the man who abused her: Ted Nash, a two-time Olympic medalist in rowing and nine-time Olympic coach.

<i>Damascus Cover</i> 2017 political thriller film

Damascus Cover is a 2017 political thriller film, directed by Daniel Zelik Berk, from a screenplay by Berk and Samantha Newton. It is based upon the 1977 novel of the same name by Howard Kaplan. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Olivia Thirlby, Jürgen Prochnow, Igal Naor, Navid Negahban and John Hurt. This was Hurt's final film appearance before his death; the film was dedicated to his memory.

<i>Above the Shadows</i> 2019 film

Above the Shadows is a 2019 supernatural romance film written and directed by Claudia Myers. The film stars Olivia Thirlby, Alan Ritchson, Jim Gaffigan, Maria Dizzia, Tito Ortiz, David Johansen and Megan Fox.

Joseph F. Gargan Jr., was an American lawyer and a nephew of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was one of only two men, along with Paul Markham, in whom Ted Kennedy chose to confide immediately after the Chappaquiddick automobile accident which killed Mary Jo Kopechne. Orphaned at the age of sixteen, Gargan spent two consecutive summers with the Kennedys, and, being closer in age to Ted than the other Kennedy brothers were, developed a close relationship with his cousin Ted. Gargan was the campaign chairman for Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign.

References

  1. 1 2 3 McCarthy, Todd (September 10, 2017). "'Chappaquiddick' Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  2. Shanahan, Mark (May 11, 2018). "Neil deGrasse Tyson isn't over the moon about 'Chappaquiddick'". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  3. "Chappaquiddick (2018)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  4. "Charge to Be Filed Against Kennedy". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 20, 1969. p. 1A. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  5. Putzel, Michael; Pyle, Richard (February 22, 1976). "Chappaquiddick (part 1)". Lakeland Ledger. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1B. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  6. Putzel, Michael; Pyle, Richard (February 29, 1976). "Chappaquiddick (part 2)". Lakeland Ledger. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1B. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  7. Jacoby, Jeff (July 24, 1994). "Unlike Kopechne, the questions have never died". The Day. New London, Connecticut. The Boston Globe. p. C9. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  8. Pond, Steve (August 15, 2017). "Aaron Sorkin, Brie Larson, Louis CK Movies Added to Toronto Film Festival Lineup". TheWrap . Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Thompson, Ann (October 20, 2017). "'Chappaquiddick' Moves Out of the Crowded Awards Season — Exclusive". IndieWire . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  10. Giles, Jeff (April 5, 2018). "A Quiet Place and Blockers Are Certified Fresh". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  11. 1 2 Busch, Anita (April 25, 2016). "Jason Clarke Cast As Ted Kennedy In 'Chappaquiddick' Movie". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 Busch, Anita (July 7, 2016). "Kate Mara & Ed Helms Joining 'Chappaquiddick' Movie". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Busch, Anita (July 20, 2016). "Bruce Dern Will Portray Joe Kennedy In 'Chappaquiddick'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  14. 1 2 Hipes, Patrick (August 31, 2016). "Jim Gaffigan & Olivia Thirlby Join 'Chappaquiddick'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  15. Jaafar, Ali (December 14, 2015). "Sam Taylor-Johnson Finds 'Fifty Shades' Racy Follow-up In Ted Kennedy Scandal 'Chappaquiddick'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  16. Marcks, Iain (May 2018). "Truth and Consequences". American Cinematographer . Vol. 99, no. 5. Hollywood, California, United States: American Society of Cinematographers. p. 43.
  17. Busch, Anita (September 8, 2017). "'Chappaquiddick': Ted Kennedy Tragedy Movie Acquired By Byron Allen in Toronto". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  18. Siegel, Tatiana (September 27, 2017). "Ted Kennedy Movie 'Chappaquiddick' Release Date Set for Dec. 8 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  19. 1 2 Rubin, Rebecca (April 3, 2018). "'A Quiet Place' Looks to Make Noise at Weekend Box Office". Variety . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  20. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 8, 2018). "'A Quiet Place' Screams To $50M+ Opening; 'Blockers' Breaks Through To $21M+ – Early Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  21. D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 15, 2018). "The Rock Rebounds: 'Rampage' Shushes 'A Quiet Place' With $34M+ No. 1 Opening". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  22. Erbland, Kate (January 9, 2018). "The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2018 (A Running List) – IndieWire". IndieWire . Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  23. "Chappaquiddick (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  24. "Chappaquiddick Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  25. Brockington, Ariana (March 29, 2018). "'Chappaquiddick': 'Powerful People' Pressured Studio Not to Release Film, CEO Says". Variety . Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  26. Mccallum, Martha (April 2, 2018). "Former 'Dreamer' slams Trump over immigration proposals". Fox News . Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018. But I have to say, Martha, the most obvious suspect would be Christopher Dodd, he was a former senator from Connecticut, a good big, long-time drinking buddy and pal of Ted Kennedy. They were involved in many numerous escapades in D.C. And he later became the president of the Motion Picture Association of America, the MPAA, until last December. And I think he would be the one who would make the overture to Byron Allen to stop it.
  27. Gabler, Neal (April 6, 2018). "'Chappaquiddick' Distorts a Tragedy". The New York Times . Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  28. McNeil, Liz (March 28, 2018). "Mary Jo Kopechne's Family on Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick: 'The Truth Has Never Really Come Out'". People . Time. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  29. Steyn, Mark (April 14, 2018). "Chappaquiddick (review)". The Mark Steyn Club. Mark Steyn Enterprises. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2018.