JFK (film)

JFK is a 1991 American epic political thriller film co-written and directed by Oliver Stone. The film examines the investigation into the assassination of John F. Kennedy by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison, who came to believe there was a government conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy and that Lee Harvey Oswald was a scapegoat. The film's screenplay was adapted by Stone and Zachary Sklar from the books On the Trail of the Assassins by Garrison and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs. Kevin Costner stars as Garrison, with an ensemble supporting cast including Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Joe Pesci, Donald Sutherland, Laurie Metcalf and narration by Martin Sheen. JFK's embrace of conspiracy theories made it controversial. Many major American newspapers ran editorials accusing Stone of spreading untruths, including the claim that Kennedy was killed as part of a coup d'état to install Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in his place. Despite the controversy, JFK received critical praise for its performances, directing, score, editing and cinematography. It also gradually picked up momentum at the box office after a slow start, grossing over $205 million worldwide, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of 1991 worldwide and Stone's highest-grossing film to date. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and won two for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing. It was the first of three films Stone made about American presidents, followed by Nixon (1995) and W. (2008).