Portman captures essence of former first lady in ‘Jackie’

I wasn’t sure what I thought about the movie “Jackie” when I exited the theater.

Natalie Portman’s portrayal of this former first lady seemed affected and rather contrived to me — particularly the intonation of Jackie Kennedy’s voice. But I happened to come across a YouTube video of long-withheld tape recordings made by the original first lady, and I changed my mind. Portman captured the intonation, the breathiness, and the essence of the real Jacqueline Kennedy quite well.

Portman also captured the first lady’s snarkiness — something I greatly appreciated in watching the film “Jackie.” Jackie Kennedy was no shrinking violet — however tender her years — she was only 31 when she entered the White House.

I am touting this film at this late date because I think Portman deserves a shot at an Oscar in the Actress in a Leading Role category, for which she is nominated.

The film, for the most part, takes place after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

In the film, perhaps a week following the death of her husband, Jackie is talking to a writer (Billy Crudup), who is going to write an article for an unnamed publication (I welcome a correction to my perception of the facts) regarding the first lady and the tragic events that surround the assassination and, for that matter, whatever the first lady has in mind to offer a saddened and detail-hungry public.

Jackie has hutzpah. As she puffs on cigarette after cigarette, the details of life in the White House unfold.

In the film, Jackie tries to equate her husband’s death with the assassinations of former presidents — particularly Abraham Lincoln. And although Kennedy had not been in office even three years and had not left the legacy of Lincoln, Mrs. Kennedy is determined to invent and solidify the legacy — whether real or imagined — in the minds and hearts of Americans.

For myself, I will long recall the image of that riderless black horse and the symbolism that portrayed for me. I was a college student during the Kennedy campaign, and I confess that I voted for him — it was my first election. John Kennedy represented the hopes of a “new generation,” and he touched the hearts of young people filled with optimism and the ideals of service to America and the world.

The script of “Jackie” is less idealistic. It shows a calculating Jackie who is determined to create a legacy for her husband that will long be remembered as those “Camelot” years. We are still entranced by this legacy.

The film is well cast. And the more time I think about the film, the more convinced I am of the brilliance of Portman’s portrayal. The script is difficult, partly because it floats back and forth in time to pre- and post-assassination.

Moreover, it is sometimes jarring to move from the public persona to the “real” Jackie Kennedy. As she candidly speaks to the reporter, she seems to be remarkably steady and assured for a person who has been part of a wrenching tragedy in American history, not to mention a woman left with two small fatherless children to rear.

It is the simple details in the film that are both unnerving and poignant. Imagine having lost your husband and having to move all of your belongings to make room for the new “first family.”

Imagine seeing the new first lady selecting fabric and wall coverings for the place you called home for the last few years. As I stop to think about these small aspects of the film, I am more in awe of the pain and suffering that is an underlying aspect of this film. Surely, a closer inspection is required to understand this film and the talent that Portman has brought to the portrayal of this iconic figure in our American history.

Director Pablo Larrain uses actual footage of newsreel and television film to lend authenticity to the film. Portman is super-imposed in gauzy clips showing the famous White House tour that was broadcast on television, the inauguration, the assassination, the funeral procession and many other aspects of the Kennedy history.

The cast is also quite remarkable — in particular, Peter Sarsgaard as Bobby Kennedy, John Kennedy’s brother, and Greta Gerwig as Nancy Tuckerman, Jackie’s personal secretary.

In real life, Tuckerman was a boarding school friend and bridesmaid of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

This film is worth seeing. It will ultimately be on DVD once the Oscars have passed. You should make a point to watch it, not just for Portman’s portrayal of the title role, but for some insight into the life of this former president and his family and how and why the “Camelot” myth was born.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Portman captures essence of former first lady in ‘Jackie’."