This film was only average. Lyndon Baines Johnson (Woody Harrelson) is rather a reluctant vice president. He wanted to be president but simply could not compete with the charisma of John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan) so he had to settle for VP much to the chagrin of Bobby (Michael Stahl-David). Lyndon is a southerner and tries to curry favor with both sides of JFK's civil rights bill though that doesn't always work.
And then, of course, Jack is assassinated and Oswald's name is never mentioned. And now, LBJ is president and though he could squash the Civil Rights Bill like a bug, he opts instead to carry on with Kennedy's legacy ruining his long-term friendship with Georgia senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins).
Despite the jumpy plot, dealing with both LBJ's time as VP and President, and skimming over many important details and not giving the supporting cast the screen time and parts they deserved, the film does have promise. Harrelson does the best he can, though the best performance comes from Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lady Bird, the sweet, devoted wife of LBJ. She needed a more defined role as she is excellent.
I wish this film was better as it certainly could have been and should have been better. Grade: B-
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