From Jackie, photo courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures
Jackie: In the days between John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination and his funeral, the world’s eyes were pinned to his grieving wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). This story focuses on just that small clutch of days (with occasional excursions before and after) as she balances her own personal sorrow with trying to protect her husband’s complex legacy. Jackie is a beautiful, satisfying biopic in its own right, but I was surprised by its undergird of spirituality. The former first lady spends much of her time talking with a priest as she tries to make sense of her husband’s horrific death. And while the words are not always a comfort and never explain God’s actions, they grow in import as the movie goes on.
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